dependent venture in the business was when he was fifteen years of age. His mother gave him twenty-five calves and it was at this time that he started the brand L. A. D.; which has ever since been the brand he has used.

On the 8th of October, 1879, in Palo Pinto county, Mr. Dalton was married to Miss Millie Slaughter, the fifth daughter of Rev. Geo. W. Slaughter, a historical character of Western Texas. She was educated at Emporia, Kansas, and at Staunton, Virginia, and is a lady of superior culture and refinement. Her father, Rev. Slaughter, was trusted lieutenant of Houston during the early days of Texas and afterwards a Missionary Baptist minister for more than half a century and a devoted exponent of the Gospel. He was also a physician and practiced medicine, thus carrying healing to the body as well as to the souls of men.

At the time of his marriage, Mr. Dalton started with his bride for Western Texas, where at the foot of the great plains on the Salt Fork of the Brazos he established himself in the cattle business. He took over 800 head of his own cattle in addition to several thousand belonging to his mother and brothers, all of which he herded on a free ranch, such as was common in those days. He lived there for five years. In 1884 he sold his cattle on the ranch for fifty-one thousand dollars and returned to Palo Pinto county, where he purchased the Kyle ranch. Later he sold this place and for some time engaged in the business of buying and selling cattle. His next transaction of note was the purchase of his present ranch six miles north of the town, for which he paid eleven thousand dollars, but which has gradually increased in value through the addition of other tracts of land and the improvements he has placed upon it. His ranch now comprises over nine thousand acres all in one body. This is a beautiful ranch located in the rich Brazos Valley and is stocked with immense herds of fine cattle. In 1909 Mr. Dalton removed from his residence on the

ranch to Mineral Wells, where he has since made his home.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Dalton have been born eleven children, namely, Otto D., George Webb, Marcus, Lafayette, Millie Robert, Sarah Jane, Georgia Lee, William Carroll Slaughter, Columbus Charles (deceased), John Bell, Vivian Ruth, and Mary Allie Leta. Mr. Dalton is a member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity, prominent in the organization, and enjoys the unqualified esteem of his brethren of the fraternity and of the general public as well. His life history, especially concerning his boyhood days, if written in detail, would furnish a most thrilling story. He has lived to see great changes while in Western Texas as the comforts and conveniences of a civilization have been introduced, while the business methods of a settled district have given place to those of pioneer times. In all his business transactions he has displayed marked ability, strong purposes and unfaltering diligence and his investments have been carefully made so that he has gathered therefrom a rich financial return.

In the past year oil has been discovered on Mr. Dalton's Palo Pinto county ranch and he has today from his lease royalties an income of $800 per day.

The old ranch is not what it used to be before these wells were discovered, so far as his cattle interests are concerned. He will not be permitted to raise any more herds of cattle on this ranch as it is now a great oil field.

INDIANS GOT THEIR HORSES

W. H. Crain, Pipe Creek, Texas

I was born in Leon county, Texas, November 25, 1849, in a log house which my father and neighbors built. In those days when a new family moved into a community

everybody attended the "log rolling" and helped to put up a comfortable log cabin for the newcomers to live in. Our farm was just in the edge of the timber and the Leon prairie spread out in front of our cabin and we had a fine view for miles. There were no fences then, everything ran loose. People depended on bells and hobbles to keep their work animals near home. My father sold this place and bought land in Burleson county, and we lived there until some time in 1864, when we moved out to McCulloch county, on the Colorado River. Our nearest postoffice was Camp San Saba, about twenty-five miles distant. My father's brother-in-law, Judge John Beasley, had moved out there from Missouri, and father decided to make his home there too, but after a time the Indians became so troublesome he concluded to move again, and we went to Kendall county in 1865. Marion Hodges, well known in Bandera county for many years, came along with us. His wife, Nancy A. Hodges, was my father's niece. We rented a log house from Charlie Sughart on the east side of the Cibolo, and the next year we raised a fine crop of corn right in the heart of the present town of Boerne. We often went out and caught wild cattle and made good steers of them after they became gentle.

In 1869 I went back to McCulloch county with Jim Dophlemier and Billie Beasley to help Newt Beasley gather a herd of cattle to drive to Kansas. I had to ride a mule. Her name was not Maud, but she proved herself to be Maud's equal. When we reached Newt Beasley's we found George Chamberlain, Tom Keese, Jim Parker, Dick Hudson, Charlie Ellington, Jeff Singleton helping to gather the cattle. Jeff Singleton, Newt Beasley and myself went out to gather some cattle one day and rode up on three Indians. One of them had a very pretty striped blanket and before Newt could prevent him, Jeff made a dash for the Indian, saying that he was going to have that blanket. He ran right up to the Indian,

with his pistol in his hand, but when he saw two of them armed, with guns he turned his horse quickly and started back toward us. The Indian with the blanket shot him in the back with an arrow. The other Indians then began shooting at Jeff, and Newt went to his assistance, having only an old cap and ball pistol with three loads in it. The Indians beat a retreat and got away. I was only a boy in my teens, and riding that mule I thought my time had come, but I kept up with the other boys. We

took Jeff to Mrs. Lindley's house and with a pair of dentist's forceps pulled the arrow out of his back.

Newt Beasley and a man named Gotcher had just bought twenty fresh cow ponies in Coryell county, and had them out grazing. When we went out to bring them in to camp about fifteen Indians dashed in between the boys and the herd of horses, and they had to run for hiding as they had no arms to fight the redskins with. The Indians got every horse they had for the drive, and left Beasley and Gotcher with a thousand cattle rounded up and only about twelve head of tired, worn-out horses to

take the trail with. They had to go on to Kansas with what we had.

When I got back to Boerne in Kendall county, William and Henry Deaters were preparing to go down to Powder Horn after a steam engine for their mill, and I

THE CHUCK WAGON CAME LATER

went with them. It took us twenty-one days to make the trip.

I have a small ranch at Pipe Creek, in Bandera county, where I am raising a few cows, horses and goats. If any of the old trail drivers ever get lost up on the Bandera road I want them to hunt me up.

GEORGE WEBB SLAUGHTER

George Webb Slaughter was a native of Lawrence county, Mississippi, his birth occurring May 10, 1811, William Slaughter, his father, was a Virginian, born in 1781, his death occurring in Sabine county, Texas in 1851. The elder Mr. Slaughter was a farmer and had seen service in the war of 1812, fighting with Jackson at New Orleans. He married Miss Nancy Moore, of South Carolina, and was the father of eight children, four of them boys. In 1821 the family moved to Copiah county,