J. Frank Dobie & Texas

Sudden as a Texas norther Texas is bound together with rawhide

as big as all hell and a half of Texas. There is no doubt about it.

There is a Texas tradition.

This land this heritage this people a series of radio

programs tracing and word and music the footprints of America the turns we

took the tales we spread narratives letters diaries and songs have been

adapted from primary source materials like Professor Robert E. Gard director of the

Wisconsin idea theater programs were produced a WHCA of the

University of Wisconsin for national educational radio under a grant from the

National Home Library Foundation.

Today's program Texas.

Yarns that bring out human characteristics and illustrate customs and manners and

social conditions are in a way as important historically as state papers.

More of our yarn. If it's a good has flavor and people

have a right to enjoy the taste of their food as well as to be nourished by it.

And while Sam Houston was president of the Republic of Texas one anecdote goes like

this. Some foreign power sent an agent to inveigling him into a

treaty. Now this agent seemed to have the idea that because Houston had lived with

the Indians he must be a savage himself from talking made to other people

it was clear that he expected to see the president of Texas with a bunch of feathers in his

hair dressed in a breech clout and no on raw meat.

Houston I haven't been advised of this determined to you murder

joke in preparation for receiving the ambassador or a

representative. He stripped naked and seated himself in a chair on top of a

table. There the visitor found naked as a bat his long hairs

hanging and she was not on the end of a stick and ground.

What effect this spectacle had on a foreign agent has not been recorded.

Eisa Jones who is a genuine Texan but not what you'd

call an overt Texan was telling me about an experience he had in New Orleans.

Seems he had registered in a modest hotel run by what 190 said just

after he'd gone to bed he was called from his room by the proprietors. He said

a drunk man is cutting up downstairs and swearing he's going to get lodged in here. Now we won't

have him but he won't go away. I see on the register that you're from Texas and I thought

maybe you wouldn't mind handling this roughing it.

Well that speech swelled me up considerably. Jones told me

it was simply up to me to prove that I was a true Texan. I

went downstairs and bought two shakes of the rough man was alive and still out on the sidewalk.

Not that I had much to do though.

Well there are many people in Texas nowadays who do not enjoy the reputation.

But they had as well face the fact that a very distinct

Texas tradition is based on blood violence and

fighting. The first English speaking man to come to Texas were freebooters ready to

sell their lives in the mad scheme of taking the land from Spain. To

Texas colonists fought the Indians for every plot of ground they settled on.

Next they fought the Mexican nation for independence and then fought Mexican Raiders for decades

over a far stretch from here. Finally having attracted the fighting blood of

the nation Texas became an arena in which the Koch's

revolver was law. And blood was commoner than order.

All that is changed and is far past now is free reign. But

the earth remembered. Many many Texans

died with the boots on. It used to be said of these Texans that they fought

for their lives hundreds for their living and died for their country.

If blood be the price of sovereignty then as Kipling said of the price of British

Admiralty. Great God they've bought it fair.

Texas March 30th 1839 dear mother

are received by the mail of November 13th your letter which gave me great pleasure to

hear from you and of the good health of yourself and friends. And I have

the satisfaction to inform you that I am in better health than I have been for nearly one

year. We still continue to be harassed by the Indians.

On the 9th of December about noon a party of Comanche surrounded Andrew

Lockhart. A girl about 16 and one other young lady

together with three small children and carried them off. They were a short

distance from the house. They were pursued but could not be overtaken.

But we are informed they are kindly treated in their savage way of livin.

Brother is used in every effort to get them and I hope he may

succeed. At present there is several company of men on our front.

Several more Razan which I hope will prevent further trouble.

Hey you say that you know it has been unusually dry

so it has here the winter's been fun until about the fifth

when there was the greatest snow and sleet that we've counted up.

Before that time we were obliged to have the horses eat the grass in our yard frequently

and are now plowing their coal. Everything looks flourishing.

Your affectionate distant water.

Katherine Lockhart.

Is now out. Eriksson must run hard

his own plans talk find rest and.

Stand on the spot to

make sick fantasy fun stock stand.

Whoa you shall be my last one just now. Next

you can see.

As late as the 70s debate sometimes waxed hot in

Texas over whether the end having them should be called Texans are Texans.

Now if I had to divide the population into classes today I would

characterize a goodly number is Texans a very large number as

Texans. And finally all too many years just people who live

in Texas. The texting and all the old rock itself.

The Texans are out of the old rock. The others are

wiring the rock away.

The cowboy might be divided into three questions. First number one the genuine

one who has as much respect for the rights of others even if he is miles away. As for

his immediate neighbors I mean by that a man who is strictly honest.

One whose general Hilfe won't be affected by even a piece of an animal with his own

mocking brand on it. Still one who is not so self-righteous as to

thank God he's not like other men but can throw the mantle of charity

sufficiently far as to reach is less scrupulous brother. One who is

the happy possessor of the combined characteristics of a true gentleman a loyal

citizen and an all round business man with the GET UP AND GET of a cowboy.

Number two is worth consideration. He is the true type of Western

hospitality. Especially in his mall view.

So much so that his conscience is possessed with such elasticity as to serve him

in any emergency like the proverbial Irishman who when he

found a U.S. blanket called out you for Patrick and it's for McCarthy.

I watch but I'm glad I found my blanket. My father told me that my education was a

good thing and now I know it. But for an education I never would have found my

bike. That's how it is with number two. He is but

particularly fortunate about his education. It often helps him in

his interpretation of the brands of cattle from the northern Rockies and

enables him to appropriate the same for his set.

But if he is in that distant range and somebody should feed him own his own

be. It acts like it AK in his own language show it

does make him sick. Now number three is the Roman come day go

day God since the good natured easy going cowboy who is just as happy

where he is as where he is not cares for nothing but a good saddles

bird's words and a forty dollar job seldom aspires to accumulate for

itself but is satisfied to spend his life in working for somebody else.

Now number two manipulates this latter class in many way. Too often it is

the case that number two when found in too close a place in order to save his

self was slipped the head of some Bible dupe into the hope of that justice has

designed for him. I've given you the shady side of the character of

number two but now I'll be glad to give you some real virtue. Now number two

with some exception is a neighbor to be proud of. He has nothing to

good to divide. And you know when you enter his house that you will

ride twenty miles on a rainy night to bring the doctor for a sick neighbor or go to the

relief of a distressed human being no difference what is character. All we need to know is

that they're suffering. If any of his associates should be so far

misunderstood as to get a rest why he'll go to his rescue and as

a rule will be able to make satisfactory explanation and security.

And this especially applies to dates back of 87. It's getting to a

point and has been for several years now. That lawyers and judges are getting

so incredulous that the boys are having a considerable trouble to explain their

mistakes. And the consequences is that many of them have been sent east to

work under the supervision of the state. Now of course this is invariably done under

protest and nearly everyone who takes a state contract is innocent.

In conclusion I wish it understood that my definition of a cowboy is a big

hearted post-soul bundle of humanity kind hearted generous

possessed of all the frailties common to mankind. And not the biggest rascal

on earth by a jugful.

Texas April 1840. Dear mother I

haven't received no letter from you for several months. I am happy to

inform you that Andrew Lockhart has succeeded in getting his

daughter from the Indians. They brought in a little boy to Bex our who

was taken at the same time she was and proposed a treaty to which the

agreed condition they would fit all the prisoners in their possession.

They returned to their camps and in a few days returned with Matilda Lockhart.

Only American officers met them in the council house and the

Indians been informed that they were to consider themselves prisoners until all were

brought in. They drew their bows and arrows which they had concealed

under They are buffalo skins and commenced use and off them. The

Americans being quite on armed were obliged to use rock axes or

anything they could get hold of. There were six Americans

and about 30 Indians killed and twenty one squad was kept

to let them know the result since which time they have returned with

two American children and seven Mexicans. They

exchange equal number and will retain the rest until they are all

or as many as they have in their possession. Ms Webster

made her escape about the same time a tale the guard left carrying with a

sick child and live in prickly pear apples. B and twelve days

in reaching our. We still look forward to the time when we

will be at peace with all our enemies and our country free.

Love for me to you affectionately your daughter

Catherine. Heart.

On January the 1st 1822 having a car get out of Thomas boat rock

settled in the rich bottom of a great. New Year's creek

that's plain and so Sunday Creek which is surveying party spent a sabbath day in

1887 at Plano lavender and Tom boat ride Ben's bang

they probably named the creek after some I-talian St pertaining to New Year's Day

they could not possibly ban spanking and they represent a race down right and direct the

members of which sometimes celebrate their own birthday but never in the circuitous

manner of the call and after some saint of the Middle Ages to whom centuries ago a certain day of the year

was assigned.

The entries for September 5th and 6th 18 24 from a diary kept by Stephen F. Austin.

Found at this encampment the bones of two men which had been buried

and called the great cannibal creek.

Austin's party was at the time campaigning against the cannibalistic Rockaway Indian

trap around a big bin once left a dog watch camp which was in a canyon while he went to

town for her circumstances mixed with whiskey delayed his return

for many days. When he got back to camp he found his dog was still on guard.

The star of. The dog may have been forgotten but that a dog

Canyon remembers his faithfulness.

California in which Rough and Ready pioneer names sprang up to supply a right to live on this

side.

Spanish names forward to parallel for the French nomenclature and.

The editor of The San Francisco Herald no in

1853 Abraham an editorial on the subject. Some of

our people in the interior have almost ordinary taste in

nomenclature.

The recent election has brought to light such delectable localities as Whiskey Creek.

Jackass go home but city one horse town.

Our suckers flat rattlesnake bar

and so on. For the love of austerity reform your nomenclature good

people before it is too late.

The Texans have not acquired the reputation of the Californians for saying a good word

for their state at every juncture whether in or out of season but they are not

noted for reticence on the subject. A man from how I am on

my way or some other state of that region. Well I often say I am from the Middle

West. A man from Idaho and about I may say I am from the

west. I joined Dinora Mississippi and they admit to being merely a Southerner

but no Texan given the opportunity ever said otherwise than I am

from Texas.

One time a political art star was making a sign just ended a speech at a

Texas barbecue. He was making the lone star shine brighter

than a bed of must get coals on a dark night and remembering the Alamo

from a time before the flood.

The audience was with him.

Taxes he all rated is the land of opportunity and

democratic individual ism. It is a land where every

man is as good as every other man.

Yes came a voice from the audience and a down side better.

The ideal of individual independence is not of course exclusively Texan.

However like the Longhorns seedless grapes fruit and hot oil companies

ruggedness has driven lustily in Texas. One

time there was a story that should be true whether it is or not. Sam

Houston sent word to the Thomas plantation on the Colorado River that he was coming.

The Thomases invited all the bellwethers in the country dinner of course was in the

middle of the day.

It was election time and Houston was full of talk. His enemies may have been

man with the bark on but he peeled it up he had a

lefty appetite is eating did not interfere with his talking

and talking did not interfere with his eating. After an

enormous bite of pork and turnip greens roast beef and fried

venison baked sweet potatoes and Irish potato salad roast

MIERDA carne and red beans boiled with fat bacon

both cornbread and biscuits along with the plantings and butter meal the

dessert came.

It was hot rice putting than which nothing can be hotter. It

was served an ample dose and eaten with ample splint.

In the midst of an accusation of a certain character whom used and often denounced as nothing

but a damn vegetarian he clapped a heaping spoonful of the hot rice

putting into his mouth immediately if not sooner he objected it back into the

boat and all into the surrounding territory. Then Pollard

suspended in mid-air. He calmly interposed. Many a damn

food would have swallowed that. General Sherman is often credited with

having originated to saying that if he own Texas inhale he had

read out Texas and live in the other place no matter who started it.

This story is kept in a lab by Texans themselves.

Oh the devil and how he wished he

remained. He complained nor did he rob. But

of his own he could own and the sones of.

The prison and the house already

and he's.

Over. Making this land.

Oh and he said yes I have plenty on this way down south

on the Rio Grande and to tell you the truth.

To stop this town it.

Went down in the Northern Rock.

And yet he was stuck

carefully in this place for us to drive on. Our.

Texans are as proud of this uncomplimentary tradition as Oliver Cromwell

wa the big war it was a Texan in this crowd and

the whitewashed wall of the West decked out as he was abandoning it.

They had word the water cannon out the

wood six to hail down back to the wife

family. Make yourself at home.

Alone I just can't stop on his promise to

turn out for you have some oh I heard that was of no use.

Regular bog hole that stunk like to use for granted was made and

it was given already returned to his place up in heaven.

The tunnel soon Sayed everything needed by now

and so he proceeded.

He scattered Terence horns on the

cactus and horns on the tongue. He sprinkled the sands with millions

on the hands of the man that stump must wear soles on his pants.

Feeling in the arms of the new Texas stared at it an inch to

the jackrabbits. Keep the peace and only

see the snakes.

A land agent would writing with a newcomer down the often overflowed bottom to the Trinity river in

East Texas.

Just look at that so while he was saying it did Rick just carry yards

after a while the new comer called attention the mud marks 10 feet high on the trees.

Yes the agent explained that's where our Razorbacks rubbed in Salem's.

I'll tell you this land produces such rich acres and roots and other radio back

feed that dogs grow taller than Jarrah rafts and it is

not very well known several million acres of land in western Texas comprise

Spiers of the Rocky Mountains. It used to be sold very cheap site on

scene to land Hungary's in the east. One time one of the buyers as

the story goes presented himself in the Land Office had always been to get field notes and

directions for finding his property. About a month later he returned.

Well I asked a clerk who recognized I guess you located your land all

right yes the New Englander did plaid.

I found it but I never could get over it. All I could do would lean up

against the dying step.

Yeah I remember the tree pics. If

we send police rattle snake might soon the scorpion

stings you know it and likes you by putting his.

Right in the summer and too hot for the

javelin to hunt. Oh man and all who remain in that climate

soon mark and mites and scratches and blisters.

When you let know these stories in Texas you never know exactly whether the joke is on the

land or on the bamboo pays a taxi all while though when the

chance of have obsoleted all such stories and of course are not published

in Chamber of Commerce prospect as it is because the Texans are so

sure of themselves and of the virtues of their own land that they

and such they track the yard.

The quick and not come the Broncos stand. Why isn't

this defeat. Oh roams in the black shops

it's a place that we have got car and house planted read

hers beside all the rooms. That Mexicans use namin all that they

cook just fine with their grease earned then you will shout time out from

the inside as well as me.

They take a special pride in the vagaries of their weather and the

meteorological pride of all Texans east north south and west

is the norther the Texas norther the Texas norther

which comes sudden and soon in the dead of night or the blaze in it.

Now one time a man was riding a race mare about 10 miles north of his home when he saw one of these

northerners coming now. They can certainly be seen.

It was a hot January day and the man was not prepared for freeze.

He turned toward home and struck a gallop now looking back he saw that no other was going to overtake him unless he

rode faster so we spurred up. Now I look back again after a little while and saw that the norther had

almost overtaken and he could hear the rush of the wind. He shook out his court and just it he

did he felt the norther twisted his coat tails. Now the mare knew what was coming to now she started to head like

a cry of joy. For six or seven miles that man used to swear they kept exactly

with that how another that is the norther had the mare's hand quarters in his coat

tails in its grass but the mares for parts news on face were ahead of it.

Now the stable dollars out remedies you rushed into it and dismounted he found the mare's four quarters

foamy was slap but her hind quarters virtually

frozen. You know she died of pneumonia right then and there.

This land this heritage this people a series of radio

programs tracing in word and music the footprints of America the turns we

took the tales we spread narratives letters diaries and songs have been

adapted from primary source materials by Professor Robert E. Gard director of the

Wisconsin idea theater programs were produced at W.H. a

University of Wisconsin for national educational radio under a grant from the

National Home Library Foundation.

Today's program Texas much of this program was drawn from the writings of

J Frank Dalby the male voices were recorded for us at the University of

Texas.

Music by contempt for production by Ralph Johnson.

Again I was speaking this is the national educational radio network.