The Cotulla Record (Cotulla, Tex.), Vol. 30, No. 41, Ed. 1 Friday, December 20, 1929 Page: 2 of 8
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a TOfrr^ (Jljrisftnas L
Today the world again expresses
the benediction “Peace on Earth,
Good Will Toward Men”. We
count our blessings-rejoice in our
friendships — exult that benign
fortune has cast our lots in pleas-
ant places. It is our desire to per-
sonally extend Christmas Greet-
ings to our fellow citizens of our
great territory Since this is not
possible, we take this means of
saying: "May all the joys of a real
old-fashioned Christmas be yours
-May the beauty of Yuletide per-
vade your home and your heart."
Cjewtssal BNWER
AND
I_IG9IT COFl B'ANY
Courteouu Service Aluay$
THE COTULLA RECORD
REMINISCENCES OF ‘ BILLY
THE KID”-Colorful Outlaw.
By M. L. MOODY
“Billie, The Kid” was a New-
Yorker by birth, and his right
name was William Bonnie. He
came West when quite a small
boy about 12 years of age. He
■was not the type that follows
and opens up the frontier, to
make history, and make the
country safe for others. The
part of the country that ne and
his gang depredated in is de-
scribed by meets and bounds
as follows:
That part of Texas that lies
from Quanah to the Panhandle,
and extreme West Texas, as
far South as the line of N. M.
West to the Guadaloupe, El
Capitan and Sacremento Moun-
tains, thence North into Colora-
do, East to the Oklahoma line
and taking in a part of what
■was then the Territory of Okla-
homa, down the river to oppo-
site where Vernon is now. At
the close of the un-Civil war,
the country above described w-as
sparsly settled with cattlemen.
Most of them were called
“squatters,” as at that time
there was so much open range,
that it w-as not necessary to
buy land. However, the land
■was very cheap, and could have
been purchased for a song and
dance, but a fellow was afraid
if he went to buy a section of
land, that the owner would put
off two sections on him instead
of one- A “squatter’s” right
was a prior right, and so recog-
nized by the cattlemen. They
were not hunting trouble, but
wanted freedom of range, and
did not want the other fellow
to molest him, or come too
close to him and settle. If you
did, you must let his cattle a-
lone or you would get a scrap to
the bitter end. The country
Was all considered free range,
and the ranch houses were
many miles apart, no fences,
and the cattle ranged for many
miles. The ranchmen all work-
ed together on the roundups-
Cattle along the border of Texas lose some of their horses from
and N. M. ranged on both sides. J thirst, and would come near
Tascosa. about thirty miles famishing themselves. No one
from where Amarillo now is, | knew of this fine spring except
was headquarters for a good
many cattlemen, as was Ros-
well, N. M-, Carlsbad, Old Eddy.
Capital!, Ft. Stanton and Ft.
Sumner. Roswell at that time
was the county seat of old Lin-
Billie, his gang and some
friendly Indians- I was there
in 1907, and accidently found
the spring and saved myself and
team from suffering, as I was a
day’s travel from any water
coin county which was a very I that I knew of. I spent the
large county, covering as much;night at this noted old place,
territory as Massachusetts and
Rhode Island- Lying adja-
cent to the Pecos river, which
extends to near the line of Colo-
and made use of the good water
and cedar wood for camping
purposes. The only thing I
had to fear then was the rat-
rado is a plateau country, tiers and a few cougars- I for-1
West from Old Eddy and Ros-jgot to mention that the spring |
well is foot hills and Mountains j was kept covered with a Buffalo j
which I have heretofore men- j hide, covered with straw and
tioned. On the East side of the , brush when the gang were off !
Pecos are a few mountains, |on their raids, so if anyone else I
some cedar breaks that are happened in when they were j
rough and i-ocky. j absent they could not find the I
It was in the cedar roughs j water. On one occasion the j
twenty miles North of Lllda. j Kid sent a messenger with a
N- M., and sixty miles N. E. of j peace note to be signed by two
Roswell, that the “Kid,” at one j of his enemies who were mer-
time had his favorite rendez- chants at Ft. Stanton, and while
vous. There he was almost on this mission, the messenger
immune from the attacks of his took the merchants to the sa-
enemies. He selected a place loon to treat them after the
where there was an opening
toward the Pecos, in the shape
of the letter V. At the bottom
of the V was rough, rocky and
hilly, and there in the canyon
he built a small rock shack a-
signing of the treaty, and a
drummer was there, and he
spoke his mind freely about the
“Kid” not knowing that this
fellow was one of the gang, who
told the drummer he ought not
bout 12x14 and just back of the to speak so as he was from the
house was a high bluff over- j East- Whereupon, the drum
looking the plateau towards the
river- Between the shack and
the bluff was a spring of the
finest cold water a person ever
saw. The spring was dug in
solid rock with a pick and was
about two by three feet, and
six or eig}j4~'mches deep. What
puzzled the officers and made it
hard for them w-as, that there
was no water to the North or
East from Roswell, that they
knew of, except the alkali water
of the Pecos, and when they
would follow “The Kid” and his
gang, often times they would
mer said, “as a citizen, I have a
right to speak against lawless-
ness.” The Kid’s messenger
drew his gun and shot the sales-
man through the heart.
In the area described in New
Mexico, there were several old
towns that are now extinct.
They were kept up then by the
saloon, gambling and frontier
supply stations. Old Seven
Rivers, about 10 miles North-
west of Carlsbad was one of the
most noted little valley towns
along the border of Texas and
New Mexico. At one time in
the sixties it was a thriving j,
town The only evidence now
of a town ever having been
there is the foundations and
parts of the old ruins, and the
stumps of cottonwood trees
that are full of lead. Evident-
ly they were used for target
practice. This was in the cen- [
ter of the “Kids” range, and ,
wa3 only a few miles from Me-!
Millan, which was the old Tur-!
key Track ranch headquarters
at the time I was there, and this
was where the first gun was
fired in the Lincoln County war.
An old windmill stands on the
exact spot where the Kid fired
the first gun in one of the bit- j
terest fueds that was ever j
waged between two factions.!
The “Kid” was as fearless a |
dare devil as ever roamed the
plains. He was cool and quiet, \
and could smile at you and shoot;
your light out at the same J
time. He is not to be con-
founded with such men as Dia-
mond Dick, Wild Bill Hickock, !
Pawnee Bill, Deadwood Dick, |
Buffalo Bill or any other Bill.
The latter were true frontiers- |
men of sterling worth, and they
only killed in at the line of duty, j
Of couse they took the law in
their hands when they came
face to face with crime, and in
that they were justified on ac-
count of being pioneers and
•forerunners of civilization.
They risked their lives and their
all to make the country safe
for the coming generations. It
is impossible to go into a wild,
unsettled domain and establish
a seat of justice and equity
prior to settlement and organi-
zation.
Therefore the first settlers
are a law unto themselves. It
is told that two brothers went
into this section of country
after the first settlers had op# -
ed up the way, and shortly af-
ter their appearance in the com-
munity, the cattle began to
show up with a skin disease,
brands burned over, etc. The
old timers called a meeting to
discuss the matter, and arrive
at somtflplan to put an end to
it- One*of them got up and
(Continued on page 5.)
PROFESSIONAL AND TRADE CARDS*
John W. Willson, President.
A. U. Knaggs, Vice-President.
Lesley Cooper, Sec’y-Trene.
Matt Willson, Manager.
The La Salle County Abstract Company
OLDEST ABSTRACTERS IN LA SALLE COUNTY.
Your Abstracts Given Prorap: Attention and Efficient Service.
COTULLA, — TEXAS.
Dr. J. N. Reeves
office over
GADDIS PHARMACY
Office Phone 71. Res. 143.
COTULLA, — TEXAS.
H. H. Flowers
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Office on Center Street.
COTULLA, — TEXAS.
Dr. J. N. Lightsey
office over
GADDIS PHARMACY
Office Phone 71. Res. 38.
COTULLA, — TEXAS.
Willson & Cooper
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Will Practice in all Courts.
REAL ESTATE AGENCY.
COTULLA, — TEXAS.
Dr. W. H. Morrow
with
MERRIMAN & CO., DRUGS
Office Phone 55.
Res. Phone 102.
COTULLA, — TEXAS.
Cotulla Abstract Company
Compiled by one having over twenty years experience in
Texas Titles.
Complete Abstract Records of La Salle County, Texaa.
Service that Pleases
TOM LEACH, Attorney, Mgr.
COTULLA, — TEXAS.
Tom Leach
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Practice in all Courts.
CONVEYANCING,
CONTRACTS . .
Notary Public.
COTULLA, — TEXAS.
Wm, Kuykendall
REAL ESTATE
FARMS AND RANCHES
COTULLA, — TEXAS.
RANCH LOANS
o Per Cent Interest.
Unlimited Funds — No Delays.
E. B. CHANDLER & CO.
San Antonio, Texas
106 E. Crockett St.
American Barber
The Latest Hair Cuts.
Shaves that Please.
Agent for San Antonio
Steam Laundry.
Basket Sloped Wednesday.
W. L. PEASE, Propr.
Farm Ranch Loans
Let us refinance your old loan
or make you a new loan on your
farm or ranch anywhere in
Texas. Amortization plan.
NUECES VALLEY GUAR-
ANTY ABSTRACT CO.
COTULLA, — TEXAS.
NUECES VALLEY GUARANTY
ABSTRACT COMPANY.
H. H. FLOWERS, Mgr.
We Give You Service
in Compiling Abstracts
Office on Center Street. * _
COTULLA, — TEXAS.
Turner’s Tailor Shop
Satisfaction Guaranteed.
All clothes left at our
shop are protected by
Insurance.
Club Barber Shop
EASY SHAVES
NEAT HAIR CUTS
Ladies and CMIdrea.
Special Attention to
SEALE RANKIN. Pmyen.
COTULLA, — TEXAS.
HIGHWAY JUST'0 NORTH OFIff™ MERIDIAN
SMALL H?D81LTIVATI0N-
THIS IS THE BEST BUY IN THE COUNTRY AT THE PRICE.
II. B. MILLER,
. TEXAS.
FOR
A
L E.
Dr. O. M. Durham
DENTIST
Office Phone 105
Res. Phone 113.
Located over Gaddis Pharmacy.
COTULLA, — TEXAS.
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The Cotulla Record (Cotulla, Tex.), Vol. 30, No. 41, Ed. 1 Friday, December 20, 1929, newspaper, December 20, 1929; Cotulla, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1163179/m1/2/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Alexander Memorial Library.