Vol 15 No. 10 - July 1938

An Army Bride's Impressions of Ft. Brown

By Colonel M. L. Crimmins.

Account of Mrs. Egbert L. Viele, wife of General, Viele and her historical description of life and experiences in early Brownsville, TX and of old Fort Brown. Includes old sketch of Fort Brown in 1818.

Mentions: old Knickerbocker family * Fort McIntosh at Laredo * Frederick Law Olmsted * Hon. John D. Crimmins * Matamoras * Mary Johnson Posey * General Adam R. Johnson * Burnet, Texas * Logan Van Deveer

"LIS" VASBINDER, A MAN

By J. A. Wright.

Brief account of Ulysses Vasbinder, trail boss and hero of the great days of the 1870s and 1860s cattle business of the Southwest.

Mentions: Ben Thompson * G. T. May, of London, Texas * Judge J. M. Hunter, county judge; George T. May, J. J. Ellis. Henry Wells, J. L. Lockley, county commissioners; Sant Huff, attorney; Ira L. Wheat, sheriff; W. M. Sanford, county clerk; John Ford, ranchman ; and Dee Wallace * Mr. and Mrs. Max Kneese, of Fredericksburg *

The Great American Desert

By John Stephens, Houston, Texas.

This essay on "The Great American Desert," by John Stephens, University of Texas student, of Houston, was awarded first prize by the Battle of Flowers Association of an Antonio, and was published in Frontier Times by permission of the Battle of Flowers Association.

Mentions: the missions, San Antonio de Valero, La Bahia, sail Jose, La Concepcion * David G. Burnet * Rusk and Fannin * Travis * James Bowie * Old John Chisum and Charles Goodnight * Emory Starr and Peyton Edwards * Mirabeau Lamar * Stephen F. Austin *

Indian Cooks And Cooking

By Col. R. I. Dodge.

Unless able to rival the fasting powers of Dr. Tanner, a vegetarian would have little chance of a `survival' among the Indians. In their natural condition the sole diet of the Plains Indians for at least nine months in the year is the flesh of animals, and though they prefer it cooked, they are by no means averse to it raw.

In camp the duty of cooking is usually devolved on the oldest. or least, favored squaw. There is no variety of style, no French methods, no necessity for titillating appetites already over keen. A pot full of meat and water is put on the fire and boiled, but there is no definite point in the cooking process when the food is "done." If an Indian is especially hungry, he may commence on the contents of the pot by the time they are fairly warm.

Generally, however, it is allowed to boil until the head of the lodge intimates that he is hungry, when the pot is set off the fire; and each, crowding around, helps him or herself with knives or fingers, sometimes with a huge stick, cut in the shape of a ladle. Among the more advanced Indian tribes tin plates are now frequently used and, sitting around on the beds or ground, the diners are helped successively by the old squaw who does the cooking.

So begins this excellent account of the culinary characteristics of the Indians of the Plains.

Further Mentions: Sioux * Pawnee * Stone Calf, a Cheyenne chief of standing, and a man of ability and character * the Staked Plains * Fort Reno * Arrapahoes * Cheyennes

First Overland Mail Left San Diego In 1857

Ruth Taunton

Account of the origins and history of the Birch stages, which preceded and outlasted the John Butterfield lines. The first of these stages left Old Town San Diego July 9, 1857, with the first overland stage mail ever to he sent over the San Diego, San Antonio and New Orleans route. Here is the story.

Mentions: Otto Praeger * James E. Birch * The San Diego Herald * Dr. and Mrs. Louis Strahlmann * Flinn Springs * Julia Chase * Frank S. Stevens * Vallecito * Green valley ranch * A. W. Lane * James Mason was the first driver to bring a Birch' stage in from Texas * Ed Mason

On A Mexican Mustang Through Texas

By ALEX E. SWEET and J. ARMOY KNOX

This is part of a serial account of two daring adventurers who colorfully describe their exciting and sometimes humorous happenings on their trip through the wilds and wiles of Texas during the 1870's.

(Continued from Last. Month)

Mentions: the Rancho Del Rio * old man Pendergast * Robert Trimble * 'Rio Frio * Jose Cordova * Sumuel Johnson * Captain Richard King known as the cattle king of Texas, has the Santa Gertrudes ranch, one hundred thousand head of cattle, ten thousand horses, seven thousand sheep, and eight thousand goats * the Santa Gertrudes ranch * Lieut. Atwell * Mrs. Rabb * John Timon, of San Patricio * Trinity College, Dublin * the Remnant's ranch * Col. Mclean of Victoria * the Clear Fork of Little Wichita * Fort McKavett

Came To Texas In Early Times

Sallie H. McClintock

Personal recollections of Sallie H. McClintock who was born in 1848, the daughter of a well to do Pennsylvania farmer, who, due to poor health was advised him to move to the warmer climate of Texas. The family settle in the region of Huntsville TX in its earliest days.

Mentions: the Neptune, a small boat which its commander. Captain Sterrett, had built for service on the Trinity in Texas * The Kentucky Giant * the Eutaw House * Professor Summerville * Dr. Daniel Baker * Austin College * General Sam Houston * the Polk County Indians * John R. Cook * E. A. Duyckinek * Alonzo Chappel * El Diablo Cojo * P. S. McGeeney * Devil's Sink Hole the great cavern in Edwards county

Frontier Times Museum Celebration

Mentions: Grandma Mattie Jones * Charles Eckhart * Tex Elam and Bruce Mantague * the Wiemers family * Mr and Mrs. Ben Wietuers * Mr. and Mrs. John Wietuers * Mrs. Alvin Clark * Elmo Newcomer * Charlie Walker, 'Red' Saathoff, the Montague boys, Frank, Jr., Charlie and Bruce * Dave Dillingham * Captan Jack Elgin * Mrs. Violet Haynes * Creed Click and Miss Lura Belle Newcomer * Little Bill Newcomer and his little sister, Evelyn Newcomer * Mrs. Julia Chisholm Davenport * Mrs. George Howland * Governor Allred, Mrs. Rose Gardiner; Mrs. J. Marvin Hunter, Mrs. Julia Chisholm Davenport, Dr. Robert T. Hill, Dean T. U. Taylor, Dr. A. E. Davenport * Mrs. Leo Lindner, of Comfort * Mrs. P. C. Anderwald of Bandera * Mr. A. W. Grant * Charlie Eckhart * Taliahina Rogers Houston * Margaret Short * Colonel J. W. White * Mrs. Cora Bickenbach, Mrs. Charles Leslie * Mrs. Nora May, Mrs. Mary E. Bell, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Jones, Mr. and Mrs, E. T Brown * Will Schuessler * Miss Lain Bridges * A. W. Grant * Mrs. George Betsey * Mrs. Thos. A. Buckner * W. C. Swinney * Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher Davis * Mrs. W. G. Davis * the Boerne Star * Many old photos of the above named are included.

Helpless Women And Children Massacred

Written in 1911 by Judge I. D. Ferguson, of Denton, Texas.

In the year 1867 nearly all the people who lived in Montague county, Texas, were forced to leave their homes and go east on account of Indian depredations. A few of the settlers decided to remain and take care of the property which they had accumulated. Among the number who stayed was the family of Stephen Roberts, and a German by the name of Khenan and his family. Roberts lived about four miles west of where the town of Forestburg is now located, and his family consisted of himself and about ten or twelve boys. These were the victims of the brutal assault recorded in this graphic story.

Mentions: Mr. Khenan, the German farmer above mentioned, had, in an early day left the Fatherland and came to the new world and east his lot among the people of Montague county, and selected his home a half mile south of Stephen Roberts. His family consisted of himself, wife and three small children. Mrs. Paschall, a widow with two small children, lived with the Khenan family * the family of Robert Green * James Chisum * Clear Creek * Spring Station * the Upper Cross Timbers * William McConnell * Brad Sanders, Tom Sanders * the McDonalds, who lived still further west in the Cross Timbers * Rufus Roberts * Creed Roberts * Mrs. Paschall

Sam Moore Tells Interesting Experiences

By Odie Minatra

Sam Moore, as a child, watched the Packsaddle Mountain fight in Llano county, drove many herds up the trail to market, killed thousands of buffalo, brushed elbows with outlaws and gentlemen, battled with red men, was in a stagecoach holdup, and lived the adventurous life of a true frontier Texan. Here is his story.

Mentions: William Jackson Moore was a native Virginian * Bristol, Va * General Scott * Yellow Jacket, a Kentucky bred horse * Fort Griffin * Old Maud * William Cody * Parson Duncan's little log school house * The Moss boys, Joe Leverett and the Carter brothers * Jim Moss * Wotchietobie, the Indian who was killed by Joe Leverett * Bob Simpson * the Pegleg crossing on the San Saba river * Dr. Matt. H. Chism of Huntsville, Texas * Dr. Robert T. Hill of Dallas * Mr. Mercer * Merger's Colony * Jesse Mercer had a horse ranch on Mercer's Creek * Mountain Creek, a few miles from Mercer's ranch * Mercer's Colony. * Dr. Joseph L. Clark * Major Thos. J. Jenkins * Cal Stewart, Ada Jones * Mrs. John Sutherland, of Sutherland Springs, Texas