The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 6, July 1902 - April, 1903 Page: 208
401 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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208 Tewas Historical Association Quarterly.
Beldins Ranch and had gone in the valley before day to run out
what cattle of the Ranch may have strayed into this Bend of the
river-not knowing that I had turned my heard loose in the valley
the over night- Of course I followed after them as soon as I could
saddle my horse, and found the cattle rounded up on the hill and
the Caporal Juan Arocha apologized for disturbing my cattle-
made a proffer of assistance at any time that I needed help and
ever after proved himself an obliging neighbor[.]
Now, at last after months of anxious preparation I had entered
upon Camp life--I had to build a house and so went into the woods
and cut & hewed the timbers for the sills and sleepers and bought
lumber in Corpus Christi to put up the house-built it California
fashion size 18x22 feet with shed room on one side- I had decided
to build on the hill but had not located the spot until the day
came to begin work- It was a cold day a stiff norther blowing-
and this decided the selection-a small mott of chapparall bushes
afforded protection from the wind-and on the lee side of that
mott I pitched my tent or logs and blocks, and there erected my
castle-which stands to day a monument to my to my labor and
dexterity in housebuilding-
My household consisted of the 3 negroes-(a woman & little girl
and a boy about 14 years of age) and one hired hand-
Ranch life suited me- I loved the novelty of the business and
the excitement of attending it[.] Game was abundant--and I
indulged my love of hunting-to the fullest extent- The River
and the creeks abounded in fish-and Mustangs and wild cattle
were plentiful in the range 20 miles back from the river-wolves,
wild cats, Panthers Leopard Cats-and Leopards, were all common
to that section for several years after I settled there-but the ro-
tine duties of the Ranch enlisted my greatest interest and pleas-
ure.
My cattle ranged from the river back up the Lagarto creek about
5 miles-Dix had a few cattle above me-Beldins cattle ranged
below and back to the Aguedulce [.] I managed my stock after the
Mexican plan- Once a week or oftener we would make a Rodeo
or round up of the cattle- The plan is to have one herding ground
on the Ranche-the cattle soon learn to run together at that place
when they see the Vaceroes on the wing-and when those on the
outskirts of the range are started, the movement becomes general,
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 6, July 1902 - April, 1903, periodical, 1903; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101028/m1/212/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.