etc., but came out uninjured. He used a pack horse to carry his bedding and provisions and sometimes he would pack the old horse so heavily that he would sit down and had to be helped up. Once when he had gone about two miles from home the pack turned under the old horse and he ran away, kicked the pack to pieces and scattered biscuits for a mile. Later he made a big "KYAX" as he called it, somewhat on the order of the old saddle bags, but very commodious, then he bought a real pack-saddle and had no more mishaps with his kitchen outfit.

In 1868, two cattlemen hired him to help round up a herd of cattle near the Perdinales River. He worked a month at two dollars a day and when the work was done, neither man would pay him. Mr. Cruze also made two trips to Kansas over the Chisholm Trail and of all the men he associated with on these trips and cow hunts, my half brother, Albert Heaton, of Del Rio, is the only man now living that we know of. On his last trip to Kansas his main helper was Adam Rector, a negro boy, who could ride and rope with the best. One morning he and Adam were leading the herd when suddenly he saw the negro wheel and come tearing by him shouting, "Indians! Indians!" and in spite of his yells, Adam kept going to the rear of the herd. He knew that it was poor time to run so he stood his ground. Soon the Indians came up to him looking very savage, and one of them made a grab for his quirt. Instantly he grabbed the Indian's, the strings slipped off each wrist and they had traded quirts. Then they began a guttural demand for beef. He motioned to the rear of the herd and they went on until they found the boss, who gave them a yearling.

Mr. Cruze drove his own cattle and made wages besides which was more money than we ever had before and wisely did not waste any of it. He bought two "Kansas" wagons, as they were called, complete with sheets, bows, etc., a Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine,

a set of moss agate jewelry, a side saddle, bridle, blanket, riding skirt and a fine pacing pony, which would go only as far as he liked, then turn around and go home in spite of me. He bought and established the "Cruze Ranch" where we lived for fifty years. In 1917 we sold it to our son, Joe S. Cruze, Jr., who has made it his home.

Our eldest son, Albert, lives in Houston, Will in Travis county and John in California, while two daughters, Margaret and Mrs. Addie Harlan and her son, Forrest live with us. Our youngest daughter, Mrs. Nell Curry, lives in Floresville. We have eight grandchildren, including twin baby girls, slightly more than a month old. We are well satisfied in our new home, Los Angeles Heights, San Antonio, and we are never so happy as when our children or some old friend comes to see us, for as ever the latch string hangs on the outside.

A COWBOY UNDERTAKER

W. K. Shipman, San Antonio, Texas

I was born in Caldwell county in 1864. My father was one of the first settlers of that county. In 1882, with my younger brother, Joe Shipman, I began work for John Davidson, who then ranched on the Jim Ned, near Coleman City. About May 1st of that year we received 1,400 yearlings at Brady, and started them up the trail. On the way two of our hands, one called "Short" from Oak Grove, and the other we called "Stumpy," got into a fight and "Stumpy" was badly

W. K. SHIPMAN

wounded. We hauled him to Fort Griffin and left him

there. I do not know if he ever recovered. We went

up the Western Trail, by way of Vernon on Pease River, Doan's Store on Red River. We got along with the Indians pretty well by giving them a yearling now and then. As we neared Dodge City Mr. Davidson came out to meet us, and told us we would have to hold them for a few days. Later we moved on to Ogallala, Nebraska, where the cattle were sold. I started on the trip as a hand, but got to be boss before we reached Dodge City, and drew $100 per month for wages.

In the fall of the same year we took another herd up into the Indian Territory and delivered them to a ranch just south of Camp Supply. Brother Joe and I came back home to Coryell county and got a job building rock fences. I went to all of the dances and neck lickings in the country while I tarried there, but in the spring I went west again and took another trip up the trail for John Davidson. Sold out at Dodge City, Kansas. In July, 1883, my brother, Joe, was killed by a horse falling on him. In the spring of 1884 Mr. Davidson employed me to take charge of his ranch near Fort Stockton. Everything was dry that year and many cattle died. Later I went to New Mexico and worked in the V-V ranch near Fort Stanton until 1887, when wages were cut and I drifted back to Texas, going up to McKinney, in Collin county, where I took a position in a marble yard, and kept it until July, 1889, then went to Brownwood and opened a marble yard of my own, which I managed until 1900, when I sold out and went to San Angelo and started another marble yard, later putting in a branch business at Sweetwater. I was successful in this line of work, and in course of time I added undertaking as a side line to my business, taking up the study of embalming and in 1905 I went before the board of examiners, and successfully passed the examination and became a licensed embalmer. In 1910 I moved to Del Rio and bought an undertaking business,

added real estate business as a side line, and remained there until 1919, when I sold out and moved to San Antonio and purchased 500 acres of land on the Blanco road, ten miles north of the city, where I am now living.

CAPTURED THREE THOUSAND QUARTS

Captain W. L. Wright is one of the present efficient ranger captains stationed along the border. The illustration herewith shows a pack train loaded with tequila which Captain Wright and his men captured on the Jim Gibson ranch, fifteen miles northwest of Realitos, Duval county, November 22, 1921. Captain Wright says:

Top Row-PACK ANIMALS AND 3,000 QUARTS OF TEQUILA Bottom Row-CAPT. W. L. WRIGHT'S RANGERS

"We captured thirty-seven head of horses and mules with 3,000 quarts of tequila, and had a fight with the Mexicans, wounding several, and some got away. We had trailed them seventy-five miles, and overtook them about two miles from Jim Gibson's ranch house. Old man Jim took this picture himself. When the rucas started Jim was out hunting and was about 150 yards from us sitting down, and when the shooting began he went in high, and

when we reached the ranch he had his remuda in the pen and was catching a horse to come to us. There were sixteen smugglers, while I had eight men in my command."

WOULD LIKE TO GO AGAIN

Webster Witter, Beeville, Texas

In 1884 I went on the trail for M. A. Withers of Lockhart. We left the Teague ranch in LaSalle county about the first of April with 4,300 aged steers for Ogallala, Nebraska. Gus Withers, a real man, was our trail boss. That spring was a wet one, and besides having to swim swollen streams and contend with stampedes and thunder storms, we experienced a siege of Spanish itch and pink-eye. In the quicksands of the North Canadian River we lost two horses, and the Indians were very troublesome. I remember when we went out the Nueces

WEBSTER WITTER

Canyon we crossed the Nueces River twenty-eight times in forty miles, and our cattle became tender-footed from rocks and crossing water so much. But despite the hardships and trouble on the trail I would like to go again. I believe S. B. Brite of Taylorsville, M. A. Withers of Lockhart and myself are the only ones left who made this drive. I am now fifty-three years old, and as strong as any man in the state for my age. I have traveled in every state in the Union with a Wild West show as an expert roper.

I am always pleased to meet up with the old boys of those good old days, to