Document text
f- 2
-'oody
7111pps, loody
Rangelore (negroe)
l'arrent Co., Dist.
'ill Crittendon, 69, was born on his
father's stoat farm at Cedar Grove, r7ex.
He le,:rned to ride a horse at an early
age, -nd herded cattle at six. -hen he
was nine, A.E. Powe, cattleman, employed
i11 es a cowboy to assist in driving a
herd from 7ills ”oint Texas, to his 1.re
')anch, near Paducah, -ex. "111 finished
the drive, then returned home, where he
again herded for his father. "hen he was
15, Yill got 50 mules together and left
home to trade in stock. Fe become a roveng
gambler until he went to selling whiskey to
the Indians. An Indian coup put him out of
business, and he went to Fort worth, where
he's been ever since, and now resides at
1511 3tevenson St. Ft. Worth, rex. His story:
Page ill
FC
Does I know anything about de range? Why, mant I made
a trail drive right through Fort worth hech when it wasn't even
a whistle-stop, and I wasn't but nine yeahs oldt I learned to
ride a hoes on my pap's stock farm at Cedar Grove, Texas, miler
I was born. I was born on Dec. 12, 1868, right after pap come
to -eras from Alabama, viler he was de slave of Gov'nor Crittendon.
"Nra- while he was a slave dat he gits his love of good
hoss flesh right from de govinor. De gov'nor always has hift a
good surrey team, and used pap to drive it. Then freedom oale,
one of de gov'nor's sons had done lamed pap to readd'n• write,
so pap come to Texas to start him a hoes rench and git hisself
a school to tech. 'e done alright about de school, gittin'
one at ceder Grove, and he was de first teacher in de county
at dat time. 'Bout de hoss ranch, he didn't do so well. Fe
only got around 20-30 head at a time, and 40-100 cattle critters
at a time. De range an to' de times when he buys and sells.
While he am teachin' school, I lerned to ride a hose
and rode herd on all his critters. I shore hankered some
Phipps, oody
Rengelore (negroe)
rarrant C Dist. 17
Page Y2
FC
to be a cow puncher, and 'twarnt no trouble to git no out and
a -working de critters over. viwarnt no fenoin' den days, and
de critters all run ever'whar just as if 'twas a big ranch wid
all de critters btlongin, to de same awn.
De roundups and all was handled de same as if 'twits all
b'longin' to de same man. All 46 ranchers gathered together in
de Spring, 'long in March, and we'd all roundup every critter tn
sight dat wasn't underUfonce,. When de different cowboy crews
herded their eritters all totards de 'munity roundup grounds, end
all de critters got together, den de oomboys'd go to outtins out
de stuff as was wanted to brrnd.
De regtlar cowboys wouldn't let me out out, but I'd git
to run de brandinl iron after de critters was throwed and tied.
Drt was my reg'lar job at de roundups, /Brand man'. I'd watch
de (ratters circle through de herd, chase a cow out, rope it, den
throw it, and I'd be on de job wid de irons boric:0 I was called
for. If 'twas de Fall roundup which was held 'long in Late Fall,
Den de fat critters was herded off to demselves.
to de sale herd after using de iron sods do boys
on de job quicker.
"Dat's de way 'teas after I was over five
I'd. haze 'en,
could git beak
'til I was 'bout
nine. De Fall roundup when I was nine, fount, a man from a 7est
Texas Ranch dot wanted to buy all de salable. stuff, so Al de
ranchers 'greed to,sell. Nell, after de herd was cut out amd
worked over, he didn't have enough men to drive do herd back.
I wanted to go, so after pap 'greed to let me, I signed. up.
De man's name was lifted R. Rowe, and. do 7ire Ranch at Peduoah,
Texas, was abar we was headed wid do trail herd.
Phipr)s, woody
Tiangelore (negroe)
Tarrant Co., Dist. 47
Page #3
PC
I'll never forget how my mammy ganged around me end cried
'bout me goin' off wid de herd. I kept telling her dat I wasn't
going ,to stay, but she didn't feel none so good anyway. I finally
broke away from her, and went to tell pap goodbye. Ee didn't
smile none, but said, Well, son. You wanted to get out,. now be
a man where ever you go and you'll always end up right by doint so.'
After de herd got started, I forgot all about my folks
and went to riding herd. le had a couple of stomps before we
got 50 miles away. One of 'em was when a hoes stumbled in de
night as de rider got reel close to de herd. De noise made by
de saddle started gem off, and I thought we'd never get gem
stopped. I'd never been in a st)mp before, and was some skittish
but tried not to let on like I was.
when de stamps was on, I got reel busy around de remnda
and kept de hose's quiet while de other cow pokes was busy
a -trying to stop de stomp. Dat was a good job *onus* if de
hostiles went too, de cow pokes wouldn't have nothing to gather de
crit ors up agnin wid. 'Tens always important to watch de saddle
stock Ws not to be left afoot, and I sure didn't like walking
none atall.
"1 reckon de reel starting plum of de trail drive was at
Muddy Cedar Creek. A place about half way between 7111s 2oint
and Fluor. Dat's when we burnt de Turkey Track brand on de
4,:tiltters. 'Teas de same brand Rowe used on his Wire Ranch.
Peter we got started, we worked on and on, and finally reached
Fort Worth. On account of we done so much work and all, I don't
recall how many days we was on de road 'til we got to Fort Worth.
1) drive di. herd right through some of what's now do: business
Phipps, 7oody ?age414
Tengelore (negroe)
Tarrant :o., Dist. f7 FC
deestriot 'long about whar 12th and 14t1 streets am now. De
herd kinda went Vest of de fort, which was whir de Crimgnal Cougt
building am now.
When we got down to de river, I most nigh lost a hoes
'cause I'd never swum a river before. Since de Trinity River was
up in de rail ')Ise., de place whar folks usually walked critters
aorost was over a hoes's head. De trail boss had de (shuck
wagon floated acrost by tieing logs onto de wheels and under de
wagon bed, den had gavial cow pokes git sorest and pull on ropes
while we got de wagon started out on die side. One of de cow
nokesgs hoes on de pulling end got kinds bogged up, and like to
a fell but he made it, and de wagon swung out into de stream.
As de wagon went down stream, de boys pulled into shore, and
after de wa#on struck grovel on de other side, de boys untied de
ropes, hitched onto their hosses an' drug de wagon right out.
De critters in de lead of de herd sees de wagon stock
an' bosses on de other side, an' gtwarnt so hard to git 'em to
take to de water. After de leads took de water, we boys all
hollered fin' slapped our hats agginst de critter's sides 'til
day got to *row -An'. After 'bout half de herd was over, I gelded
'tilts time fo' me to go. I rides my boss riFht out into de water
an' he swelled his sides to go to swiming, but he couldn't swell
'cause I'd forgot to 1)osen de saddle strops. I shore like to a
lost dat hos,,, before it could git back to walking ground. one
of de rannies comf,s over to me en' says, Say, Nigger t Don't
you know to loosen your saddle strops?*
I loosened de strops on' after two -three tries, I got
my boss to _take de water *gain an' we went on acroet. Dat was a
Phipps, 4owly
Rangelore (negroe)
Tarrant Co., Dist. '7
Page /5
FC
good lesson for me 'cause I come to many a river after dat, an'
'memberin' how big dat hoes swelled, I always loosened de strops.
Did you ever watch a hoss when he starts a -swimming? Watch one
some ti e an' see how big his tummy swells.
we gits serest an' drove on. After orossin'
sev'al more rivers an' some hills, we finally to de Sire Ranch
at Paducah. After seem' de critters spread out on de ranch, I
got my money end started hone. On de way, I just had me a good
time. asn't a -scared of Indians none a -tall 'cause my folks
taught me dat de Indians wouldn't bother a nigger. An' dat's
right too, 'cause I dealt wid 'em later on an' they never hurt
me.
I follered de trail back dat we used to drive de critters
up wid, ant all de way, I'd study de places wO paased ant I
didn't have no time to stop an' llok at. I recall now how de
reeds an' weeds at one crossin' was still de same as when we
fixed de place. You see, we'd come to quick sand, an' -Tade a
crossinl by throwing a lot of weeds and reeds into de piece,
den riding de hosses back an' forth 'til we had a solid crosint.
inother place was where 'twee a long way 'twix water
holes, and de critters rill got dry and thiraty. I don't recollect
how many miles 'twee, but when de critters first smolt de water,
dey stompeded for miles to git to de water., ''went no beef
lost in dis a.tomp 'cause de first critters was so fai in advance
of de drags dat day had drunk and gone aside to rest in de shade
while de dregs drunk.
after I got back home, de folks throwed a party for me.
1 41( Pll had a good time, den I,settled cioirn to be de world's beet
Phinps, ody
Rangelore (negroe)
rarrant Co., Dist. 7
pace -16
hoes buster* if I could. I rode ever hose I could git a chanst
at. one thing I want you all to record, am, dat I've never been
throwed from a hose at no time. 1f course, an' ,you can eat any
boss wrangler 'bout it sn' he'll tell You de same, dat some
bosses wont bust. You can ride 'em an' ride 'em, ride 'em 'til
dey.aint got de Spirit to lift their head. Still, after they've
had a chenst to rest, they're as wild as ever. I never had much
truck wid slob goin's on. limn I couldn't bust a hose, ant I
knew nobody else oould, I'd shoot him in de heed an' go off ant
leave him lay. 'Twee a reg'ler custom 'among boss wranglers to
shoot 'em when dey couldn't be busted, 'less some rodeo would
use him for pitching shows.
I got to gittin' together all de hoses. I could so's I
could sell 'em. Alen de cow pokes an' me wernt bust wid pan's
stuff, we'd go to de hills an, way -lay a hoes herd. These
wild hoes all had one stud for a leader. He was de only stud
in de herd, an' acted like a rooster coos aruand chickens. at
is, he'd lerd 'em to water, an' feed, an' keep jiggers oh danger.
Any hose hunter will tell you dat it's mighty nigh impossible
to slip up on a herd before de stud gives de warning neigh.
De only ohanst a hose wrangler had of catching wild
hosses was in running 'em 'til dey was all tired out den driving
'em into a hose trap. ?or dat job, we cow nokes all took as
many extra :losses as we could wrangle and still take care of
de catching job. Knowing dat de wild loss herd runs in a circle
so's not to get far sway from his stomping ground, we'd ptatlon
our bosses in three bunches in a circle around where we figured
de herd'd run.
Phipps, noody
Rangel)re (negroe)
Tarrant Co., Dist.'Y?
page
FC
7
"De hoes trap was made in a blin0 canyon. A canyon dat
had two walls, end an, end where de bosses couldn't git out by
jum an, climbin'. At de front of de trap, we'd put a bunch
of poles an' posts at de side sobs de bosses wouldn't notice den
on de may 4n, an' after day was in, we'd hurry an' fix a corral
fence higher den we figured dey'd jump.
Since I was slob a good shot, I was always stationed
right at de corral fence soon's de herd went in. When do lead
stud fount out dat he couldn't gdit out at de end, he'd turn out
to go back, an' he'd call de mares to toiler him, which dey always
done widout even looking around when in 6 tight place. Dey just
follered him. Since de lead stud was always de best hoes in de
bunch, he could sometimes jump de fence. Alen he coma over, he'd
seei to float, or soar, over. 'Twee always an easy thing for me
to orease 'em as dey come over.
I'd crease him an' all dat follerad him, den we'd hu:ry
an' tie 'em all up before dey'd come to. After dey was tied up,
we'd untie one at a time, an' ride him 'til he was rode down.
Ne'd have a rodeo all by our selves, an' 'twrs worthwhile 'eause
de wildest bosses buck de most. 'Peason it out, an, you'll see.
After ridint de roped ones, we'd ride inside an' snake one out,
ride him, den go git another.
I got me quite a reputation as a hoes buster around
in those parts, an cattleman from all araund would cone to me mid
de hoses dey couldn't bust. I'd bust Ism at so much per hose,
an' when I couldn't bust 'ems I'd shoot 'em:
When I got to be lb', I'd got me 50 mules together, so
I set out to asks my fortune. I traded these mules around, an,
Phio-41, Noody
Rangelore (negroe)
Tarrant Co., Dist. ;7
Page $8
ant busted hosoes on de aide. Among de places I busted bosses
was de Tom ring ranch at Greenville* Texss. Tom King had thousands
of o-itters, how many I don't know. Jim Hsrris, a banker at
Terrell, Texas, had a ranch in 7,est Texas, but bought his hosses
at Terrell, an' always had me bust 'em for him. Charlie Harris,
his brother, run the CH on the Saline River wid about 4,000
heed, T busted his bosses for him too. De ones his boys
couldn't bust. Jim Lsnoey, at Willa Point, had me bust a few for
him from time to time, and f4tderson dat run de JIM brand at
Fgypt, -ilexes, had me bust all his !losses. MI was a cattle dealer
and bought an' sold from one to 2,000 head at a time.
De Manning Hose Ranch had me bust all de bosses for him.
his place was cleat to Terrell* an' I'd contract to bust 40 at a
time. Mtny's de time I'd have de money gambld off before I'd
busted half of what I'd contrsoted for. 'Tivs on din place dat I
roped something Ididn't want. I was riding 81)ng one day, a
twirling my rope, when a panther walked right out in front of me.
I'd had sev'al benrs come up to my camp fire, a -smelling
my frying bacon, and I'd sh:;t him over. I'd had sev'al close
places, and my rope had brought me out of it, so I Just lassoed
de panther. Lewd; Lswdl Pfter I'd done roped him, I saw what
a big mistake I'd made 'cause he turned and started to'ards me.
Day wee a big post by his path, an, he leapt on it so's to make
his jump down on me. -ell, I was quick on de draw, an' a straight
shot, so T just up and shot mister panther. Don't you believe
dat I couldn't shoot Straight, eighduer 'cause I an still shoot
straight and fast today. My years haven't slowed my hand, nor
dkimed my eyes. I know day all,de old duffers like to sit around
Phipps, loody
Rangelore (negro())
Tarrant Co., Dist. i7
Patie
and tell what all dey done, but I can still do mine. You see dat
oelendpr on de wall? It's about 30' feet, aint it? 'n' de light's
dim, aint it? Tell, if you'll go up close, you'll see dat de
nurtty gal aint got no teeth, an' you'll see dat do lips aint
tetohed. I shot dat in last night, and ell of these boys here
will tell you T done so. I aint given up to going around and shoot
ing but dey kidded me so much (Int I brought my sitar over and
showed 'em what an old duffer can do. Vp 'til last year, I run
a bunch of hounds out at Lake orth, and hnd bankers and business
-en. for customers dot wanted a good shot an, some good bounds in
de party.
"De last man I worked for busting bosses, was Lindsey, at
Elmo, Texas. lie was a big hoss man, an' run a reg'ler boss ranch.
7ie'd got a big order for so many bed of !losses, an' I wee hired
to round 'era up for him. 'lell, I rounded his "oases up.for him,
but I cut back a few for myself, and r?ter de sale was made, T
went beck and got de stuff I'd cut out, an, took it to bilene,
7exes, where T sold it.
Thile in Tbilene, T run into a fellow name of :in
Sullivan. he wanted to sell whiskey to de Indiana, an bein's I
was game for snything, T took ht;i on. 'Twas 1.ng in 1900 dat
we set our whiskey wages on Choctaw Creek, at Savoy, "(mass We
kept de wagon hid, ant went acrost into de Territory to make our
deals. No matter how good or sorry a hoes, 'twas one quart per
hoes. le got some fine hoss flesh, too. Indiana'd trade their
souls for a little 1 Fiat water:* We just got along fins on our
first trip, an, made a pocket full .of money out of do bosses.
Phipns, '7oody
')angelore (negro.)
Tarrant Col, Dist. 17
Page 410
?C
On our second trip, we hired a man to go with us an,
watch de wagon whilst both of us got out an' made deals. some
way or other, de Inditne'd got together, an' was weitin, for :;im
and me to show with the whiskey wagon. fter pitahinr our soot,
I made off to a tribe I new of. Before I got over de hill away
from de wagon, I heard shots. 7)e Indiens'd come over on de Texas
side, an' was ahoutin' up de wai;on. I rode back as fast as I
could, but when I got (limit, I saw dat Jim and de other fellow
wss dead, en' 'de Indians was lifttng de whiskey out of de wagon
to load it on their hosses. One of thim saw me a-coling, an,
shot at me. De bullet passed through my right leg, an' killed my
hose. :fter dey saw 'twas a ni.ger a-aoling, dey left me alone.
T got Jimts hoss an' rode on away, fter I got to .a town, T got
to.* care of, den come to "ort forth, and aint been away since.