HOWDY!!!


WELCOME TO DARNETTA'S ROOM


I just wanted to write down some things about the Old
West, in New Mexico and Arizona. My dad, Rollin Johnson
and my uncles, Ace Crenshaw, Ishmael Fairchild, Oliver Ward
and Rex McDonald, are some of the last of the original cowboys.





ROLLIN JOHNSON - ONE OF THE LAST OF THE ORIGINAL COWBOYS

Born in Silvernite, New Mexico, in 1909, a boom mining town. At the time Rollins father was a deputy sheriff. He was a peace officer for forty years.

When Rollin was about 7 years old, he went to a store in the Cloverdale Valley, with his uncle and cousin. This store was about 100 yards from the Mexico border. When they got there, Poncho Villa and his army were having a battle with another rebel army called the Cransista's. There were about 700 to 800 soldiers fighting.

Rollin and his cousin were told to stay down in the wagon while his uncle went in the store. Instead the boys got out and climbed up on the hitching rack to watch the battle, with bullets flying everywhere. Every time a Rebel Soldier was shot off of his horse, they would wave thier hats and yell, regardless of which side the soldier was on

In all of the excitement, they were whooping and yelling when Rollins uncle came out and caught them. Needless to say, they got their bottoms tanned, were put back in the wagon and taken home.

When Rollin was about 8 years old, they would go out and hide in the corn fields when they heard Poncho Villa and his army were going to pull a raid for food and horses.

One time when the men were out on a round up, word was sent saying Poncho Villa was going to raid. Families from around went to Rollins house. They were all sitting and standing around in the kitchen talking, when someone said, "Listen, I hear something." Everyone quit talking and Rollins brother, Clarence, leaned back in his chair to look out of the window. Not seeing anything, he sat his chair down and Rollin started screaming. Someone yelled "PONCHO VILLA", and the house cleared. Everyone ran to the cornfields, except Rollin, Clarence, and their mother.

Clarence was just sitting and looking at Rollin while he screamed. In a few minutes. they calmed Rollin down and he sobbed, "Clarence is on my toe".

About this time Rollin's father gave him a horse. He told Rollin he didn't want to ever see him running his horse. One day Rollin was riding across the desert thinking no one watching, so he slapped the reins to his horse and took off in a dead run. His Dad was behind a ways watching him. That evening Rollin had his horse taken away.

When Rolling bought his first pistol, he practiced all of the time so he was a good shot even at 10 years old.

One day Rollin and 4 or 6 other cowpunchers where riding along the border, with (a wire fence seperating two wagon roads) when they passed Poncho Villa and his army. They didn't speak, just rode by.

Once Rollin was riding along with his rope wound around his saddle horn. Somehow the other end got looped around his boot. His horse threw him and dragged him a good 150 yards, before he couLd work his boot off. At the age of 16, Rollin went to Del Rio, Texes and started singing at the radio station there. He sang with Jimmy Rogers,"The Blue Yodler", and Roy Rogers among others. They didtn't recieve a salary. The only money they got was when people would send for an autographed picture of them for $1.00. Rollin said he lasted one or two months. He didnt get enough dollars and almost starved to death.

Afterwards he went to work for the government as a ditch rider and his cattle punching days were over.


My dad was just ten years old when he went to work for the Diamond A Ranch. During
the winter, he stayed by himself at a line camp. This was just a bunch of corrals and a
few buildings. They kept the bulls and horses at these line camps. Every morning he
rode horseback seven miles to school.

When winter was over, and school was out, he was given some horses, (remuda) and he
joined the roundup.

Daddy told of driving as many as five thousand head of cattle on these roundups. He was
treated the same as a man, and worked as long and as hard as one. They would round
up the cattle, brand and vaccinate calves and drive them to the shipping lines.

He told of riding herd at night while others were sleeping and softly strumming on the
guitar and singing to the cattle to keep them quiet.

With his first pay, he bought a pistol. I can't imagine my son working at ten years of age,
let alone buying and owning a pistol.

Although it sounds romantic, it was a hard life the cowboys led. Up before dawn, they
rode and wrangled cattle and horses until the setting sun. Seven days a week, rain or
shine.




Here is a poem written by Rex McDonald,
about taking cattle into Mexico where there was plenty of water and feed.



DROUGHT OF 1923 - 1924 GUADALUPE CANYON
By Rex McDonald



NO GRASS FOR THE CATTLE ON THE RANGE
PRAY FOR RAIN, BUT THE WEATHER DON'T CHANGE
WATER GETTING LOW IN THE WELLS, NONE IN THE CREEK
ALL THE CATTLE POOR, THE SADDLE HORSES WEAK.
EIGHTEEN MONTHS OF DROUGHT
ROUND UP THE CATTLE TO DRIVE THEM SOUTH
LEASE A BIG RANCH IN MEXICO
THE DRIVE WAS TOUGH AND SLOW.

WE ATE COLD BISCUITS AND JERKY, THE MEALS WERE FEW
WE DRINK BLACK COFFEE THAT WOULD FLOAT A HORSESHOE
WORK HARD ALL DAY AND STAND GUARD AT NIGHT
START THE CATTLE ON THE TRAIL AS SOON AS IT WAS LIGHT.

THE LAST DAY OUT THE PACE WAS SLOW
ALL AT ONCE THERE WAS A WELCOME SIGHT BELOW
WITH A YELL WE KNEW THE END WAS NEAR
FOR THERE LAY THE CAJON BONITA, COOL AND CLEAR.

WE TURNED THE CATTLE LOOSE TO GO DOWN HILL
THEY WADED IN THE RIVER TO DRINK THEIR FILL
WE LAY DOWN UNDER THE HUGE COTTONWOOD TREES
UNSADDLE AND REST UP IN THE COOL DAMP BREEZE.

HERE WAS PLENTY OF FEED FOR HORSES AND CATTLE
FOR WE HAD WON THE LONG HARD BATTLE
THE COWBOYS NEVER HAD A COMPLAINING WORD
FOR THEY KNEW THE GOAL WAS TO MOVE THIS HERD
.
WE ALL WORKED HARD TO MAKE THIS DRIVE
FOR NOW ALL THE CATTLE WOULD SURVIVE
THEY WILL RETURN TO THE U.S. WE DON'T KNOW WHEN
FOR NOW REST AND FEED FOR HORSES, CATTLE AND MEN.



I would like to dedicate this in memory of my father,
Davis McDonald, who had driven horses and cattle
from Texas to Arizona in the 1800's. Without his
knowledge and experience this drive could not have
been made. Rex McDonald




From a story told by Rex McDonald
when he was 77 years of age
Douglas, Arizona, 1983
by Drum Hadley



A COLT 45 AND A CHILI QUEEN



I was camped at the Yerba Manza, when old Lee Howard rode into my camp one night.
He was headed into Mexico, told me he was goin' south to see his Chilii Queen. I was
seventeen years old and kind of afraid of him - but I had a Colt 45 he wanted. He said I
didn't need it and he probably would. He kept a stayin' there in my camp and a stayin'.

He had a grey mule and a little bit bigger mule. Finally to get rid of him, I let him trade
me the grey mule for the Colt 45. He decided to clean that gun by the campfire light, took it
apart and lay the screws onto his saddle blanket. All of a sudden he heard a sound behind him,
jumped up and his spur hung on the saddle blanket. Well the dust was three or four inches thick
around him. He may have found two or three screws but that was all.

I come a ridin' into camp the next day. There was old Lee whittlin' mesqiite pegs to put
in the screw holes. He told me, "When these old mesquite pegs get dry they'll be hard as iron."

We were roping saddle horses out of the corral. Him and my uncle got cross-ways.Lee
said, "I guess I'd better leave." My uncle said, "I guess you'd better." Lee gathered his camp outfit,
packed his mule, and rode away down the trail just a foggin' the dust. But that mule
didn't want to leave his pardner. He broke in two an scattered Lee's gear all over the country.

I was horseback and headed the mule, hemmed him against a cliff. Old Lee came ridin'
up a cussin' and a fumin', drew that Colt 45 out of its holster, aimed it at the mule.I sat there on
my horse watchin' what was going to happen.

"Hold it, hold it, Lee said, "I'm just gonna vaccinate that son-of-a-bitch once and for all."



"BOOM".


The mule just stood there and flicked his ears a little.


I looked at old Lee. He was standing with the handle of that Colt 45 in his hand and
pieces scattered all over the ground around him. I'd seen him try to shoot a man before cause
the man didn't like the bread old Lee was making. So I didn't laugh. I give him his mule back
and he rode off south toward the Corral de Palos to go to see his Chili Queen.






OTHER LINKS


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(GENEALOGY) McDonald Family
Carols Johnson Genealogy Records

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