My great Uncle. Married Georgia Viola Ragsdale, April 6, 1924 in Montrose Co., CO; they leased the old Galloway Ranch from Ed Lavender in 1934 and took over the farming.
For an idea of the times, Uncle Roy is mentioned in "The Mind of a Fox" Cowboy Humor, Pranks and Practical Jokes. Printed by B&B Printers, Inc., Gunnison, Colorado, ©1993 Howard E. Greager, author, pp 161-165:
"The lease agreement stated that the cattle would be out of the cultivated pastures no later than May 1st, 1935. Following Mr. Lavender's demise however, May 1st came and went with no movement of the cattle whatsoever. Roy got in touch with the administrator of the Lavender estate and made him aware of the contractual agreement he possessed. The administrator assured Roy that he would be there as quick as he could round up some help. The Lavender cowboys had all taken time off, as they usually did, prior to the long summer of tending to cattle and were nowhere to be found. The morning of May 2nd arrived and so did a group of men hired by the Administrator to gather the pastures and move the cattle out into East Paradox rangeland. The horses to be used were there on pasture also and Roy Willdon soon had them in the corral for the 'cowboys' to catch and saddle for the day's work. Roy could tell immediately, by the way these men proceeded to handle the horses, catching, saddling, etc., that there wasn't a cowboy in the bunch. Rather, a bunch of 'town loungers' who happened to be available for a day's work. Roy was concerned with getting the fields ready for spring planting though, so as soon as his 'hired hands' were mounted up, they proceeded to the back side of the ranch to begin the drive.
"This bunch of cattle, numbering about two hundred head, was what Ed Lavender called his purebreds. Almost every cow had a small calf that had been kept hidden by its mother most of its young life and not very many of the calves were with their mothers this day. Roy tried to instruct the men on how to ride the willow thickets and tamaracks and the tall grass along the ditch banks to find these hidden calves and get them up and with their mothers. Most of his instructions fell on deaf ears. The hired men were there only to move a bunch of cattle. Not to learn all the tricks and skills that go along with being a good cowboy. As the cattle started getting together in a bunch and began moving along, many of the calves, unused to being driven and deprived of opportunities to nurse, just dropped out of sight behind a bush or tall grass and laid still.
"The Dolores River, which divides East Paradox from West Paradox, was running bank full and was very swift and cold. The cattle were driven to the bridge that spans the river, about three quarters of a mile away, and were soon across. Roy Willdon, being a good cowboy, noticed that quite a few cows were without calves. When the east side of the river was reached he rode out in front of the bunch as if to stop them. One of the hired men who seemed to be spokesman for the group said, 'That's good enough. Let them scatter out and range for themselves.' Roy rode over to the group of men about to leave and said, 'Don't you think we should "mother them up"? There's an awful lot of cows here who will be looking for a meal ticket (meaning a calf) pretty soon.' The spokesman for the cowboys said, 'Naw, they'll get together when they get hungry.' The large herd was scattering over the fresh new range so fast that Roy knew he would have no chance, along, to hold them up in a bunch so that the cows could claim their calves and vice-versa. He rode on back to the ranch a little behind the other men and upon reaching the ranch corral, filled with misgivings about the mix-up on the cattle, turned his horse into the corral and proceeded to the ranch house for supper.
"At about sundown Roy looked down across the pasture towards the Dolores River and on across into East Paradox. About as he had expected quite a few cows had gathered along the east side of the river and a like amount of calves had gathered along the west bank. Both sides were bawling across the river to each other and looking for places to cross. About the time thirty or forty cows on the east side jumped into the river and started to swim across, a like number of calves took off running up the river bank and plunged into the flood swollen river about a half-mile about where the cows had seen fit to cross. At this time, Roy quickly saddled his horse, thinking he had to try to do something, anything to straighten out the mixed-up cattle. The mother cows were just coming out of the water on the west side when Roy arrived at the river bank and the calves were just climbing out on the opposite side. Roy knew that this was a worse case scenario, but he had to try to get them all on the same side of the river. The cattle were very difficult to drive, as he tried to head them up towards the bridge to cross them over to the calves, for they knew that their calves should be hidden somewhere in the pasture on the west side of the river.
"Somehow Roy managed to get the cows about a half-mile up the river, but when they came to the place where the calves had jumped into the water, they bolted for the river bank as the smell of their calves was strong in the air. Then the cows spotted their calves across the river and dove into the flooding river to cross and be with them. Cattle are strong swimmers and can handle about any kind of a river, even when in a flood stage. But the ice cold water and strong undertows can sap their strength quite rapidly and they were crossing again for the second time in less than an hour. They managed alright, but the calves, unable to fully straighten out the chain of happening, jumped into the river again and began swimming out to meet their mothers. They were downstream from the cows already, and tired from just having swum the river, they drifted even further downstream and missed the cows by several hundred yard. They finally climbed out on the west bank of the river at about the same time the mother cows climbed out on the east bank. Roy's heart sank when he realized what a hopeless and pitiful situation he was witness to. After two trips across the river all the familiar scent that calves and cows identify each other by had been washed away and they wouldn't have known each other now if they were tied together in a box stall!
"Roy lowered his head and turned his weary horse back to the ranch. He knew there was nothing more he could do. Even with a handful of experienced cowboys, it would be next to impossible to keep all of the cattle out of the water. The die was cast, it was out of Roy's hands now. For the next twenty four hours the cows and calves swam back and forth, looking for each other until all of them had perished in the river. What a tragic end result for an afternoon of carelessness and apathetic decisions by men who most certainly knew better."
Many thanks for stone photo, Shirley, who first listed and graciously transferred memorial.
For an idea of the times, Uncle Roy is mentioned in "The Mind of a Fox" Cowboy Humor, Pranks and Practical Jokes. Printed by B&B Printers, Inc., Gunnison, Colorado, ©1993 Howard E. Greager, author, pp 161-165:
"The lease agreement stated that the cattle would be out of the cultivated pastures no later than May 1st, 1935. Following Mr. Lavender's demise however, May 1st came and went with no movement of the cattle whatsoever. Roy got in touch with the administrator of the Lavender estate and made him aware of the contractual agreement he possessed. The administrator assured Roy that he would be there as quick as he could round up some help. The Lavender cowboys had all taken time off, as they usually did, prior to the long summer of tending to cattle and were nowhere to be found. The morning of May 2nd arrived and so did a group of men hired by the Administrator to gather the pastures and move the cattle out into East Paradox rangeland. The horses to be used were there on pasture also and Roy Willdon soon had them in the corral for the 'cowboys' to catch and saddle for the day's work. Roy could tell immediately, by the way these men proceeded to handle the horses, catching, saddling, etc., that there wasn't a cowboy in the bunch. Rather, a bunch of 'town loungers' who happened to be available for a day's work. Roy was concerned with getting the fields ready for spring planting though, so as soon as his 'hired hands' were mounted up, they proceeded to the back side of the ranch to begin the drive.
"This bunch of cattle, numbering about two hundred head, was what Ed Lavender called his purebreds. Almost every cow had a small calf that had been kept hidden by its mother most of its young life and not very many of the calves were with their mothers this day. Roy tried to instruct the men on how to ride the willow thickets and tamaracks and the tall grass along the ditch banks to find these hidden calves and get them up and with their mothers. Most of his instructions fell on deaf ears. The hired men were there only to move a bunch of cattle. Not to learn all the tricks and skills that go along with being a good cowboy. As the cattle started getting together in a bunch and began moving along, many of the calves, unused to being driven and deprived of opportunities to nurse, just dropped out of sight behind a bush or tall grass and laid still.
"The Dolores River, which divides East Paradox from West Paradox, was running bank full and was very swift and cold. The cattle were driven to the bridge that spans the river, about three quarters of a mile away, and were soon across. Roy Willdon, being a good cowboy, noticed that quite a few cows were without calves. When the east side of the river was reached he rode out in front of the bunch as if to stop them. One of the hired men who seemed to be spokesman for the group said, 'That's good enough. Let them scatter out and range for themselves.' Roy rode over to the group of men about to leave and said, 'Don't you think we should "mother them up"? There's an awful lot of cows here who will be looking for a meal ticket (meaning a calf) pretty soon.' The spokesman for the cowboys said, 'Naw, they'll get together when they get hungry.' The large herd was scattering over the fresh new range so fast that Roy knew he would have no chance, along, to hold them up in a bunch so that the cows could claim their calves and vice-versa. He rode on back to the ranch a little behind the other men and upon reaching the ranch corral, filled with misgivings about the mix-up on the cattle, turned his horse into the corral and proceeded to the ranch house for supper.
"At about sundown Roy looked down across the pasture towards the Dolores River and on across into East Paradox. About as he had expected quite a few cows had gathered along the east side of the river and a like amount of calves had gathered along the west bank. Both sides were bawling across the river to each other and looking for places to cross. About the time thirty or forty cows on the east side jumped into the river and started to swim across, a like number of calves took off running up the river bank and plunged into the flood swollen river about a half-mile about where the cows had seen fit to cross. At this time, Roy quickly saddled his horse, thinking he had to try to do something, anything to straighten out the mixed-up cattle. The mother cows were just coming out of the water on the west side when Roy arrived at the river bank and the calves were just climbing out on the opposite side. Roy knew that this was a worse case scenario, but he had to try to get them all on the same side of the river. The cattle were very difficult to drive, as he tried to head them up towards the bridge to cross them over to the calves, for they knew that their calves should be hidden somewhere in the pasture on the west side of the river.
"Somehow Roy managed to get the cows about a half-mile up the river, but when they came to the place where the calves had jumped into the water, they bolted for the river bank as the smell of their calves was strong in the air. Then the cows spotted their calves across the river and dove into the flooding river to cross and be with them. Cattle are strong swimmers and can handle about any kind of a river, even when in a flood stage. But the ice cold water and strong undertows can sap their strength quite rapidly and they were crossing again for the second time in less than an hour. They managed alright, but the calves, unable to fully straighten out the chain of happening, jumped into the river again and began swimming out to meet their mothers. They were downstream from the cows already, and tired from just having swum the river, they drifted even further downstream and missed the cows by several hundred yard. They finally climbed out on the west bank of the river at about the same time the mother cows climbed out on the east bank. Roy's heart sank when he realized what a hopeless and pitiful situation he was witness to. After two trips across the river all the familiar scent that calves and cows identify each other by had been washed away and they wouldn't have known each other now if they were tied together in a box stall!
"Roy lowered his head and turned his weary horse back to the ranch. He knew there was nothing more he could do. Even with a handful of experienced cowboys, it would be next to impossible to keep all of the cattle out of the water. The die was cast, it was out of Roy's hands now. For the next twenty four hours the cows and calves swam back and forth, looking for each other until all of them had perished in the river. What a tragic end result for an afternoon of carelessness and apathetic decisions by men who most certainly knew better."
Many thanks for stone photo, Shirley, who first listed and graciously transferred memorial.
My great Uncle. Married Georgia Viola Ragsdale, April 6, 1924 in Montrose Co., CO; they leased the old Galloway Ranch from Ed Lavender in 1934 and took over the farming.
For an idea of the times, Uncle Roy is mentioned in "The Mind of a Fox" Cowboy Humor, Pranks and Practical Jokes. Printed by B&B Printers, Inc., Gunnison, Colorado, ©1993 Howard E. Greager, author, pp 161-165:
"The lease agreement stated that the cattle would be out of the cultivated pastures no later than May 1st, 1935. Following Mr. Lavender's demise however, May 1st came and went with no movement of the cattle whatsoever. Roy got in touch with the administrator of the Lavender estate and made him aware of the contractual agreement he possessed. The administrator assured Roy that he would be there as quick as he could round up some help. The Lavender cowboys had all taken time off, as they usually did, prior to the long summer of tending to cattle and were nowhere to be found. The morning of May 2nd arrived and so did a group of men hired by the Administrator to gather the pastures and move the cattle out into East Paradox rangeland. The horses to be used were there on pasture also and Roy Willdon soon had them in the corral for the 'cowboys' to catch and saddle for the day's work. Roy could tell immediately, by the way these men proceeded to handle the horses, catching, saddling, etc., that there wasn't a cowboy in the bunch. Rather, a bunch of 'town loungers' who happened to be available for a day's work. Roy was concerned with getting the fields ready for spring planting though, so as soon as his 'hired hands' were mounted up, they proceeded to the back side of the ranch to begin the drive.
"This bunch of cattle, numbering about two hundred head, was what Ed Lavender called his purebreds. Almost every cow had a small calf that had been kept hidden by its mother most of its young life and not very many of the calves were with their mothers this day. Roy tried to instruct the men on how to ride the willow thickets and tamaracks and the tall grass along the ditch banks to find these hidden calves and get them up and with their mothers. Most of his instructions fell on deaf ears. The hired men were there only to move a bunch of cattle. Not to learn all the tricks and skills that go along with being a good cowboy. As the cattle started getting together in a bunch and began moving along, many of the calves, unused to being driven and deprived of opportunities to nurse, just dropped out of sight behind a bush or tall grass and laid still.
"The Dolores River, which divides East Paradox from West Paradox, was running bank full and was very swift and cold. The cattle were driven to the bridge that spans the river, about three quarters of a mile away, and were soon across. Roy Willdon, being a good cowboy, noticed that quite a few cows were without calves. When the east side of the river was reached he rode out in front of the bunch as if to stop them. One of the hired men who seemed to be spokesman for the group said, 'That's good enough. Let them scatter out and range for themselves.' Roy rode over to the group of men about to leave and said, 'Don't you think we should "mother them up"? There's an awful lot of cows here who will be looking for a meal ticket (meaning a calf) pretty soon.' The spokesman for the cowboys said, 'Naw, they'll get together when they get hungry.' The large herd was scattering over the fresh new range so fast that Roy knew he would have no chance, along, to hold them up in a bunch so that the cows could claim their calves and vice-versa. He rode on back to the ranch a little behind the other men and upon reaching the ranch corral, filled with misgivings about the mix-up on the cattle, turned his horse into the corral and proceeded to the ranch house for supper.
"At about sundown Roy looked down across the pasture towards the Dolores River and on across into East Paradox. About as he had expected quite a few cows had gathered along the east side of the river and a like amount of calves had gathered along the west bank. Both sides were bawling across the river to each other and looking for places to cross. About the time thirty or forty cows on the east side jumped into the river and started to swim across, a like number of calves took off running up the river bank and plunged into the flood swollen river about a half-mile about where the cows had seen fit to cross. At this time, Roy quickly saddled his horse, thinking he had to try to do something, anything to straighten out the mixed-up cattle. The mother cows were just coming out of the water on the west side when Roy arrived at the river bank and the calves were just climbing out on the opposite side. Roy knew that this was a worse case scenario, but he had to try to get them all on the same side of the river. The cattle were very difficult to drive, as he tried to head them up towards the bridge to cross them over to the calves, for they knew that their calves should be hidden somewhere in the pasture on the west side of the river.
"Somehow Roy managed to get the cows about a half-mile up the river, but when they came to the place where the calves had jumped into the water, they bolted for the river bank as the smell of their calves was strong in the air. Then the cows spotted their calves across the river and dove into the flooding river to cross and be with them. Cattle are strong swimmers and can handle about any kind of a river, even when in a flood stage. But the ice cold water and strong undertows can sap their strength quite rapidly and they were crossing again for the second time in less than an hour. They managed alright, but the calves, unable to fully straighten out the chain of happening, jumped into the river again and began swimming out to meet their mothers. They were downstream from the cows already, and tired from just having swum the river, they drifted even further downstream and missed the cows by several hundred yard. They finally climbed out on the west bank of the river at about the same time the mother cows climbed out on the east bank. Roy's heart sank when he realized what a hopeless and pitiful situation he was witness to. After two trips across the river all the familiar scent that calves and cows identify each other by had been washed away and they wouldn't have known each other now if they were tied together in a box stall!
"Roy lowered his head and turned his weary horse back to the ranch. He knew there was nothing more he could do. Even with a handful of experienced cowboys, it would be next to impossible to keep all of the cattle out of the water. The die was cast, it was out of Roy's hands now. For the next twenty four hours the cows and calves swam back and forth, looking for each other until all of them had perished in the river. What a tragic end result for an afternoon of carelessness and apathetic decisions by men who most certainly knew better."
Many thanks for stone photo, Shirley, who first listed and graciously transferred memorial.
For an idea of the times, Uncle Roy is mentioned in "The Mind of a Fox" Cowboy Humor, Pranks and Practical Jokes. Printed by B&B Printers, Inc., Gunnison, Colorado, ©1993 Howard E. Greager, author, pp 161-165:
"The lease agreement stated that the cattle would be out of the cultivated pastures no later than May 1st, 1935. Following Mr. Lavender's demise however, May 1st came and went with no movement of the cattle whatsoever. Roy got in touch with the administrator of the Lavender estate and made him aware of the contractual agreement he possessed. The administrator assured Roy that he would be there as quick as he could round up some help. The Lavender cowboys had all taken time off, as they usually did, prior to the long summer of tending to cattle and were nowhere to be found. The morning of May 2nd arrived and so did a group of men hired by the Administrator to gather the pastures and move the cattle out into East Paradox rangeland. The horses to be used were there on pasture also and Roy Willdon soon had them in the corral for the 'cowboys' to catch and saddle for the day's work. Roy could tell immediately, by the way these men proceeded to handle the horses, catching, saddling, etc., that there wasn't a cowboy in the bunch. Rather, a bunch of 'town loungers' who happened to be available for a day's work. Roy was concerned with getting the fields ready for spring planting though, so as soon as his 'hired hands' were mounted up, they proceeded to the back side of the ranch to begin the drive.
"This bunch of cattle, numbering about two hundred head, was what Ed Lavender called his purebreds. Almost every cow had a small calf that had been kept hidden by its mother most of its young life and not very many of the calves were with their mothers this day. Roy tried to instruct the men on how to ride the willow thickets and tamaracks and the tall grass along the ditch banks to find these hidden calves and get them up and with their mothers. Most of his instructions fell on deaf ears. The hired men were there only to move a bunch of cattle. Not to learn all the tricks and skills that go along with being a good cowboy. As the cattle started getting together in a bunch and began moving along, many of the calves, unused to being driven and deprived of opportunities to nurse, just dropped out of sight behind a bush or tall grass and laid still.
"The Dolores River, which divides East Paradox from West Paradox, was running bank full and was very swift and cold. The cattle were driven to the bridge that spans the river, about three quarters of a mile away, and were soon across. Roy Willdon, being a good cowboy, noticed that quite a few cows were without calves. When the east side of the river was reached he rode out in front of the bunch as if to stop them. One of the hired men who seemed to be spokesman for the group said, 'That's good enough. Let them scatter out and range for themselves.' Roy rode over to the group of men about to leave and said, 'Don't you think we should "mother them up"? There's an awful lot of cows here who will be looking for a meal ticket (meaning a calf) pretty soon.' The spokesman for the cowboys said, 'Naw, they'll get together when they get hungry.' The large herd was scattering over the fresh new range so fast that Roy knew he would have no chance, along, to hold them up in a bunch so that the cows could claim their calves and vice-versa. He rode on back to the ranch a little behind the other men and upon reaching the ranch corral, filled with misgivings about the mix-up on the cattle, turned his horse into the corral and proceeded to the ranch house for supper.
"At about sundown Roy looked down across the pasture towards the Dolores River and on across into East Paradox. About as he had expected quite a few cows had gathered along the east side of the river and a like amount of calves had gathered along the west bank. Both sides were bawling across the river to each other and looking for places to cross. About the time thirty or forty cows on the east side jumped into the river and started to swim across, a like number of calves took off running up the river bank and plunged into the flood swollen river about a half-mile about where the cows had seen fit to cross. At this time, Roy quickly saddled his horse, thinking he had to try to do something, anything to straighten out the mixed-up cattle. The mother cows were just coming out of the water on the west side when Roy arrived at the river bank and the calves were just climbing out on the opposite side. Roy knew that this was a worse case scenario, but he had to try to get them all on the same side of the river. The cattle were very difficult to drive, as he tried to head them up towards the bridge to cross them over to the calves, for they knew that their calves should be hidden somewhere in the pasture on the west side of the river.
"Somehow Roy managed to get the cows about a half-mile up the river, but when they came to the place where the calves had jumped into the water, they bolted for the river bank as the smell of their calves was strong in the air. Then the cows spotted their calves across the river and dove into the flooding river to cross and be with them. Cattle are strong swimmers and can handle about any kind of a river, even when in a flood stage. But the ice cold water and strong undertows can sap their strength quite rapidly and they were crossing again for the second time in less than an hour. They managed alright, but the calves, unable to fully straighten out the chain of happening, jumped into the river again and began swimming out to meet their mothers. They were downstream from the cows already, and tired from just having swum the river, they drifted even further downstream and missed the cows by several hundred yard. They finally climbed out on the west bank of the river at about the same time the mother cows climbed out on the east bank. Roy's heart sank when he realized what a hopeless and pitiful situation he was witness to. After two trips across the river all the familiar scent that calves and cows identify each other by had been washed away and they wouldn't have known each other now if they were tied together in a box stall!
"Roy lowered his head and turned his weary horse back to the ranch. He knew there was nothing more he could do. Even with a handful of experienced cowboys, it would be next to impossible to keep all of the cattle out of the water. The die was cast, it was out of Roy's hands now. For the next twenty four hours the cows and calves swam back and forth, looking for each other until all of them had perished in the river. What a tragic end result for an afternoon of carelessness and apathetic decisions by men who most certainly knew better."
Many thanks for stone photo, Shirley, who first listed and graciously transferred memorial.
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Double stone: WILLDEN, Son Roy Z & Mother Nellie L.
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