Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 17, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 14, 1924 Page: 4 of 12
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1
Kills Indian, Rescues Bride-to-Be
A Story of the Old Circuit-
Riding Days in West Texas.
By AN OLD SETTLER.
The early preachers of West Texas
rode horseback and carried their bi-
bles in a pair of saddle-bags. They
knew how to quote scripture when
fighting the devil; could also shoot a
carbine as straight as anyone, and, if
need be, could kill an Indian when said
Indian was on the warpath.
No history of the frontier, with a
record of its valiant citizenship, would
be complete unless there was a chapter
dedicated to the grand old patriarchs
of this type. They planted the flower
of faith in the footsteps of the first
pioneers and kept the flower perennial
by personal sacrifice.
Parson Robertson was one of those
pioneer .preachers who looked after
humanity's spiritual needs in that far
distant day. His familiar figure,
astride a long-necked, hide-bound and
generally jaded horse, was so well
known to the\ old settler that even
little children would jump up and clap
hands with joy whenever they saw him
approach. This demonstration, how-
ever, was no evidence especially that
children were any better at that time
than they are now. It only meant
thai lliey knew there would be biscuits
instead of corn-bread when the Parson
stayed over night in their home.
A Life of Adventure.
The life of this one pioneer preacher
would fill a book with thrilling stories
of adventure. Parson Robertson had
"to battle his way through a band of
savage red men several times in order
to tell the frontier folks of "that peace
which passeth understanding." And
once when he was called into the wil-
derness, to bury a man, so far from any
white settlement that there were no
roads or friendly signs, he shot an In-
dian dead while on the way.
It was the winter of 1859, however,
that this venerable knight of the cross
had his most peculiar experience and
one that perhaps no other man of his
calling ever had. The incident here re-
lated occurred somewhere between
Robertson Peak in Coleman county and
Buffalo Gap in Taylor county. The
Parson had been summoned to marry
a couple. With a single attendant he
made the trip to the bride's home, a
ranch too remote to be safe from the
attack of savages.
Upon reaching the bride's home a
desperate situation confronted him.
A band of marauding Indians had pass-
ed only a short time before he arrived;
all the men folks were absent except
an old fellow who did chores about the
house. The Indians had killed the old
fellow and carried off the bride-to-be.
Fortunately there were several horses
on the ranch that had not been stolen
by the Indians. A cowboy, who was
with the Parson, di'ove two of the
horses into a pen and saddles were
quickly changed from the tired horses
they had been riding to the fresher
ones.
"What are we going to do?" asked
Parson Robertson,
willing to undertake
anything that held
out the least prom-
ise of being helpful.
"Follow the red
devils as fhst as we
can ride, "answered
the cowboy. And
then he asked:
"Have you a good
gun and plenty of
ammunition?"
"Yes, both," said
the Parson as he
mounted. "A friend
gave me 'Old Betsy'
here and I had rath-
er trust it in shoot-
ing buffalo than
any other gun on
the frontier."
"But this is not
going to be a buf-
falo hunt, Parson
Robertson," earn-
estly spoke the cowboy. We're going on
a far more dangerous chase than that
The madam says there were five of the
savage devils in the party and there are
only two of us, you know."
"Oh, well, that doesn't make any dif-
ference," smilingly answered the man
of God who was absolutely without
fear. "I'm to have five dollars for
marrying Mary Ann and Bob and I
can't marry them unless we get the
bride back. Besides I believe this gun
is just itching to be tried on an Indian."
Grimly Determined.
Nothing more was said as the two
frontiersmen—one a reckless cow-pun-
cher who had never given religion a
serious thought and the other a preach-
er—dashed away on one of those mis-
sions that bind men's hearts together.
About two hours later the trail grew
hot and both men were looking ahead
with grim determination plainly writ-
ten on their faces. At length the sil-
ence was broken by the cowboy who
said: "I think we have the best horses,
Parson." "Ye^, and I know we have the
best guns," was the quick response of
the preacher. "And if my eyes did not
fail me," he added, "I caught the
glimpse of some feathered heads going
over the ridge yonder."
"I saw them, too," declared the cow-
■ill
m ' ■ .
mSKI
"The Parson and the Cowboy Understood as they
Conflict."
boy, "but it looked to me more like
something flying—crows or buzzards.
Maybe, though, we are about to over-
take the i*ed devils.
By the time the two horsemen had
reached the crest of the ridge a darken-
ing cloud lowered and it commenced to
snow.
"This weather is against us," said the
cowboy, as the crystal flakes flew thick
and fast in every direction, quickly
blotting out the trail that the two res-
olute frontiermen were following. Yet
onward they rode, faster and faster
through the storm—into the valley
ahead—then out of it and up to the top
of another ridge.
All around them hung a white and
fleecy mantle which seemed to shut the
world out. In front a vast white space
—silent, mysterious and hazardous.
Here the soul of saint and sinner were
tested alike for a gleam of the old ro-
mantic fire. There was a moment's
pause, a grim look upon the faces of the
two horsemen, and an unspoken resolve
to plunge ahead. Then, from out of
the fleecy folds of Nature's shroud
came savage voices—the clatter of
horses' hoofs closer and closer, and—
the scream of a woman.
Steady Nerve and True Aim.
The Parson and the cowboy under-
stood, as they rode
forward, impatient
for the conflict. Di-
rectly the figure of
a woman tied to a
horse was seen dim-
ly through the
storm racing at full
speed, and behind
her the Indians. It
was a tense mo-
ment, a moment
that called for
sleady nerve and
true aim. The men
were equal to the
task and when they
fired each found his
mark. Unfortunate*
ly, however, both
had selected the
same target and
only one savage
tumbled to the
ground.
The cowboy's
from under him,
Forward, Impatient
^hot
horse was
and later the cowboy himself was
so wounded in the right arm that he
could not use his gun. This left the
Parson at a great disadvantage. His
mission in the West was to fight one
invisible devil and here he was matched
against four visible devils incarnate and
he was very doubtful about getting that
marriage fee. But just as the red skins
were closing in around him, relief
came. <
It was the men from the ranch, head-
ed by the bridegroom, and they had
been joined a mile down the road by the
bride who had escaped the Indians and
was guiding them in the pursuit. As
the relief party approached, the Indi-
ans wheeled and disappeared through
the snowstorm. Tho savages were pur-
sued for a short distance, but weather
conditions were such that it was
thought best to abandon the chase.
There was the great danger of being
led into ambush and overwhelmed by a
superior force, for the Indians usually
traveled in large numbers at that time.
As the entire party rode back toward
the ranch, Parson Robertson declared
that for a while it looked like there
wasn't going to be a preacher to tie the
nuptial knot.
"And for a while it looked to me like
there wasn't going to be any need of
one," answered the girl. "The snow
surely came as a God-send. When it
began falling so thick that you could
hardly see your hand in front of you,
the Indians stopped and commenced
chattering. Then they got down from
their horses, leaving me mounted. I
saw the one chance to get away and
quick as lightning I turned Red Bird's
head homeward and spoke to him. He
fairly flew, and how luckily it was that
they had stolen my favorite horse when
they tsot me."
After the ceremony had been per-
formed that night, Parson Robertson
was offered a dollar more than the ac-
customed fee by the bridegroom, but
he wouldn't accept it. "Of course I was
put to a little extra trouble," he said,
"still I didn't know whether 'Old Betsy'
had been trained for Indians or not. It
was well worth the trouble I had to find
th^t out."
Not every preacher who rode the
plains and valleys of the West, in that
distant day, had to fight Indians. Even
Parson Robertson was not called upon
but the one time to rescue a bride. The
task of delivering a sermon was
generally hazardous, however, and al-
ways there were trials and hardships
and privations. It was a duty that
called for brave and noble volunteers.
One cannot help but admire the pati-
ence, courage and true loyalty of those
pioneer men of God. If they didn't
charm so much with their eloquence,
or with the sheer power of a gifted per-
sonality they, with their faith and help-
ful kindness, adorned the rugged man-
hood of the old West with, a touch that
was divine.
/-I
Jr
Adding Profit to Farm With Sheep
By AUSTIN CALLAN.
. m
if
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1
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That ours is the greatest cotton grow-
ing state in the union, no one will deny;
that cotton sometimes is king is another
statement which will go unchallenged.
This year several counties in Central
Texas produced as much of the fleecy
staple as will be gathered from every
field east of the Mississippi river, and
there are two Texas counties with a
crop that will yield more than ten mil-
lion dollars.
In spite of these facts, however, it is
true that cotton growing has kept a
millstone about the necks of the farm-
ers of the South for more than half a
century. 'The one crop idea is chiefly
responsible for the Lone Star State,
with possibilities far exceeding the pos-
sibilities of Ohio, North Carolina or
Virginia, trooping along behind these
three in per capita wealth and the gen-
eral prosperity of the people.
Many remedies have been offered to
offset the perils of over-production.
Thousands of columns have been writ-
ten preaching the good doctrine of di-
versification, and at times great strides
are made in the matter of planting dif-
ferent kinds of crops. Yet one good
year, with a fair cotton yield and a high
price such as we have enjoyed this sea-
son, and all our conservatism is thrown
to the winds. We go in strong for a
bigger yield than ever and usually meet
with a Waterloo, as we did in 1920.
What Ohio Has Done.
Some states have found it very prof-
itable to produce sheep on farms, and
some sections of Texas have profited
by emulating what has been done else-
wheie. _ Ohio leads all others in sheep
production. With an area which repre-
sents only a fraction of the area of Tex-
as and with agricultural and manufact-
uring as her chief industries, the fact
still remains that in 1922 Ohio sold al-
most as much wool in value as our own
state.
Now when wo.; stop to consider the
vastness of the4tve stock regions of
Southwest Texas; when we remember
that there are sheep in the thousands
of valley.a "Stretching away from the
Colorado Lo the Pecos rivers and from
the San Saba to the Rio Grande rivers,
a territory devoted almost exclusively
to grazing and far larger than the whole
state of Ohio, we can hardly understand
how it is possible for the above state-
^ jnent to be true. But Ohio grows her
""•ftftatton and wool on her farms and
those engaged in the enterprise have
found it far more profitable than simply
growing crops.
A study of what the farmers of that
state have accomplished in this direc-
tion would be profitable to the farmers
of Texas. It would help them to meet
a great problem which con-
fronts them every few years
•—the problem of making both
ends meet with a cotton crop
which will not sell in the
markets of the world for the
cost of raising it. Ohio has
never had to sweat blood on
that account and the reason
is that Ohio diversifies; that
in addition to raising differ- •
ent kinds of crops her farm-
ers raise sheep.
Agricultural conditions in
Ohio are far less favorable
than they are in Texas. For
the most part, our soil is still
virgin, the seasons down
here are much longer, and
labor cost no more here than
in Ohio. Many advantages favor the
Southerner, yet our prosperity, year by
year, does not measure up to that of
Ohio. There is a reason. If the Texas
farmers would turn their attention to
raising sheep on the farms and to a
greater diversification of crops, no
doubt we would rapidly take and main-
tain the lead of Ohio. Why should
good conditions prevail year after year
in rural Ohio, and distress part of the
time in rural Texas? Could we not
adopt some of their agricultural plans
in this .state to advantage? Here is
food for thoughtful minds.
The writer recently put this question
up to Ed Brewster, Jr., of Temple, who
has been officially connected with the
Central Texas wool growers for several
years and who has made a study of
raising sheep on the farm. His answer
was that so far a3 he knew every citizen
of his section who had combined sheep
growing with agriculture had found it
to be a good thing. "With wool and
mutton at a fair price," declared Mr.
Brewster, "there will never be any real
distress among those farmers who have
been wise enough to stock their places
with a few sheep. Such stock will aid
them wonderfully when there is an
overproduction of cotton and their
principal crop is selling at a ruinous
figure." Continuing, he said, "I am
certainly a strong advocate of this kind
of diversification; it could easily be
made the salvation of the rural dwellers
of Texas. Fortunes have been made
quicker in the sheep business, perhaps,
than any other way, legitimately; a
good animal will soon pay for itself in
the yield of wool, to say nothing of the
lambs."
Profit-Makers.
Col. P. L. Downs, president of the
First National Bank of Temple, is an-
other enthusiast for mixing milk cows,
turkeys and sheep with profit-makera
fr.
mm
Rams New in Service with Registered Flock of Rambouillet Ewes
on Golden Hoof Stock Farm, Owned by J. R. Christal, Denton, Tex.
on the farm. He has made a life study
of outside farming conditions in his
county, although he has successfully
operated a big business on the inside,
and he sees no reason why untold
wealth could not be added to the farm-
ing industry of our state by diversifi-
cation aiong the lines suggested here-
with.
If sheep growing on the farms can
be made profitable in Ohio, where the
seasons are much shorter, where it is
far more expensive to raise feed for
them and to give shelter through the
long severe spells of winter, it can cer-
tainly be made profitable in this state.
But even in Texas ^he matter is not
wholly an experimental proposition.
Many farmers have tried it out success-
fully; there are a number of Texas
counties where you will find many
sheep, assisting materially in "lifting
mortgages," helping keep the automo-
bile in gasoline and the boys and girls
in college.
Texas surpasses every state in. the
union in the amount of rich agricultural
lands. She is about as self-sustaining,
in so far as agricultural possibilities are
concerned, as the greatest nation of
Europe. It does not take a dreamer
to forsee the day when the products of
her white fields will be converted at
home into clothing for her people; when
every specie of grain and vegetable will
be grown on lands between the Red
River and the Rio Grande; when her
"magic valley" will decorate the break-
fast tables of the Republic with the
choicest grapefruits and oranges.
And let us hope that no opportunity
will be overlooked by the Texas people;
that they will study the charts of suc-
cess from every angle and by following
those routes most profitable win for us
that economic independence to which
we are entitled. Believing that grow-
ing sheep on the farms will materially
aid in carrying out this prosperity
program, the idea is submit-
ted for the careful study and
consideration of those broad-
minded men upon Whom its
execution depends.
No business, under favor-
able conditions, has proven
better as a money maker than
the sheep business. The past
two years it has restored
prosperity to a large portion
of Southwest Texas. In the
Rio Grande country the big
and little wool growers alike
are flourishing.
Successful Sheep Growers in
Texas.
One of the greatest flocks
of registered Rambouillet
sheep in North Texas is owned by J. R.
Christal of Denton, Texas. His farm is
called "The Golden Hoof Stock Farm."
Mr. Christal is a native of Denton
.county and has made sheep raising a
profitable business. He raises all of
his feed and takes pride in the state-
ment "that nothing is ever marketed
off the farm that cannot walk, except
wool." Hard work and sticking to the
job has built up Jim Christal's sheep
business. During the year's of defla-
tion and depression he held onto his
flocks, while other breeders gave away
their wool and sold off their sheep at
ruinous prices. "If every farm in Tex-
as," declares Mr. Christal, "had enough
sheep to clean off the weeds in the past-
ures, the boll weevil would be shorn of
half his terrors.
T. J. Coffman, of Val Verde county,
is classed as one of the small growers
of both sheep and goats and he says that
he can make money, even with lower
prices than prevail now. He raises
Rambouillet sheep and Angora goats
for mohair and the common Mexican
goats for meat. The kid mohair sold
this year at figures around eighty
cents.
Rambouillet, Shropshires and De-
laines are all raised in Southwest Texas.
Some preferring the one and some the
other breed.
Bob Martin, of Maverick county, is
one of the biggest individual sheep rais-
ers in the border country. In fact, he
raised more lambs this season than any
one man in America. The number was
10,000, and at prevailing prices - it is
easy to see that he has made a lot of
money.
Hamilton & White are also extensive
sheepmen of Southwest Texas. J. R.
Hamilton, the senior member of the
firm, has the distinction of handling
more sheep than any man in America.
During 1922 he fed 10,000 lambs near
I
Chicago and made money putting them
on an early market.
Del Rio is one of the big concentrat-
ing points for wool, perhaps the biggest
inland point in the United States.
Several million pounds are stored there
each season and held until the Boston
buyers come along to bid for it.
Goats have proven profitable as well
as sheep, in the live stock region.
Mohair brings a batter price than wool
and a great effort has been made re-
cently to popularize "chevon," the goat
meat. The common breeds do not pro-
duce mohair but are used to eat. Most
ranchmen have a small flock for this
purpose. They are very prolific and
under favorable conditions the increase
is often above 100 per cent.
YOUR HOMETOWN.
EDITORS NOTK—This is the eighth of a series of
talks on Your Home Town." Other talks will follow.
There la food for thought and profit to you if you will
read carefully each one of these talks. The publisher of
this newspaper is not finding any fault with his Home
Town, hut wants it to go forward at a pace that will
be the envy of all towns in Texas—now the biggest and
potentially the richest state in the Union.
In these monthly talks we hope to
leave with you a thought for the larger
and better development of your home
town and community. It is not our
intention to make this column over-
critical or to arouse antagonism by as-
suming that some citizens are not doing
their duty toward their home town.
Broadly we want to be helpful and to
bring out the essential facts that either
make or mar the progress of towns and
communities.
There are men in almost every town
—good men at heart—who want to see
their town go forward, but who seldom,
by any word or act, do anything to help
it go forward. Too many men of this
type will kill a town so dead that grass
will grown in its main streets and it
will be a subject for ridicule by all pro-
gressive towns surrounding it.
On the other hand, there are men who
work hard to push to the front their
home town—who do so at much per-
sonal and financial sacrifice. Men of
this type are worth millions to their
town, but lliey should be encouraged by
all the other good citizens. A few live
men finally get tired of shouldering all
the work and responsibilities incident to
a town's growth and progress. And in
course of time, if some of the other good
citizens do not share a part of the work
and responsibility, the few live men
sooner or later, quit altogether. This
marks a fatal step backward for any
town and is generally the beginning of
the end of that town's forward march.
Therefore, it is so essential and so
necessary that all good citizens work
(Continued on Page 4, Column 6.)
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Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 17, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 14, 1924, newspaper, February 14, 1924; Palacios, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth411822/m1/4/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Palacios Library.