OctoberStar PDF

North Texas Star
October 2013
OUTDOORS ALONG THE BRAZOS
C.C. SLAUGHTER:CATTLE KING OF TEXAS, Part 4
SAIN-TOH-OODIE-GOOMBI:
FORT BELKNAP CAPTIVE?
October 2013 NORTH TEXAS STAR Page 2
Admission $3 or $1 off per canned food item
*musicians subject to change
Donkey Rides Circa 1906
ADVERTISING
Mary Jo Watson
(940) 229-9941
maryjo_nts@mineralwellsindex.com
CIRCULATION
circulation@mineralwellsindex.com
PUBLISHER
Mel Rhodes
publisher@mineralwellsindex.com
LAYOUT & DESIGN
Lindsay Bryant
ads1@mineralwellsindex.com
CALL
940-325-4465
ONLINE
www.mineralwellsindex.com
North Texas Star
4
OUTDOORS ALONG THE BRAZOS
By Don Price
8
CHASING OUR TALES
By Sue Seibert
16
SAIN-TOH-OODIE-GOOMBI:
By Gene Fowler
12
By Jim Dillard
C.C. SLAUGHTER:
CATTLE KING OF TEXAS: PART 4
Outdoors Along the Brazos
By Don Price
The following vignettes have been extracted
from Outdoors Along the Brazos columns, begin-
ning in 1963. Occasionally, a sentence has been
paraphrased for clarity.
Outdoors, Part I
Always the first criers to show us approaching
splendor, the sumac bush blushes scarlet, usually
in October.
Along our familiar roadsides it is to be found,
discovered aflame, but only by those who will
take a moment to notice.
Found in abundance in limestone country,
sumac has for a number of years been strong
along that stretch of roadway between Palo Pinto
town and Brad. Two species were found common
there: Shining and Smooth sumac.
The halcion days of fall often meld, blend
before our eyes. A man who owns nothing may be
richer than others simply because he observes
nature more than we: a stop along the highway
west of Palo Pinto to soak up the colors. Perhaps
we won't be there to enjoy it with him because we
can't spare the time.
A bright yellow pecan, a golden cottonwood,
look before it's gone, because the next gusto...
And before you know it elms and willows will
be the guilded ones, each a treasure taking over
when the sumac undresses, affording wealth for
anyone who will stop, anyone who has the time to
notice.
Myriad roadside flowers are abloom until frost,
even common broomweeds, gasping one last
breath before Jack Frost oozes the cracks in the
old sandstone fence your grandfather took years to
build, while hoarfrost blankets the pasture.
Bobwhites were plentiful [during wet years of
the late 1960s] but you'll be mighty lucky to bag a
brace today.
You'll have to comb the pasture grasses even 10
feet distant as their camouflage is better than
Cabela's; this is why you need a dog.
My best year behind "Bud," an English setter,
was in 1969; although physically Bud isn't with
me anymore; his spirit is; I can just hear him over
that little rise.
Grit is my hunting companion now, fourteen
months old, a Brittany spaniel, and he thinks he
knows all about it. I keep telling him Bud wore
mighty big shoes around our pasture.
A local bird hunter, himself a spry octogenarian,
told me to watch out for every sixth year...let's
see, my best year was 1969, and this is 1975. Sure
enough, this year looks to be as good, maybe even
better. Come on, Grit, we've got a lot of sniffing
to do before Christmas.
We'll hunt out the hollows on some of those
hazy mornings in the Palo Pinto Mountains
around Brad, stopping at noon to perk black cof-
fee in a rusty bucket and woof down a sandwich.
And we'll run up-and-down the [1950s] motor-
cycle hill climb trace near Metcalfe Gap, foot
express, and never tire. It was at least 60 years
ago but we were in our 20s. Even the rattlesnakes
feared for their lives as we were afraid of nothing.
We were wild and we were free. Freedom, total,
no strings attached, not a worry in the world.
Now, those were the good old days! It's a down-
right shame we have to grow up anyhow.
The great American essayist said: "He who
knows the most, he who knows what sweets and
virtues are in the ground, the waters, the plants,
the heavens, and how to come at these enchant-
ments, is the rich and royal man." This quote is
from Ralph Waldo Emerson; we school kids stud-
ied him in the seventh grade.
I just don't know how Emerson and President
Lincoln could think up these sublime thoughts
anyhow, not without the aid of cellphones and text
messages, do you? And just to think, no TV. How
in the world did they do it?
Outdoors, Part II
You love your job. You really wouldn't trade
your kind of work for anything. And so you've
dragged yourself around the family's mom-and-
pop shop to service customers the whole day with
only a 15-minute lunch break.
This is one of those days you should have
stayed home: tire adjustments, battery pro-rated
guarantees, irrasible customers at the exchange
counter; besides, our store air conditioner has bro-
ken down [the month is August] in 100 degrees, at
least.
All of our good customers are reminding us it's
a terribly hot day when you already know it's a
terribly hot day.
You keep looking at your wristwatch, checking
the sun time through the front plate glass window,
noticing the tiny shadows beginning to lengthen
behind the merchandise display. You'll take a deep
breath, knowing closing time will soon be here.
Family members and hired help are just stand-
ing on the sidewalk, talking, just like a thousand
by gone evenings, and someone locks the front
door.
It's time to get away. Faster, faster, you mutter
Continued on page 6
Continued from page 4
to yourself, trying not to bite through your
favorite Kaywoodie stem as you take corners on
two in order to save rubber. You've always been
great at rationalizing, but fooling no one.
Why don't you just floorboard your life, you
feel like it sometimes, not really, but you sense
the temptation just the same. But holding one's
speed to 55 will make his motor stay in better
shape longer. This was mainstream in 1950.
The city limits sign... only this time you're
going out instead of in. Away from the facade of
masquerading.
My element at long last. To cast a deer hair
mouse, to slap the water 1 inch from the stickup
that the lunker calls "home" is all that matters.
Three times you've caught him and released. He's
getting wise you have to change flies. But stay-
ing humble to God is the highest art, eclipsing
everything.
Dark, it's your own reflection, mysterious
water. Grotesque trees in the middle add charac-
ter to the tiny lake's composition, and the barna-
cled stump, a hiding place for a bronzed warrior.
This is our sanctuary, no cell phones either.
And so you paddle the little green boat away
from technology until you find it safe to let the
breeze carry you, to drift awhile, to remove a
town's mask so that the wind and sun can
cleanse. A lot of us yearn for "40 winks" to get
away from it all, at least as far away as Millsap.
Gosh.
Locusts machinegun one another from tree
branches on the stock tank's dam; a mockingbird
tries to mimic the locust, while a squirrel berates
because you've dared invade its territorial imper-
ative.
The wind is cooler and kinder; certainly the air
is fresher and cleaner.
Pincushioned awry on the stock tank's dam are
the wind-in-the-willow trees [this is getting a lit-
tle corny], while red-winged blackbirds rise and
fall nosily on switches, a Cub Scout's future wie-
ner sticks.
On a rock in the spillway rests a sculptured
turtle with rubber-band neck, as a gray fox nim-
ble-foots it across the spillway, a mighty poor-
looking fox, I mean a thin fox.
Hunkering low, a jackrabbit is in the spillway,
too, braced like a cinder starter for the World
Olympics. I'm sure he sees the fox coming.
It's very serious for the jackrabbit because his
life at this moment depends on speed and agility.
The fox is thin and no doubt hungry. Survival of
the fittest, nature's way of balancing species...
Then twilight; it gives one a lot to ponder.
Outdoors, Part III
If you've come reading this far, its a lot farther
than I expected, yes indeed.
The young kids I know don't seem to be inter-
ested in nature much anymore, not like in my
time; what with their video games, seemingly it's
a different world.
Perhaps if you'd take your kids this next week-
end to a local lake, such as Lake Mineral Wells
State Park, and if they'd catch a few perch and
crappies, then they'll want you to take them
again. They might get hooked on nature and this
is what it's all about. It's worth a try. Park
Interpretation/Education Manager David Owens
is knowledgeable.
940-468-2711
Beer Wines Spirits
Check Cashing
4514 Hwy. 180 East Mineral Wells
10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Mon. - Sat. www.tsliquorwarehouse.com
7
0
2
3
0
Corrections Corporation of America
John R. Lindsey State Jail
Jacksboro 940-567-2272
CCA is a Drug Free Workplace & an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V/D
Apply online at ccajob.com
CORRECTIONAL
OFFICERS
is seeking career-minded individuals who
desire the opportunity to infuence the lives
of people who live and work in a challenging,
ever-changing environment for the position of
John R. Lindsey
State Jail
1620 Post Oak Road
Chasing Our Tales
baileypate
By Sue Seibert
I
found an old query that I hadnt
researched, and I thought I would
endeavor to do so. However, there was so
little information in the query, that I am
stuck with more questions than answers.
Heres the query: Hello, I am doing
research on the Bailey Clan descendants
of William M Bailey, and Mary Ann Barnett. My
question, do you have any infor-
mation on William M. Bailey's
history prior to Mary Ann
Barnett? June bailey.
Since I dont recall who June
Bailey is, and I dont have a clue
where these people were supposed
to live, and I know there are lots
of people with the Bailey name, I
am going to try to do research
using Palo Pinto County as a
basis, and go from there.
However, I would like to add
here that when you are asking
someone to search for you, please
give them as much information as
possible. The more you know
about places and dates of births,
marriages, and deaths, the more
you will help your researcher to
find your ancestors!
I did find information about a
William M. Bailey here. He was
the son of Francis M. Bailey and
his, wife Margrett. He was born
about 1866 in Mississippi, but by
the time he was 14, on the 1880 federal census,
he and his family are found on the Palo Pinto
County census. I later discovered they had
come by way of Fannin County, Texas.
The siblings the census listed for William are
George, age 11; Clark, age 7; Eli, age 5; and
John Pink, age 1. Looks like the Bailey family
were raising some strong sons to help with the
farm, as they are listed as being farmers.
Upon further examination, I discovered that
Williams mother may have been Sarah
Margarete Sanders, born about 1843, in
Mississippi. She was married to Francis Marion
Bailey who was born on Oct. 19, 1840, in Marion
County, AL. The death certificate for Francis tells us
even more.
Francis was 96 when he died on March 2, 1937, in
Oran, Texas, and he is buried there. He was a wid-
ower. He was the son of Wiley Bailey, who was born
in Georgia. His mother was unknown. The informa-
tion was provided by his youngest son, John Pink
Bailey of Graford, Texas. The undertaker for this
funeral was E.L. Lee of Graford. It appears he died
of senility, something that I believe may no longer
be put on a death certificate.
Doing more research I found Sarah Margarete/
Margaret/Margaretts death certificate. But although
she was born in Mississippi, it was really on May 2,
1844, and her children did not know who her parents
were when the death certificate was filled in. (How
sad.) She also died in Oran at the age of 90 on Feb.
23, 1935. She died of old age, another no-no in
todays politically correct age! Her son, John Pink,
was also the one who gave information on her death
certificate.
The only further information I found on William
M. Bailey was his birth and death dates, April 1,
1865 - June 10, 1890, so he did not outlive his par-
ents. He was 25 when he died. I have no idea where
Mary Barnett came into the picture, and so far as I
can tell he was not buried in Oran.
Now, for some extremely interesting information.
Francis Marion, known as Frank,
was the last surviving Texas veter-
an of the Battle of Bull Run. A
clipping of his obituary from the
Mineral Wells Star states:
Frank M. Bailey, 97, last known
Texas survivor of the Confederate
Army at the first battle of Bull
Run, and the last member of
Stonewall Jackson Post United
Confederate Veterans, died Tuesday
at his home in Oran.
Bailey participated in most of
the early engagements of the Civil
War but received a wound at White
Oak Swamp which lamed him for
life. He was on guard duty at
General Robert E. Lees headquar-
ters at the beginning of the seven-
day battle around Richmond and
saw General Lee and President
Davis go up in an observation bal-
loon to inspect the military situa-
tion.
A native of Alabama, he came
to Palo Pinto County in 1874. He
was a building contractor and funeral services
Wednesday were held at the Oran Baptist
Church, which he built. He is survived by two
sons, George F. Bailey and J. Pink Bailey of
Graford.
To take the Bailey family into the next genera-
tion, since I can find nothing more about
William, lets talk about John Pink Bailey. He
was born Sept. 27, 1878, in Honey Grove,
Fannin County, Texas. His mothers last name
was White, not Sanders, at least on his death
certificate, and on his death certificate her name
is spelled Margaret. He died on June 14, 1965, in
Mineral Wells. At the time he was living in the
Crazy Water Hotel. He was listed as a farmer and
rancher, and at one time the had been he tax collec-
tor and accessor in Graford. He was buried from the
Baum - Carlock - Bumgardner Funeral Home. He
Continued on page 10
Pink Bailey
had been widowed when he died and was 86 at his death. His sons,
Rich Lawrence Bailey, Herbert Bailey, and August Embre, are also
buried in the Oran Cemetery. Their other children were Mary Nell
Clinton and Frank Harris Bailey.
John was married to Mary Howard Pate Bailey. She was the daugh-
ter of Roy Howard Pate and Florence Low Pate. She died on October
11, 1960, at Nazareth Hospital in Mineral Wells. She was born on Feb.
17, 1881, in Tennessee. She was a housewife, and she died of heart
problems.
The Mineral Wells Star printed the following concerning John Pink
and Mary Howards wedding:
At the residence of the brides parents Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Pate on
the evening of the 15th January 1902, Mr. Pink Bailey and Miss Mary
Pate were married, Rev. George W. Lewis of Millsap officiating. The
bride, one of Orans most beautiful young ladies, wore a pearl gray silk
trimmed in white with the brides veil and a wreath of orange blossoms,
while the groom, one of our most prominent young men, was dressed
in a suit of black. They received several nice presents from their many
friends who predict for them a bright future and wish them much hap-
piness through life. There was the largest crowd present that we have
seen at a wedding in a long time. Besides the community, there were
present Misses Nora and Estelle Longino of Jacksboro; Jno. Meeks and
sister, Katie, and Miss Katie Woldridge of Whitt; Misses Mary Lasater,
Sarah Davidson, and Ura Hall of Weatherford. After congratulations all
were invited out to supper where was found a table loaded down with
every thing good to eat. On the next day the bridal party went to the
residence of F. M. Bailey, the father of the groom, where quite a num-
ber of friends had been invited to partake of one of the best dinners
that it has been our privilege to enjoy for a long time.
* * * * * * *
If you have more information on the Bailey family, especially what
happened to William M. and Mary Barnett Bailey, please contact me
through email, sue_seibert@att.net.
If you would like to read other of my ramblings, you may go to my
blog at http://siouxsue.blogspot.com.
Frank Bailey
Shop
Historic
Granbury
Campers Clubs
Welcome
Bath house, laundry room
club house available.
Full hook-ups including
50 Amp service located
directly behind
Bennetts Camping Center
Nightly, weekly &
monthly rates.
B
e
n
n
e
tts
Registration office: 2708 Hwy 377 Granbury, TX
Park entrance: 3101 Old Granbury Rd.
Hours: Monday-Friday 9-6 Saturday 9-5
817-573-3665 * 817-279-7500
RV
RANCH
Granburys Newest RV Park
www.bennettsrvranch.com
C.C. Slaughter - Cattle King of Texas
By Jim Dillard
part 4
(This is Part 4 in a series of articles on the life of
Christopher Columbus Slaughter, oldest son of George
Web Slaughter, who settled in Palo Pinto County with
his father in 1856 and began his long career to
become one of the most successful and wealthiest cat-
tlemen Texas has ever known.)
When an organized group of meat packers in
Chicago known as the Beef Combine began control-
ling the price of beef at the marketplace during 1886,
cattlemen organized to combat the practice which was
bankrupting them. At a Range Association meeting in
Denver on Feb. 9, 1887, a movement was set in
motion to create the American Cattle Trust. It would
create a $100 million corporation that could arrange,
manage, and sell every animal from the time it was
dropped a calf until it was beef in the consumers bas-
ket. Slaughter was named to the board of directors,
but by 1890 the trust disolved due to dissension among
the directors, overvaluation of stock certificates and
lack of support from cattlemen.
At the national level, Slaughter was also named first
president of the National Beef Producers and
Butchers Association where he used his
influence to lobby for the passage of
livestock inspection laws and
against the Beef
Combine. In
Washington
he testi-
fied before the United States Senates Select
Committee on the Transportation and Sale of Meat
Products where he testified that the cattle depression
was the direct result of price fixing by the Beef
Combine. He also revealed stockmen could not find
any competition between buyers and were forced to
take the first bid offered at any market, a price that had
been preset by the beef packing monopoly.
At the Interstate Convention of Cattlemen held in
Fort Worth in 1890, C.C. and his brothers, Bill and
John, heard a letter read from Gov. Lawrence Sullivan
Ross agreeing that something should be done to com-
bat the beef trust and remove the syndicate that
dominated the cattle markets. He also lauded many of
the pioneering cattlemen, including the Slaughters,
who had become famous during the early days of the
cattle industry but were then needing protection at the
marketplace. Although Slaughter worked in the politi-
cal arena and through organizations established to pro-
tect cattlemen and their interests at the marketplace,
not until 1921 did Congress pass the Packers and
Stockyard Act that curtailed the monopolistic practices
of the big meat packers.
Where other ranchers had failed, Slaughter was able
to survive the drought and depressed market price for
beef. When creditors clamored for their money,
he would simply have his ranch foreman
ship the appropriate number of fat cattle
and young heifers to market to
cover his expenses. He
employed a veterinarian
in April 1887 to teach his
cowboys how to spray
cattle for insect and tick
pests, which usually
resulted in extra weight
gain. In 1886 he had also
contracted with the XIT
Ranch to provide 10,000
head of 1- and 2-year-old
steers for a reported $14
a head. Located near
Slaughters Long S
Ranch, its three million
acres along the edge of
the Texas-New Mexico
border made it the largest
fenced ranch in the
world.
The cattle were herded
from Slaughters Long S
Ranch to his Running
Water Draw Ranch and
then to the XIT. By
removing that many cattle from his land, he was better
able to withstand the effects of the three-year drought.
In addition, market prices began to improve and in
September 1888 he sold 80 fat steers at the improved
market price of $3.10 per hundred. Another change
occurred on the Long S Ranch when Slaughters long-
time ranch foreman, Gus OKeefe, left to start his own
ranch and was replaced by Slaughter's 18-year-old son,
Robert L. (Bob) Slaughter. On July 6, 1890, C.C.
Slaughter dissolved his six-year partnership with W.D.
Johnson on the Running Water Land and Cattle
Company by trading his half interest in the cattle,
horses and equipment for Johnsons interest in the land
which included 89,000 acres in patented holdings and
a similar amount in leases.
Things were changing in West Texas during the
1890s as more ranches were fenced with barbed wire
and windmills were installed for a more reliable source
of water. Less open range remained for the big cattle-
men to use as farmers infiltrated the region. Between
1888 and 1892, 34 counties were organized in West
Texas and the Panhandle. Although Slaughter was
deeply involved in banking, real estate, industrial
investments and philanthropic activities in Dallas, he
kept close reins on his West Texas ranching interests.
Drought once again set in with a vengeance on the
dusty High Plains between 1890 and 1894. During
1892 pastures were barren of vegetation and cattle died
by the thousands. By January 1893, Slaughter owned
title to more than 250,000 acres and 37,000 cattle on
his West Texas and Panhandle ranches. Calf produc-
tion dropped dramatically forcing many cattlemen out
of business. In April 1893, Slaughter sent 5,000 head
of cattle by rail to Glasgow, Mont., and others to feed-
lots in Council Grove, Ks. Another 5,000 head of cat-
tle were herded to lease lands in New Mexico and
other parts of the Panhandle less affected by the
drought. With cattle sent elsewhere and the sale of
$100,000 worth of cattle sold at market during 1894,
Slaughter once again was able to survive another
drought. In May 1894 heavy rains returned to the
region to break the drought and by fall range condition
improved dramatically.
C.C. Slaughter soon followed the example set by
Charles Goodnight on the JA Ranch and began to
incorporate purebred Hereford breeding stock in his
ranching operations. He purchased 10 carloads of
Hereford bulls for the Long S Ranch to breed with his
cross-bred shorthorn-longhorn cattle. With the shift
toward using and producing purebred stock beginning
to dominate the cattle industry during the late 1800s,
Slaughter once again was at the forefront of the
change. In 1895 Slaughter purchased a herd of 1,900
pure bred Hereford cattle, known as the Cross-J herd
C. C. Slaughter Greenwood Cemetery, Dallas
C.C. Slaughter - Cattle King of Texas
that had originated on Goodnights JA Ranch, from
Hockley County rancher John Scharbauer for $50,000,
sight unseen.
He also began purchasing champion Hereford bulls
including Ancient Bison, the 1893 first-prize winner at
the Chicago Worlds Fair and Columbian Exposition,
for $2,500, the most ever paid for a bull at that time.
In 1896 he purchased another champion bull named
Protection, winner at state fairs in Wisconsin,
Minnesota and Illinois and at the St. Louis Fair in
1896, and three other top bulls. These bulls and the
herd of purebred Herefords purchased from Scharbuaer
were released in Hockley County on the Diamond A
Ranch, an adjoining ranch owned by Fount G.
Oxsheer. He had made a deal with Slaughter to pasture
the Hereford herd for three to four years at $1 per head
and a one-quarter interest in the herd. Slaughter per-
suaded Oxsheer to rename the ranch the Ancient Bison
Herford Ranch and subdivide it into six pastures for
better control of breeding by his prized bulls.
In 1899 Slaughter purchased 4-year-old Sir
Bredwell, the champion Hereford bull at the Omaha
Exposition, at T. F. B. Sothams annual Hereford sale
at Kansas City. After an unprecedented auction
between Slaughter, Kirk B. Armour, meatpacker and
president of the American Hereford Breeders
Association, and several other wealthy cattle breeders,
Slaughter bought the bull for $5,000. With great fan-
fare, Slaughter transported the bull to Texas in a rented
box car with a sign that read, I am Sir Bredwell and I
Am Heading for Colonel C.C. Slaughters Ranch in
Texas.
To better accommodate Ancient Bison, Sir Bredwell
and other selected bulls and cows with the forage and
care they required, Slaughter purchased a 2,000-acre
alfalfa farm in the Pecos River Valley 2 miles east of
Roswell, NM. Slaughters son, George, was named
manager of the new Slaughter Hereford Farm. The
farm also produced badly needed hay for winter feed-
ing and a place to winter horses from their Texas
ranches. It also produced fruits and vegetables for the
ranchs line camps and headquarters.
For five years Slaughter produced some of the finest
cattle in the country and rose to the top of the purebred
Hereford business. But with more favorable beef mar-
kets and the expansion of farming on the South and
High Plains of West Texas, land seekers began to put a
greater demand on Slaughter and the leased grazing
lands he had been using for 20 years. More favorable
laws were passed by the Texas Legislature allowing
settlers to purchase one section of agricultural land and
three for grazing for $80 down and four years to pay.
All a settler had to do to secure the title was live on
the land and make certain improvements such as
installing windmills or constructing fences. As a result,
Slaughter was forced to purchase more land to sustain
his vast cattle enterprise.
In 1897 he purchased the 1,600-acre Tahoka Lake
Ranch in Lynn County with 140,000 acres of leased
land and the TJF Ranch in northeastern Dawson
County for his purebred Hereford herd. Next he turned
his sights to unoccupied waterless and arid lands in the
western Panhandle. In 1893 the State Legislature had
deeded lands in the public domain in Cochran,
Hockley and Bailey counties in blocks of four square
leagues (17,712 acres) to approximately 30 counties
for local school revenue. Some of the counties that
owned school lands leased them to cattlemen and oth-
ers were willing sellers. Slaughter saw another oppor-
tunity to increase his land holdings and began a dedi-
cated effort to acquire as much of the school lands as
possible.
It was necessary to use agents to conduct the land
purchasing process, since most counties would not sell
their lands to established cattlemen such as Slaughter.
Calling on several of his friends who were indebted to
Slaughters Dallas bank, they began negotiating with
numerous counties for the purchase of their school
lands. Though fraught with legal wrangling and law-
suits, by 1901 Slaughter eventually wound up with
246,699 acres for which he paid $240,000 plus
$95,000 in bonuses to his agents who helped purchase
the lands. Total cost for the new land acquisition aver-
aged $1.36 per acre which would be known as the
Lazy S Ranch. Slaughter named his son George who
lived at Roswell, NM, as manager of the new ranch in
addition to managing the Running Water and Slaughter
Hereford ranches. Son Bob continued to manage the
Long S Ranch and lived in Midland.
By 1900, Slaughters ranches totaled 1,373,000 acres
and were stocked with 54,500 head of cattle. He had
become one of the great cattlemen of America.
Slaughter maintained tight control of all his ranching
interests and oversaw the operations of the ranches by
his sons. Each year he would tour the ranches, travel-
ing by train and coach from Dallas to evaluate the con-
dition of range and cattle and supervise shipment of
cattle to market, inspect watering facilities, and place-
ment of herds for summer grazing. From 1882 to 1898
he accompanied his cattle to market, traveling as far as
Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City and Buffalo. He
would arrive ahead of his shipments by rail to analyze
and observe market trends and be in position to get the
best price for his cattle.
In 1901, Slaughter began to lose lands to agrarian
interests as farmers moved into the South Plains and
Panhandle following the election of 1896. Higher pric-
es for agricultural commodities and favorable weather
patterns prompted an influx of farmers into the region
to take advantage of the Four-Section Act. Lands
Slaughter had once leased were now being purchased
by farmers who erected fences and excluded his cattle
from their former ranges and water sources. Slaughter
even lost eight sections he had been leasing at his
German Springs headquarters on the Long S Ranch
when two of his cowboys secured title to the land, sold
it and disappeared. New laws favored the newcomers
and further fractured Slaughters vast grazing empire.
It was becoming apparent that he would have to con-
solidate his land holdings and reposition his ranching
operations to survive and remain active in the ranching
business.
In 1901 he sold his patented interest in the Tahoka
Lake Ranch in Lynn County. Other land leases he had
held on the Long S Ranch for years expired and
became open for purchase by settlers. During that year
several land rushes took place in Dawson, Borden and
Howard counties for land Slaughter had once leased
from the state. Volatile confrontations between local
officials, Slaughter cowboys and settlers took place
during the next three years until the land law was
changed in 1905. The sale of state lease land was then
put under jurisdiction of the General Land Office who
would begin selling land to the highest bidder.
As land values rose and Slaughters former ranches
and leases became more and more fragmented, he
began to sell much of his ranchland. In 1908 and 1909
Continued on page 14
Advertising works...
ask us how!
9 4 0 . 3 2 5 . 4 4 6 5
he sold the Running Water and Long S Ranches along
with thousands of cattle. He then began to invest
more of his assets in the Slaughter Building on Main
Street in Dallas.
In 1902 he had purchased the adjacent National
Exchange Bank Building and by 1909 had added
extensions and three stories to the building to create
one of the most incredible and unique hybrid build-
ings in the history of American architecture. It was
designed by Chicago architect Clarence Bulger in
Romanesque style. He would eventually purchase 30
pieces of property in Dallas includ-
ing 1,000 front feet of prime down-
town Dallas.
When 200,000 acres of the Long S
Ranch failed to be sold by his agent
W. P. Soash, Slaughter once again
found himself in the cattle business.
Under his son Bob Slaughters man-
agement, the ranch facilities had
fallen into disrepair. Slaughter hired
old friend Jack Alley to become his
new manager and set about making
improvements including new fences,
additional water wells and wind-
mills, and the acquisition of addi-
tional land adjoining the ranch. The
ranch once again became profitable
and Slaughter would spend his sum-
mers at the ranch headquarters at
Soash located on the border of
Borden and Howard counties east of
Ackerly in present Dawson County.
On Aug. 10, 1910, 74-year-old
C.C. Slaughter, while vacationing at
the Resthaven Hotel in Waukesha,
Wis., fell and broke his hip which
would leave him crippled for the rest
of his life. With failing eyesight he
turned management of this cattle
business over to his son, George,
and Long S Ranch manager, Jack Alley. His
Dallas real estate interests were turned over
to his son-in-law G.G. Wright and other family mem-
bers.
Although C.C. Slaughter had risen to the pinnacle
of the cattle industry and created a land empire in
West Texas and the Panhandle, his philanthropic
achievements would have profound influences on
many organizations and people throughout Texas. He
kept in close contact with his ranch managers but
began to devote more of his time to charitable organi-
zations and medical and religious institutions. When
he moved to Dallas in 1873 the population was 7,054,
but by 1919 it would increase to 150,000. Through
his investments and bank dealings he had become a
director and vice-president of the First National Bank
of Dallas which was created in 1910 by the merger of
American Exchange and City National Bank with
assets of $2,500,000.
One of Slaughters greatest contributions to Dallas
was his service as president of the Confederate
Veterans Reunion Association in 1901 and the organi-
zation of the annual convention in Dallas in 1902. It
turned out to be one of the largest gatherings of peo-
ple the state had ever seen when 10,000 veterans and
an estimated 200,000 visitors celebrated at the con-
vention. He was also a longtime member of the First
Baptist Church of Dallas and served on the building
committee during 1890 to build a new sanctuary. He
paid about two-thirds of the costs for the building out
of his own pocket.
To help consolidate the debt of seven Texas Baptist
schools, he and J.M. Carroll, Baylor University finan-
cial manager, created the Texas Baptist Education
Commission and made a presentation at the Texas
Baptist Convention in 1896 on the matter. Slaughters
contribution of $37,000 helped stimulate other contri-
butions and four years later the debt was eliminated.
In 1903 Slaughters pastor at the First Baptist
Church of Dallas, G.W. Turett, persuaded him to
donate $50,000 toward a new Baptist hospital which
he did. The five story Texas Baptist Memorial
Sanitarium opened in 1904 and became one of
Slaughters favorite charities. Slaughter would con-
tribute in excess of $320,000 to the hospital which
was renamed Baylor Hospital in 1920.
Slaughter remained active overseeing his ranching
business, civic and philanthropic activities and trav-
eled extensively between 1912 and 1916. C.C.
Slaughter died on Jan. 25, 1919, two weeks before his
82 birthday. Funeral services were held at his home at
3506 Worth St. He is buried in the Greenwood
Cemetery in Dallas.
Although Slaughter had proclaimed his 246,000-
acre Lazy S Ranch (C.C. Slaughter
Cattle Company) to be indivisible by
his heirs, it was nevertheless divided
among 10 family member share-
holders. By 1937 oil was dis-
covered five miles south of
Sundown, Texas, and the
52,000-acre Slaughter Oil Field
began production. By the end of
1975 it had 849 oil wells and
total production of 642,687,368
barrels worth $20 million a year
to the landowners. The Roswell
Hereford Ranch was also divid-
ed among his heirs as was his
Dallas financial assets and prop-
erty.
From the early days of cattle
ranching in Palo Pinto County
to his rise to the title of Cattle
King of Texas, C.C.
Slaughters name will forever be
branded to the indomitable spirit
of Texas. His strong entrepre-
neurial drive separated him from
the pack to create a cattle and
land empire like Texas had
never seen. He also gave gener-
ously of his time and resources
to help promote and advance
religious, civic and educational
institutions for the benefit of
generations to come. Every time I drive north of Palo
Pinto on Farm Road 4 and gaze across the prairies
and hills toward the Brazos River, I can almost hear
the echoes of bellowing longhorns and cowboys bust-
ing through the brush on another roundup in
Slaughter Country.

(References: "C. C. Slaughter: Rancher, Banker,
Baptist," by David J. Murrah; "Painted Pole: The
Beldings and Their Ranches in Palo Pinto County
Pioneer Days to Computer Age," by Barbara Belding
Gibson; Handbook of Texas Online and other Internet
sources.)
Sir Bredwell
Any Super Item Purchase - Get Any Size Free Drink
(Mineral Wells Only)
2103 E. Hubbard Mineral Wells, Texas 76067 940-327-0985
Watch for our specials!
Sponsored by:
A
Place
in Time
OCTOBER 11, 1878
Kiowa Chief Satanta, incarcerated in the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville, leaps
to his death from a prison window. The chief had been convicted in the Warren Wag-
ontrain incident in North Texas. He and fellow chieftain Big Tree were convicted and
sentenced to hang; but the Texas governor, fearing Kiowa reprisals and humanitarian
ak commuted the sentences. After being pardoned, Satanta fell back in with raiding
parties and was rearrested and returned to Huntsville. Learning he would never again
be free, he chose suicide.
OCTOBER 13,1824
Palo Pinto County pioneer Simpson Crawford is born near Bear Creek in Breathitt
County, Ky. In 1854 he built a home three-quarters of a mile northwest of Graford in the
Keechi Valley. He was a successful rancher, owning some 3,100 acres. He also served
in the Mexican War and as a Texas Ranger. He died Aug. 17, 1908, and is buried in
Crawford Cemetery near Graford.
OCTOBER 13, 1940
Announcement is made that Mineral Wells has been selected for location of Infantry
Replacement Training Center (Camp Wolters).
OCTOBER 15, 1861
Author Fannie Davis Veale Beck is born in Dresden, Texas. Her family relocated to the
center of Palo Pinto County in 1863. "On the Texas Frontier" is a rsthand account of
her life in Texas, published in 1937.
Sain-toh-oodie Goombi:
S
ome of the most compel-
ling accounts of life in
frontier Texas concern the
often surprising cultural
experiences that resulted
when Native Americans captured
Anglo settlers. These stories are espe-
cially intriguing when the captives
were young people who generally
proved more adaptable to the Indian
way of life. Cynthia Ann Parker, cap-
tured by Comanches at her family's
fort, near present-day Mexia, as a pre-
teen in 1836, never readjusted to life
in white society, making several
attempts to escape and rejoin her
Comanche abductors before her death
in 1870.
Equally enigmatic, though not near-
ly as well-known, is the abduction
story of Millie Durkin (also written as
Durgin, Durgan, and Durkan), who
was taken captive at 18 months of age
by Kiowas in the Elm Creek Raid,
near Fort Belknap, in 1864. In 1930,
several Fort Belknap-area old-timers
helped Mrs. Sain-toh-oodie Goombi,
then in her 60s, reach the conclusion
that she was the same Millie Durkin.
The blue-eyed, light-haired Mrs.
Goombi had grown up with Kiowas in
Oklahoma.
Sain-toh-oodie and her family
attended pioneer reunions in the
Belknap area until her death in 1934.
The visits always created a sensation
in the newspapers and helped salve
ancestral wounds between cultures.
Young County native Barbara A. Neal
Ledbetter sat in the Newcastle High
auditorium as a grade-schooler, watch-
ing Mrs. Goombi speak Kiowa on the
stage as her grandchildren performed
Indian dances. The experience set
Barbara wondering, and half a century
later, in her 1982 book, Fort Belknap
Frontier Saga, she concluded that the
real Millie Durkin had died shortly
after her capture, advancing the alter-
native theory that Mrs. Goombi had
been kidnapped near Mason. Other
researchers have disagreed, and the
exploration of the mystery continues
today on the Internet.
by Gene Fowler
Sain toh oodie Goombi
Star Classifieds
14,500 copies distributed monthly in Parker, Palo Pinto, Hood, Johnson, Jack & Young counties. Get your ad seen call (940) 327-0838, (817) 645-8093, (817) 598-0857
215 Drivers
Class A CDL Drivers
$1000.00 SIGN ON BONUS
Flatbed, 3yrs exp
Clean MVR/Drug
Health Ins., Dental & Vision
HOME MOST NIGHTS
Call 817-225-0011
HIRING Transport Drivers
2 years verifiable driving
experience or 1 year in the
oilfield.
Clean MVR and
Back ground
Class A License + Tanker
Endorsement
22 years or older
Excellent benefits
and bonuses.
Hiring for Cleburne,
Weatherford, Jacksboro,
and Bridgeport yards.
CONTACT:
940-393-5525 - Danny
817-925-5154 - Jon
EOE
215 Drivers
Bridgeport Tank Trucks,
LLC. (BTT), is seeking
Mechanics for the Bridgeport
and Cleburne locations.
Competitive pay
Quarterly bonuses for
all hourly employees
Medical, dental, life,
supple mental insurance
Paid vacation, paid
holidays
401K match
Unused vacation paid out
Annual Safety Bucks
Some automotive or diesel
experience required.
For more information send
resume to Ray Przybylski at:
ray.przybylski@btt-group.com
or call 940.393.9307.
BTT is an EOE
455 Misc. Merchandise
CONSTRUCTION PIPE
Pipe & Sucker Rods
~~DELIVERY AVAILABLE~~
Varner Pipe, LLC.
3290 Ranger Hwy,
Weatherford, TX 76088
817-599-9590
470 Pets & Free Pets
Stop scratching & gnawing.
Promote healing & hair growth.
Stamp out ITCHAMCALLITS!
Shampoo with Happy Jack
Itch No More, apply Skin
Balm. add Tonekote to diet..
Walden Farm & Ranch
(325-8500)
www.happyjackinc.com
868 General Services
Commercial & Residential
Workmanship Guaranteed
Free Estimates Insurance
Claims Assistance Tar &
Gravel Wood Shingles
Compostion.
Bito Smith 817-891-6385
Michael Martin 214-537-4027
J.M. Martin Contracting
All Types Roofing & Repairs.
876
Home
Improvement
Mendoza House
Leveling
& Foundation
Repair
Pier & Beam Repair
Re-level also Brick Homes
with concrete slabs.
30 years experience.
Reasonable Rates.
817-565-5336
940-704-2892
Manuel Mendoza
Weatherford Mineral Wells
Ca
sh In on a
Cla
ssic.
Sta
rt Som
ething N
ew
.
> Buy and sell the easy way with the Classifieds.
To Place Your Ad Please
Call 940-327-0838
Place your auto ad for ...
$45 for 1 month
or $85 for 2 months
in print and on our
National Autoconx website.
Includes pictures.
Call for details!
STORIES & SNIPPETS
Friday
November 7, 1919
Miss Alline Holloway entertained a party of her friends most delightfully last evening in her home on E. Hubbard. The Halloween idea was carried
out in decorations without and within the games played and refreshments served. The guests came in costumes appropriate to the occasion
which added to the festive effect.
For a time the hostess and guests joined other revelers on the streets and peeped in upon other merry makes in true Halloween fash-
ion.
The guests of the affair were: Esther Shorten, Maurine Jones, Louise Gray, Olivia Hazelwood, Maurine Rutland, Nancy
Byrd, Mary Tom Needham, Kathleen York, Frances Robertson, Thelma Louise Rich, Alline Holloway, Marvin West, Clar-
ence Wristen, Harrold Burch, Charles Bennett, Frank Payne, Sid Yokley, Arthur Wells, C.D. Reynolds and Robert Yeager.
Publishers note: Sound like a good time was had by all at this long ago do. Some of these surnames belong to folks still liv-
ing here. I remember Halloween chiefy through the lens of fun and controlled wildness. Some chose eggs as their weapon
of choice; but water balloons made my Halloween happy. Of course I had confederates in this watery warfare, but Im too
discreet to name them here. Usually Id tromp up S.E. 21st Street to Randall Polks house (ooops!) and wed position
ourselves on his roof just above the front door, armed with colorful balloons flled to bursting with water. You know
what happened next. ...
This series of pieces from the past is meant to remind us of this areas unique history. The material
comes from old issues maintained at the Index offce and is presented pretty much as it appeared in
print. These papers are quite yellowed and brittle, deteriorating from age. By publishing these
pieces perhaps we can keep them in play in the digital world for years to come. For clarity, some
punctuation issues have been addressed. Hopefully you will enjoy these tiny windows to the
past. Feedback is appreciated and will be shared. E-mail publisher@mineralwellsindex.com or
send your letter to Mineral Wells Index, P.O. Box 370, Mineral Wells, Texas 76068, attention pub-
lisher. You may also drop it by our offce at 300 S.E. 1st. St. in Mineral Wells. Thanks for reading!
HALLOWEEN PARTY
Fowler Construction
Kitchens Baths Concrete Carports Trim
Custom Fences Bell-Tec Service Cabinets
Roong Barns Room Additions
Custom Ceilings New Homes
Ofce 817-596-7791
Cell 817-597-0430
Country Club Estates
100 Country Club Parkway, Mineral Wells
940-328-1165
Monday-Friday 9-5:30 Sat. & Sun. 10-3
W/D Connections, Range & Refrigerator
BEST LOCATION...BEST PRICE
FREE MONTH RENT! FREE MONTH RENT!

HOMES
C/H & A
Carport
3 BR House
*$599
4 BR House
Fireplace
*$729
DUPLEXES
C/H Unit Air
1 BR Duplex
*$359
2 BR Duplex
*$379
3 BR Duplex
*$469
Weldon C. & Bill
Jordan
Excavating & Asphalt Paving
Streets, Roads,
Parking Lots, Site Preparation
1516 Ft. Worth Highway
817-594-3171 or 613-0348
Hometown Store #3568
Belinda Holub
Brazos Shopping Center
Mineral Wells, TX 76067
940.325.1311
First National Bank
Albany/Breckenridge
Strawn Branch
P.O. Box 338 254-672-5211
Strawn, Texas
Servi ng Mi neral Wel l s & Surroundi ng Areas For Over 20 Years
Submersible Pumps Pressure Tanks Repair & Service New Pumps
940-325-7293
Lic#5009
S i Mi l W l l & S di A F O 20 Y
FREE ESTIMATES
Personal - Fri endl y - Servi ce
400 N8fk0l $lf00l Nl0f8l N0ll8, 1K 0 940JZ11Z f8K 940JZ4ZZ4
#08lll 800
8 F8ll N0fk
0l0 6l888
l8l8ll00
0l000 8
ff8M0 808lf
Fl8lfll 8
000880fl08
Mini Storage & Climate Controlled
Controlled Access & Security Lighting
940-328-6060
3101 M.H. 379 Mineral Wells
(On Corner of S.E. 25th Ave. & South Loop)
Assortment of Sizes Available
SECURITY
STORAGE
First Month
1/2 PRICE
Climate Controlled
Only
Voted #1 Flooring in Palo Pinto
County
NAPA Auto Parts
Two Locations
Mineral Wells
940-325-9564
800 S.E. 1st Street
Weatherford
817-594-2736
1512 Ft. Worth Hwy.
Jane E. Privitt
Co-Owner
Elliott & Waldron Abstract Co.
of Palo Pinto, Inc.
Abstract & Title Insurance
940-325-6564 940-325-3386
Fax 940-325-1036
403 South Oak Mineral Wells TX 76067
elliott100@sbcglobal.net
Terri Roundtree
Escrow Ofcer
MAINTENANCE, REPAIR, TIRES... 3 SHOPS 1 STOP!
YOUR BRIDGESTONE TIRE HEADQUARTERS
EASY CREDIT TERMS AVAILABLE
Paul Schellhase
General Manager
1804 S. Main Street
Weatherford, Texas 76086
FirestoneCompleteAutoCare.com
817.599.6466
Malts &
Shakes
N
a
t
t
y F
l
a
t

Smokehouse
& Gift Shop
(254) 646-3844
19280 Hwy. 281 S. Lipan, TX 76462
Party/Group
Packages
Handmade
Fudge &
Jams
Custom
Smoking
Store Hours:
9 am-5:30 pm Tuesday-Friday
9 am-3:30 pm Saturday
D&Js
Polaris ATVs, Rangers
Warning: ATVs can be hazardous to operate. Never carry passengers. Be especially careful of difcult terrain.
Never ride on public roads, always avoid paved surfaces. Always wear a helmet and protective clothing. Polaris
ATVs may not be ridden by anyone under 16, and all riders should take a training course. For training and safety
information, see your Polaris dealer or call 1-800-342-3764.
215 NE 1st Ave 940- 325- 4511
BLADES BELTS
AIR FILTERS
LAWNMOWER PARTS FOR. . .
SEARS MTD & MURRAY WEEDEATER

OctoberStar PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

OctoberStar PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

North Texas Star

You might also like