The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-07-19
WOOL DAY IN A TEXAS TOWN
BURNET SEES "A REVIVAL IN
AN OLD CUSTOM,

Same Time With More Than Hftv r.
Of Wool-supply Of Free Drinks soos
Exhausted-Pian Due 70 Chief Buy,,
BuRNEr. Tex, July i5.-An tmporta,,
and picturesque commercial event tool
place In Burnett the other day. 10 marked
the reestablishment Of an annual wool
sales day. 1t had been twenty years sines
Burnet lost her supremacy as the chlsi
wool market for the 1000 square miles OF
Llano country, On tho occasion Of the
recent wool sales day an sven hundred
wagonloads Of wool. ~aggregating llo. ooo
pounds. were driven into town and TN,
loaded at the railroad station. The wool
was all shipped to Boston. Mass.
The revival Of the old custom Of wagon.
ing the wool to Burnet and making q kind
Of woolfest out Of the occasion was a thought,
Of Dug Rainier. q New Jersey man, who
Is one Of the largest wool growers and
buyers in this part Of Texas. Mr.. Rainier
IL popular with the ranohmen and known,
all of them personally. When he visited
them at the opening Of the present wool
season and made known his plan OF having
all the wool which he had bought conoen-
trated at Burnet on q particular day they
readily agreed. To some Of these ranch
men Il meant that they would have to haul
their wool overland for 75 to 100 miles. Tho
building OF a railroad to Llano many year,
ago had done away with the old time custom
Of long wagon hauls and had created new
shipping points for their products. u
was this railroad which caused the down
fall Of Burnet as q wool market. 4
The wool growers throughout the Lame
" AZ. D-s---t -I----
was decided to make the day gala occasion.
The business men and citizens Of the town
welcomed the commercial awakening. For
DAYS before tho time arrived for the big
event the retired ranohmen and old frontiers
men living in Burnet sat around and dis
cussed the subject In all OF it's possible
phases. They related "reminiscences of The
carly days whom the sheep industry in west.
arm Texas was In the height Of its prosperity.
In those days the wool wagons were hauled
NV oxen. It sometimes took a week or
more to make a trip Of 100 miles TO Burns,
and back home. There was life and plenty
Of amusement in the town during the wod
season, The product brought high priceA
and money was spent freely. 81
The saloons we're wiped out Of Burned
and the whole county several years ago.
but It was decided that in order to give.
the wool sales day a tinge of the Old
times an ample supply o. red top
should be provided for the ranchmen and
wagon drivers who came In with the wool
The rounder Of the early days is not able
to distinguish any resemblance betweed
the tarantula Juice whiskey with which
he was wont to dose his system upon visit
TO Burnet in those days and the "red top
drink which Is now served In the prohlbition
towns OF western Texas In lieu Of beer. II
Is asserted by some prohibitionists thaf
red top will produce intexicatioh Il
enough Of it Is drunk. At any rate red
top was the next best thing to beer
and whiskey that the committee on arrange.
ments for the wool sales day could think d.
In laying In tho supply. however, the thifst
Of the wagon drivers was not taken into
consideration. 1t was arranged that the
visitors should help themselves to the liquid
r~efreshment, and the red top was exposed
al a ~conveniept place In town. eHr~
The. people OF Burnett were asttrs carry on,
the morning that the wool was 70 bebrouskk
shortly after sunup. An hour or 90 hhR
they were streaming into the town fron4
all directions. Upon each wagonswero from
two to five bags Of wool Each wagon waii
hauled by big spans OF mules or spanking
Most Of the wagons were comparatively
new, and everything about the outfits 10
hected the prosperity OF their respective
owners. II was a great lark for the sheep
fanchmen. Men OF wealth who had net
ridden Of a farm wagon for years sat upoa
Of wool through the streets. and up to the
unloading place. Broad grins overspresdi
their happy o-ountenances. From as far
west as Junction, 100 miles, and from Fred.
ericksburg. seventy-five miles to tho
southwest. Q g wagons mao come
But it was the early arrivals who got to
red top, The bountiful supply OF thet
Misunderstanding beverage was kept on ieo,4
the wool men were hot from their ride
through the beating sun. The first wagon
the populace. who were gathered upon ts
street, Why not invite the driver to take
a drink of red tops7 1t was in the cod
Of the early morning then and it was MOTTO
be supposed that the man would be very
Thirsty.
Get down and come in and have a drink
said one Of the members Of the local recepa
ton committee to the driver.
Il thought this town was prohibition
said the driver as he olambered down from
the wegon seat: -You amt got any beer,
Come in and see,' said the hospitals
committeeman.
The driver entered the Refreshments
room. A big ice chest filled with bottles,
of red top was opened n he was invited
to drink all he wanted He felt Of one ct
the bottles. It was cold. Down at Blowout.
in Blanco county, the nearest saloon to-
the ranch, the beer was always hot. He
drank three bottles Of the red top
"The STUFF looks like beer and tastes like
beer. and II Il really is beer I'll know IL In
few minutes, ] reckon he said as hs
mounted his wagon and drove on down
to the railroad station. When he got his
wagon unloaded he came back to the res
freshment stand and drank two more bot,
ties Of red top
IF I'd a. done this much drinkin' down
to Blowout I'd be as full as q. billed owl
ha complained to one Of the wool men Q
short time after he had enptied the fifth
bottle OF the beverage. 10
The newe spread from wagon to wagon
as fast "a they arrived that red top was
being given away. The bottles were emp
tied with q rapidity that was appalling to
the members Of the reception COMMITTEES.
The thirst Of the wagon drivers and sheep
men seemed TO be unquenchable. BY thy
middle Of the forenoon and long before al
Of the wagons had arrived the liquid supply
was exhausted. 80
But Notwithstanding the shortage OF red
top wool sales day was q big success,
It took good part Of the day to UNLOAD
the 100 wagons. The teams were fed and
the men from The rnnohaa mt in the leisure