San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-16

treasurer. was elected sheriff, 8
position which I held for six years
and at the same time / was also hide
and animal inspector, under the old
law all stock had to be inspected be
fore they could be taken out of the
county. The first county commits
sioners were d. l.. Musgrave, L.
Wheeler, G. B. Kinney and there was
one other whose name / believe was
Hall-John Hall.
II was sheriff for six years, then
county surveyor for eight years. and
later was justice of peace nearly my
life. In all my life in McMullen
county I only served on the jury
twice, because of holding some office
which disqualified me.
Fortune Seekers From Abroad.
"The country in those days was
largely open range, and was a great
sheep country, as well as being a fine
cattle country. Stock-raising was
the only industry, and as there was
great deal of school land on the
market a large number of people
flocked in to 60 into the stock
business.
"Somef Of these men came from
England. 1 believe that w. p.
Quilliam was the first Englishman
to come and settle in McMullen cOun-
ty. After he had looked the country
over he went back to England and
brought other young men back with
him. Some of these Englishmen were
besides Mr.. Qulliam, j. A. Sling,
Frank Price, Ben Betser and Sam
Crowther. Mr.. Quilliam and Frank
Price are dead: Mr.. Betser moved
to New Jersey; Sam Crowther went
to San Angelo and Mr.. Sling still
lives at Tilden.
"In 1880 the first census of the
county was taken for the government
by a man named johnson from Seguin
and the population was about 100
or 1900. The defendants of these
early settlers have become very num-
erous, and some of them are now very
prominent in the part of Southwest
Texas bordered by Beeville on the
east, the Rio Grande on the west
Corpus Christi on the south, and San
Antonio on the north.
The Early Settlers.
"a few of the early settlers of Nc
Mullen county were: James Lowe
Green Afford, Rufus Holland, Greene
Holland, Calvin Winn, Jack Frank
lin. William Talbert, ]. NJ. Franklin
w, p. Crane, r. +. Franklin, II. r
Franklin, l.. A. Parchman, james
Martin, Cebe Martin, James Il
O'Neil, James 'Poney Jim Martin
Jr., L. Wheeler, Sam Bruce, William
Walker, and an old man known as
Governor Hill.
"The nearest railroad was at Aus
tin. and all lumber and supplies was
freighted from the coast until the
railroad was built into San Antonio
The people all over the country were
generous, hospitable and friendly.
They gladly assisted any one in need
or distress, and when they loaned any
one a sum of money they never asked
for or expected a note or security
Of any kind.
"Indians were very troublesome up
to about 1872. Every full moon they
would drift into the country and
steal all the horse stock they could
get away with. At the approach OF
a full moon the settlers would gather
up their horses and guard them, and
would also set guards on surrounding
hills to watch for the Indians.
Thieves and rustlers were more
troublesome than the Indians, though.
They were the worst enemy the set
tiers had, and when any were caught
it meant a hemp rope and a sway
ing limb of a tree for the rustler,
and as they realized this fully they
always put up a desperate fight if
discovered or cornered.
Stealing Stopped By Moose.
"Most of the stealing was for the
hides of cattle. Hides were bringing
a high price. and the rustlers would
kill the cattle for the hides and ship
the hides to Corpus Christi. The
rustlers would have a forked or
pronged knife mounted on long stick
and when they found bunch of cat
tie they would dash up behind an
animal and shove the forked knife
against the tendon of one of the rear
legs and hamstring the animal. In
that manner they could ride swiftly
from animal to animal and cripple
a large number in a short time.
When the cattle would become scat
tered out so that they could not
reach any more they would return
and skin the animals they had ham
strung.
"There was a Mexican squatter
living on the line of McMullen and
Duval counties, and it became known
to some of the stockmen that the
Mexican and his aids were killing
cattle for the hides. A bunch of
cattlemen got together and surround
ed the shacks on the place and found
over 800 hides with their brands on
them. Fifteen Mexicans captured in
the raid were hanged and it was re-
ported that there was one white man