Dan J. Wilson, 80, living at 1508 Lincoln Ave., Fort Worth, Tex., was born on a farm in Wayne co., Ky., Jan. 21, 1858. His father, George Wilson, was farming in Ky. at the commencement of the Civil War. He joined the Confederate Army and served during the entire period of the war. Due to Union sentiment in Wilson's neighborhood, confederate animosity existed against Wilson's Confederate sympathy. Because of this feeling, Mrs. George Wilson placed the family's effects into a covered wagon and moved to Tenn., in 1864. She hired a man to drive the team and assist in meeting the hardships encountered on the way. At the close of the war, George Wilson returned to his family in Tenn. He purchased a tract of land in Feuchess co. and engaged in farming for a livelihood. Dan J., Wilson came to Texas, with his wife and one child, in 1880, and located in Clay co. He secured work on the farm operated by Tom Horn, who was then developing one of the few farms in the county. Dan took part in a fence war and was on the side of the small ranchers and settlers. After terminating his employment with Tom Horn, he worked on the Wright ranch, located in Clay co. He later negotiated for a tract of land and engaged in farming for his livelihood. His story:
"My father, George Wilson, was a farmer and farmed a tract of land located in Wayne co., Ky., and there is where I was born, Jan. 21, 1858.
"Father joined the Confederate Army when the Civil War started. Because the sentiment in the particular section where we lived ran strongly in favor of the Union cause, my folks were subjected to some ridicule. The situation caused mother to become very dissatisfied with that section of Ky. as a home. Therefore, she decided to move and chose Tenn. as the place to live.
"Mother sold everything we owned, except our personal effects, which she loaded into a covered wagon, with a good team of mules hitched to the wagon, we started for Tenn. Mother hired a man to go with us and help make the trip.
"What was called a road in those days was anything with wheel tracks. Just a few streams contained a bridge over which to cross on. Fording streams was the method of crossing at most of the streams. When a heavy rain had taken place, we were compelled to wait till the water receded, and at times several days of waiting was necessary. A few of the larger stream's crossings had ferries operating to transport travelers from bank to bank. We traveled over hills, through river bottoms over rocks and in ruts.
"It was a slow, tedious trip but we finally arrived in Fenchess co., Tenn., and there located. When the war ended, father came to us. He negotiated for a tract of land, which he farmed.
"I remained with my folks until I was 27 years old. During this period of my life I assisted father in operating the farm. I married at the age of 21 and at the time I was 27 my family consisted of a wife and child. I then decided to cast my lot with the State of Texas.
"Accordingly, I moved to Texas in 1885, locating in Clay co. I secured work on a farm being developed by Tom Horn. About this time, farms began to appear in Clay county, scattered far between. Tom Horn, a Kentuckian, came to Clay county and bought 600 acres of land, which he fenced with wire.
"My wages were $1.00 per day. In addition to this wage, he furnished me a shack to house my family, also fuel for cooking and heating. With the $1.00 per day received I provided food and cloths for my wife and one child.
"At the time I began working for Horn, he had 50 acres of land under cultivation, planted in corn and cotton. When we were not busy with the crops, we cleared and broke land.
"We used a six ox team hitched to a breaking plow turning the sod. The plow was a long beam implement with a coulter fastened to the beam and the plow point. The purpose of the coulter was to cut the turf and roots. At times, the six oxen were compelled to lay all their strength into the yoke to pull the plow. The man who hold the plow, which was my job, was under a constant strain and would be tossed right and left. Not only would one be compelled to use all his arm and shoulder strength, but would have to be constantly bracing himself with one or two other of his legs. This was one of the hard jobs done by two oldtimers, who prepared the soil of Texas for cultivation.
"Most of the land in Clay county, at that time, was a cattle range. However, in the Henrietta section, most of the ranges were enclosed with wire fence. The open range of that day existed farther west.
"In the vicinity of Horn's farm were several ranches. The Derrick ranch was north of us. Bill Knuckle's and the Wright's ranches were also in the adjacent territory. Each of these ranches consisted of several sections of land enclosed ny fence.
"After working two years for Horn, I accepted a job on the Wright ranch.
'Before I talk about my life while on the range, I shall relate an experience I had and took some part in. It was the fight against enclosing the whole section within a fence.
"The Red River cattle Co. leased many sections of land in Clay county and some in the east part of Archer county, [together?] with some in the west part of county. This cattle company intended to fence in their land. But by so doing, a number of small ranchers and settlers would be enclosed. In other words, the Red River Cattle Co. would become master over all the territory. Posts were set, extending from the east part of Archer county to the west part of Montague county, running in two lines, east and west. One across the north part of Clay county and the other across the south part. This was done in 1885.
"The wire was laid on the ground along the line of the posts and, in a few places, it was fastened to the posts.
"The small ranchers and settlers discussed their situation. It was obvious to them that all the small fellows would be pushed out of the territory. They decided to take the necessary steps to prevent the cattle company from hoging all the country. Putting their ideas into action, a volunteer committee was formed and was composed of about 100 men. This committee was armed with sharp axes and they attacked the posts and wire during the dark hours. All posts and wire were cut. The posts were cut off at the ground and the wire hacked into a worthless pile of junk. It required several nights to complete the job, but it was a thorough piece of work when the committee quit.
"The work proved to be successful, because the Red River Cattle Co. did not attempt to rebuild the fence thereafter.
"I was not much of a rawhide when I began working on the Wright ranch. I could ride a hoss, but did not know how to wrangle one. I could halfway throw the lasso, but would miss more critters than I tried to catch. While working for Horn, I learned to handle the rope a little while attending to Horn's tame stock.
"The crew of waddies who worked for Wright were mighty decent and did all they could teaching me how to master a bucking bronco and handle the [lasso?].
"Handling the lasso is a matter of timing. The general idea prevailing is that the lasso is thrown on the critter. But, the fact is, the loop is thrown in the way of the critter, except when a critter is standing still, and the animal travels into the loop. For instance, if one desires to catch a moving critter by the leg with a lasso, the loop is thrown so it arrives at the proper spot at the correct second for the animal to step into the loop.
| Jack County Life | Daniel Boone Sinclair | W. L. Newman |
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