Introduction: I wrote this as Lead Cowboy and Interpreter of Cowboy and Ranching History of the Georges’ Ranch Historical Park in 1999. I used it as an introduction to the personal history written by Madeleine Jodarski Muegge recalling being born and growing up on the Georges’ Ranch, and a subsequently published article entitled, Life on the Georges’ Ranch.
The old hammering noise was pretty common on Market Street so Clyde Nakins read his newspaper in perfect bliss. Directly behind his dark oak chair on the curb chattered the craftsman in the old Visalia Saddle Company shop. Busy bees with their heads down and nimble fingers sewing with determined scowls of concentration etched deep in their brow. Escapism was better than reality for most this day as the 1930s were staggering to support life as we know it.
White puffs of smoke curled under the brim of Mr. Nakins’ new brown Stetson hat and then lightly ran away – stolen by the warm San Francisco breeze. He, of course, privileged himself with a fine hand-rolled cigar as this day was no ordinary day, no, it was Mr. Nakins’ birthday! The new Stetson cost his wife of thirty years eleven dollars, so he wore it cocked slightly to the left eyebrow to keep style with the day. It was a beautiful morning, and he awoke this date to welcome his birthday and ignore the struggle for the solvency of the tiny saddle shop that flanked his repose. He thought that a sip of whiskey might be appropriate, so he indulged sporadically by use of his initialed pocket flask. Yes sir, April 20, 1934, was a great day for Clyde Nakins.
The San Francisco newspaper was merely a prop for relaxation today as Mrs. Nakins had tickets to see a real singing cowboy movie this evening, so all the threats of impending war and uncertainty about the depths of the Great Depression were just skimmed and not digested. On the contrary, there was good news too. Social Security had been enacted and the FDIC was getting legs. The National Weather Service was spitting predictions, of which Mrs. Nakins' mother had her suspicions, but others saw it as a new way to maybe save lives. Mr. Nakins chuckled smugly as his eyes glanced over an ad for television. Everyone knew that was going nowhere, hell people didn’t have time for such folly! There was work to be done, even though big companies had to enact the forty-hour workweek now.
His mind was on the evening with his lovely wife. They would be entertained by the first singing cowboy. A young feller by the name of Gene Autry. Mr. Nakins didn’t know where he came from, or where they got the nonsensical idea to have a cowboy sing instead of work, but it was his birthday, and who knows, maybe it might catch on!
April 20, 1934, also witnessed the curl of smoke under the brim of another Stetson hat, far away. For, unaware to Mr. Nakins there was a man concerned with work this day. He stood perched on the board catwalk of the cattle holding pens at Crabb, Texas, lining up the shipment of 1,000 head of Texas cattle. Decked out in a gray pinstriped, vested suit, and custom made cowboy boots, he also topped his head with a silver belly Stetson hat. He was not a man of patience when it came to business or cattle, and he was certainly not a singing cowboy – he was a cowman. The contract that he had with Mr. W.R. Wells of Fort Worth, Texas was trying his patience.
He was meticulous and well-educated. A school teacher, banker, oilman, and now cowman, and he was used to having his way. His instructions had been quite clear, in that Dr. Weeks was not shipping his one hundred head as planned. The Robinowitz and Moore cattle of 250 head were to be loaded at Dyer, Texas after the stop at Crabb. He had predicted that they could load 30 head per car, but as he stated, “ a few more won’t hurt”. He instructed Mr. Wells to have the engine and crew at Crabb at 8:00 am, and they would be loaded out at 1:00 pm after the cattle were meticulously run through the dipping vat and counted.
Toe-tapping his cowboy boot on the weathered boards, he drew on his half-spent stogie. Statue still, left hand deep in his pants pocket, he grunted, “ Hmm”! That was a full paragraph for this cowman.
Finally, the engine arrived with C.E. Barrett at the window. Though they were only twenty minutes late, the cowman’s light blue eyes cut straight to Mr. Barrett’s soul, and his rigid posture never stirred. Mr. Barrett issued an apology, but it was returned with the classic grunt, which in this case, screamed of disapproval! Mr. Barrett turned to Mr. Gonyo, proprietor of the Gonyo Store across the street, and blurted, “ Who does he think he is, Andy by God Jackson”? Mr. Gonyo stared back at him and announced, “ Nope – that’s A.P. George”! C.E. Barrett ducked back into the cab and tightened his grips. He knew that when this cowman pointed ahead, this train had better leave on time!
Cloaked in innocence and unaware that tension existed in Crabb that day, the children of the T.O. Ranch and the George Ranch sat straight and proud at their desks in the George School House. All was quiet on The Line, not four miles from the Crabb holding pens as the children learned the Three Rs. This included the beautiful twin girls who were born on the Georges’ Ranch. Madeleine Jodarski was talking to her twin sister and her brother, Albert George Jodarski, while others played during recess.
On April 24, 1034, Farmer in the Dell was being played at the George School, simultaneously timed to the toe-tapping of the strict cowman, A.P. George, and the reposive melancholy of Clyde Nakins. Later in the evening of the same day, Madeleine Jodarksi read books with her family on the floor of their small farm home on the Georges’ Ranch. Clyde Nakins watched Gene Autry sing on the silver screen in San Francisco, while A.P. George had an Old Crow with Gene Autry at the Capitol Bar in Houston, Texas.
Funny things – the threads of history that tie the loops of the people and the times together. Intimate paths that cross, but unaware, until many years later when all have passed on that lived that day, and none can call it back. Only history remains.
References:
Copyright, Jim Hodges and www.cowboyspeaks.com, all rights reserved, July, 2020.
Albert Peyton George c. 1945
The old hammering noise was pretty common on Market Street so Clyde Nakins read his newspaper in perfect bliss. Directly behind his dark oak chair on the curb chattered the craftsman in the old Visalia Saddle Company shop. Busy bees with their heads down and nimble fingers sewing with determined scowls of concentration etched deep in their brow. Escapism was better than reality for most this day as the 1930s were staggering to support life as we know it.
White puffs of smoke curled under the brim of Mr. Nakins’ new brown Stetson hat and then lightly ran away – stolen by the warm San Francisco breeze. He, of course, privileged himself with a fine hand-rolled cigar as this day was no ordinary day, no, it was Mr. Nakins’ birthday! The new Stetson cost his wife of thirty years eleven dollars, so he wore it cocked slightly to the left eyebrow to keep style with the day. It was a beautiful morning, and he awoke this date to welcome his birthday and ignore the struggle for the solvency of the tiny saddle shop that flanked his repose. He thought that a sip of whiskey might be appropriate, so he indulged sporadically by use of his initialed pocket flask. Yes sir, April 20, 1934, was a great day for Clyde Nakins.
The San Francisco newspaper was merely a prop for relaxation today as Mrs. Nakins had tickets to see a real singing cowboy movie this evening, so all the threats of impending war and uncertainty about the depths of the Great Depression were just skimmed and not digested. On the contrary, there was good news too. Social Security had been enacted and the FDIC was getting legs. The National Weather Service was spitting predictions, of which Mrs. Nakins' mother had her suspicions, but others saw it as a new way to maybe save lives. Mr. Nakins chuckled smugly as his eyes glanced over an ad for television. Everyone knew that was going nowhere, hell people didn’t have time for such folly! There was work to be done, even though big companies had to enact the forty-hour workweek now.
His mind was on the evening with his lovely wife. They would be entertained by the first singing cowboy. A young feller by the name of Gene Autry. Mr. Nakins didn’t know where he came from, or where they got the nonsensical idea to have a cowboy sing instead of work, but it was his birthday, and who knows, maybe it might catch on!
April 20, 1934, also witnessed the curl of smoke under the brim of another Stetson hat, far away. For, unaware to Mr. Nakins there was a man concerned with work this day. He stood perched on the board catwalk of the cattle holding pens at Crabb, Texas, lining up the shipment of 1,000 head of Texas cattle. Decked out in a gray pinstriped, vested suit, and custom made cowboy boots, he also topped his head with a silver belly Stetson hat. He was not a man of patience when it came to business or cattle, and he was certainly not a singing cowboy – he was a cowman. The contract that he had with Mr. W.R. Wells of Fort Worth, Texas was trying his patience.
He was meticulous and well-educated. A school teacher, banker, oilman, and now cowman, and he was used to having his way. His instructions had been quite clear, in that Dr. Weeks was not shipping his one hundred head as planned. The Robinowitz and Moore cattle of 250 head were to be loaded at Dyer, Texas after the stop at Crabb. He had predicted that they could load 30 head per car, but as he stated, “ a few more won’t hurt”. He instructed Mr. Wells to have the engine and crew at Crabb at 8:00 am, and they would be loaded out at 1:00 pm after the cattle were meticulously run through the dipping vat and counted.
Toe-tapping his cowboy boot on the weathered boards, he drew on his half-spent stogie. Statue still, left hand deep in his pants pocket, he grunted, “ Hmm”! That was a full paragraph for this cowman.
Finally, the engine arrived with C.E. Barrett at the window. Though they were only twenty minutes late, the cowman’s light blue eyes cut straight to Mr. Barrett’s soul, and his rigid posture never stirred. Mr. Barrett issued an apology, but it was returned with the classic grunt, which in this case, screamed of disapproval! Mr. Barrett turned to Mr. Gonyo, proprietor of the Gonyo Store across the street, and blurted, “ Who does he think he is, Andy by God Jackson”? Mr. Gonyo stared back at him and announced, “ Nope – that’s A.P. George”! C.E. Barrett ducked back into the cab and tightened his grips. He knew that when this cowman pointed ahead, this train had better leave on time!
Cloaked in innocence and unaware that tension existed in Crabb that day, the children of the T.O. Ranch and the George Ranch sat straight and proud at their desks in the George School House. All was quiet on The Line, not four miles from the Crabb holding pens as the children learned the Three Rs. This included the beautiful twin girls who were born on the Georges’ Ranch. Madeleine Jodarski was talking to her twin sister and her brother, Albert George Jodarski, while others played during recess.
On April 24, 1034, Farmer in the Dell was being played at the George School, simultaneously timed to the toe-tapping of the strict cowman, A.P. George, and the reposive melancholy of Clyde Nakins. Later in the evening of the same day, Madeleine Jodarksi read books with her family on the floor of their small farm home on the Georges’ Ranch. Clyde Nakins watched Gene Autry sing on the silver screen in San Francisco, while A.P. George had an Old Crow with Gene Autry at the Capitol Bar in Houston, Texas.
Funny things – the threads of history that tie the loops of the people and the times together. Intimate paths that cross, but unaware, until many years later when all have passed on that lived that day, and none can call it back. Only history remains.
References:
- Personal interviews with Madeleine Jodarski Muegge and her husband, Louis Muegge. Johnny Hudgins, George Ranch cowboy, 1920-1972. Tony Roane, Brazos River bottom cowboy and worked for A.P. George. Jack Sherman, 2nd House Boy. Shellie, and Lonnie Stewart, George Ranch cowboys. Eddie Neal, George Ranch cowboy. Marion Murray, original House Boy for the George Ranch House, 1900- 1955. Jean Kiger Ebeling, long time family friend who showed cattle from the Georges’ Ranch with Show Cattle Manager, Clark Berry. Local cowboys Ray Hogue, Blue Wheaton, James, and Willie Thomas, Dickey James, Hulan Hall. Hilmar Moore, Foreman of the George Ranch 1961-1972. J.M. Frost III, a close personal friend of A.P. George and owner of the Frost Ranch and Frost Bank.
- Historical publications: Local newspapers of the era from California, and Texas. The Coastal Cattleman Magazine. Gene Autry Museum and Library archives.
Copyright, Jim Hodges and www.cowboyspeaks.com, all rights reserved, July, 2020.
Albert Peyton George c. 1945
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