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Index:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
front of their
homestead, 1910
began to cry softly. They embraced and cried for several minutes. Cornelius began to pray. "Dear Father, please save our
Nettie. Please don't let her die." He was silent a moment. "But not my will, but Thine!" he cried. They returned to the wagon
where Maggie sat near Nettie and stroked her face. She was crying. Maude and Buddy were obviously afraid and when their
parents climbed into the wagon with them, they grabbed at them and cried, too.
In a shaky voice, Cornelius told them all, "We must be brave. We must accept God's will. But we must pray now for our baby
Nettie; that she will live." He could not continue, but put on his hat and returned to the driver's seat of the wagon. He started
the oxen and the wagon pulled slowly along the road. Viola picked up Nettie and rocked her. Maggie wiped the baby's face
with a cool cloth while Maude and Buddy looked on in fear. Everyone was praying silently.
By evening, there seemed to be little hope for Nettie. Her little body seemed lifeless. No one built a fire or tried to eat. They just
sat, huddled around Viola, holding the baby. A horrible thought crossed Cornelius' mind. "Perhaps I should begin looking for a
place to bury Nettie." Such a grievous thought caused him to jump up from his place by Nettie and walk quickly away. "Oh
dear God! Don't let her die!" he prayed.
Everyone was so exhausted from their vigil that they went to bed almost after sundown. The children slept under the wagon
with Cornelius, and Viola stayed in the wagon with Nettie. Viola lay down on the bed of the wagon where the children usually
slept. She gently pulled Nettie on top of her body, and became Nettie's bed. "If she must die, she will die in my arms," Viola
thought. The moon rose full in the sky like a giant eye looking down on the little family, now lost in sad dreams and fitful sleep.
Viola's breasts were now full of milk, which had been refused by Nettie. She pulled Nettie to her breast in the hope that she
might nurse and sang softly, "Bye oh bye, my baby."
Looking at the scheme of all that God has created, sometimes we feel very insignificant and, perhaps, unimportant to Him. We
look into the black sky above us, filled with stars that seems to be a giant bowl curving above us. The earth seems to be
suspended in all of that space, and we-a tiny dot on that earth-look to the heavens above in wonder and in awe of the great
mystery that created all of it and us.
And the soul that breathes within us-we cherish. It is all that we have. It is all that God has given us. So we try in our clumsy,
feeble ways to connect with this Great Mystery that has created us, to find in God, some compassion for us. But His greatness,
and our smallness make that difficult. We liken Him to a father that loves His child, and we pray that He will look down on us
amidst our troubles and intervene to save us. It is such a little thing for Him to do in the scheme of all the universe!
And so Cornelius and Viola and the children all prayed for Nettie that night. And that night, in some mysterious way, little
Nettie's soul refused to leave her body. It remained, giving life to her little heart and body. As dawn came the next morning,
Viola felt a chubby hand resting on her breast and the unmistakable suckling of her daughter's mouth on her breast. Viola
touched Nettie's cheek. It was cool! The fever had gone and Nettie was eagerly nursing for the life nutrients she needed to live.
She would live. Tears of joy ran down Viola's face as she cradled her baby. She turned to see the beautiful face of her
husband looking into the wagon. He reached in and stroked Viola's hair and she kissed his hand. They both cried with the new
knowledge that their baby would live.
Bowie came in sight the next day, and the Ragsdales were relieved and happy to see the lively town. The main street was
bustling with farmers and tradesmen. Three hotels graced its streets, a bank, post office and newspaper office. Several side
streets led to several churches and schools. But the big attraction in Bowie was the railroad. The Denver and Fort Worth
Railway had been built through Bowie in 1882 to carry goods and cattle all the way from Fort Worth to Wichita Falls. The old
Chisholm Trail was not far west of there.
The Ragsdales soon found a doctor for Nettie who looked her over and pronounced her in reasonable health. He suggested
that they try to give her plenty of water and a little solid food if she could take it. He gave them a bottle of medicine to relieve
any diarrhea she might have again. They stopped for more food and groceries for the trip and found a livery stable to leave the
wagon and cattle. Farmers were bringing their goods to market so they bought as many green groceries as they could afford.
They went back to the wagon to eat and thereby save money. After a light meal, everyone was happy to bed down for a long
restful night after their frightening episode with Nettie.
River crossing
Wichita Falls was another week's ride ahead of them, so they weren't too eager to leave Bowie. They spent the morning
buying fresh meat and fresh bread for the trip. Of course, they always had fresh milk from their cows. Viola bought two
prepared frying chickens for dinner that night, a favorite meal of all. They took their time in leaving because they knew it
would be a long journey ahead. The weather was quite warm now and they weren't in a hurry to start again until they
were sure that Nettie was all right.
Cornelius took them down to the railroad station just to see the trains. None came in while they were there, but they saw
the station with its large baggage wagons sitting outside and the ticketmaster sitting behind the ticket window. He wore
a black, pillbox hat with an official looking badge on it that impressed everyone. They saw the long, iron railroad tracks
resting on their crossties and stretching out across the prairie before disappearing in the horizon.
Just as they began their walk back to the wagon, they heard an awful sound in the distance. It sounded like a shrill
scream. Everyone jumped and Maude began to cry, grabbing Cornelius' legs. Cornelius picked her up, turned and saw
the great black engine of a train coming down the tracks. They were almost a block away but it was easy to see it above
the houses' roofs.
"Look, children! It's a train," he said, excitedly. They all turned to see the awful size of the big black engine as it slowed
and released a cloud of steam. They all jumped again at the shwoosh of the steam. Black smoke belched from its huge
smokestack. The children huddled close to their parents and trembled at the sight of it all. As it slowed to a stop, there
arose a clanging sound from its bell and everyone jumped again. Cornelius wanted to walk back closer to the train but
everyone bridled at such an idea. They had seen enough of the black monster. They returned quickly to the wagon and
began making preparations for leaving, but everyone's talk was of the big thing, the train!
Nettie seemed to be regaining her strength and so they decided they couldn't wait any longer to resume their trip. Soon
they had replenished all their supplies, added more for the longest leg of the trip so far, had packed and repacked
everything tightly, and were ready to go. Wichita Falls was almost fifty miles away, so they had a quick lunch and headed
out.
The road was good going out of Bowie. There were numerous farms along the road and so it was well kept. The Big
Sandy River had meandered away from the road so there would be less water, and it was getting hotter every day.
Cornelius tried to plan the trip so that there would be a plentiful supply of water at the beginning of the trip, but that it
would be hot and dry by the time they got to the Red River. That way, they would have less water to cross in the Red River.
They stopped early at a farm in order to give Nettie more time to rest. Besides, they were not eager to leave the
conveniences of Bowie and a doctor if they needed one for Nettie.
Farmer Bill McFadden welcomed the Ragsdales to their home. They were used to travelers stopping and asking for water
or a place to rest their families. Bill was Scotch Irish and had the gift of gab. Mrs. McFadden made a fine meal for the two
families and Bill invited Cornelius to put the cattle and wagon inside the barn for the night. The McFaddens had a large
family so that the children had plenty of company and games to play. Hospitality was common in those days; farmers
were always glad to see someone come by or move into the neighborhood.
Bill and Cornelius became good friends and they talked about farming, the crops that Bill was raising and the land that he
had. Bill had come out to Bowie when the railroads began moving into the area. It was a good place to market his crops
of cotton and sorghum and the railroad could pick up his longhorns easily for market further north. Cornelius looked on
the great farm with longing, thinking of his own place he might soon own. One thing led to another and soon they were
talking about the war, its devastation to Cornelius' family and his long journey from Memphis to Arkansas and finally to
Texas.
Before long, night had fallen, the kerosene lamps had been lighted, and the final tobacco pipes enjoyed before turning in.
Cornelius knew that they would need to start early the next day for their long journey. Their host had been gracious and
generous. Mrs. McFadden had fussed over little Nettie and Lillie and made sure that they had plenty of soft hay for
bedding down in the barn. She even offered to give up her own bed for Viola and Nettie, but Viola refused to
inconvenience her that much. So, the Ragsdales slept in their wagon in the barn and all slept well.
Bill described the road to Wichita Falls and told him some of the things to watch for. He described the land as becoming
more hilly and finally coming to the foothills of the Wichita Mountains which lay north of Wichita Falls in Indian Territory.
He said that they would see the falls in Wichita Falls and that they would have to cross the Wichita River as they went
through the town. However, he said that there was a bridge in town for crossing.
They began the next leg of the trip in high expectations. They were far, far from their Texas home now, and getting closer
all the time to their new home in Indian Territory. They could tell that the land was rising; the land became more hilly and
the oxen required more frequent rests from the climb.
The days of traveling seemed to have achieved a rhythm: each day began with an early breakfast, breaking camp, travel
over roads that curved and climbed, frequent breaks for watering and rest, and finding a campground for the evening. As
supplies began to run low, Cornelius hunted more. Creekbeds were found fairly frequently but the water level seemed to
be dropping as the spring days moved toward summer. They experienced several more rainstorms which replenished
the creek water for a time.
Nights on the land were glorious. As the campfire burned low, they could look up into the black sky and see billions of
stars, the Milky Way, and many "shooting stars." It seemed that a person could merely reach up and touch them at arms
length. Some nights, they would stretch their blankets out on the ground, so that they could lie on their backs and watch
the stars. Sometimes, Maggie would tell stories to delight the children. Their legs and arms entwined, they listened with
delight, or wiggled and giggled until someone scolded them. Often, they fell asleep there.
Daytime meant heat and sweat, and always the search for water as they inched their way toward Wichita Falls. One day,
they met a group of men or horseback, riding toward them. Cornelius stopped the wagon, of course and greeted the
horsemen. As the men rode up to the wagon, one man seemed to be in charge and he gave a hand signal for the group to
stop. The lead man tipped his hat to Viola politely and said, "Ma'm." Then, he turned his face to Cornelius.
"Howdy. I'm Dan Johnson," and he stuck out his hand at Cornelius. They shook hands and Cornelius introduced himself
and Viola; then pointed out the children in the wagon. Maude and Buddy peeked around the corner of the back of the
wagon. "This here is my family," Cornelius said proudly. "We're headed to Wichita Falls."
Dan acknowledged Cornelius' statement and said, "Well, you're about another day's ride or so." He paused. "We're
Texas Rangers and we're lookin' for some Indians. Have you seen any down this way?" Cornelius gulped. "No, I haven't
seen anybody. You're the first people we've seen since we started out from Bowie. Is my family in any danger?"
Dan took off his hat and wiped his brow, and smiled, "Naw! They're just a bunch of young ones gittin' into mischief back in
Wichita. I don't think they'd harm any settlers." He paused again. "But if you see them, stay clear of 'em." His passive
face belied his concern. He noticed the rifle at Cornelius' feet and seemed satisfied that he could take care of himself.
"We're going to ride a little further south before we turn back to Wichita. We'll check back on you when we turn north,"
he assured Cornelius. With that, he slapped his horse on the neck with his reins and took off in a fast trot, the others
following behind.
Cornelius told Maude and Buddy to get into the wagon before they started again. He checked to make sure his rifle was
loaded as they pulled back onto the road. After that, he and Viola kept a watchful eye in all directions. When they
stopped, they made sure they were in a place where they could protect themselves as well as possible. But they saw no
one else the rest of the day.
That night in camp, Cornelius decided not to build a fire that might attract attention and they had to eat a cold supper. He
was rather tense and watchful the rest of the night but saw nothing to alarm him. The next day, they got an early start,
hoping to make Wichita Falls by night. The only thing they saw that day that was unusual was a train some two or three
miles away, chugging across the landscape. The children were very excited about it, watching the black smoke
streaming out of its bulbous smokestack. Cornelius thought that Wichita Falls could not be far away.
That night, when they made camp, Cornelius thought he could see a feint glow of light on the far horizon. He wondered
and hoped that it was Wichita Falls. It had to be Wichita. What else could it be? They ate another cold supper and no
campfire but no one complained. Everyone except Cornelius slept in the wagon and slept lightly (except the children, of
course). Cornelius slept away from the wagon on a large boulder that gave him a good view of the landscape around him.
Except for nodding off, he kept a silent vigil there all night.
The next morning, they had another quick breakfast and broke camp in a hurry. They hadn't been on the road but an hour
or so when they saw the same group of men approaching them, this time, from east of the road. With them were two
young looking Indian braves, hands tied to their saddle horns and looking very downcast. The group of horsemen stopped
some one hundred yards from the wagon, while their leader, Dan Johnson road up to the wagon. He tipped his hat again
to Viola and smiled at Cornelius. "How are you folks?" he said.
They returned the greeting and Dan said, "Well, we found a couple of our trouble makers. They won't bother anyone.
We're just going to make sure they get back to the reservation in Indian Territory. They're not bad boys, really. They just
got a little drunk and loud in town." He paused. "I reckon you folks won't have any trouble getting' to Wichita this
morning. Should be there by noon." He turned his horse as he tipped his hat and road away, the others following him.
Cornelius relaxed quite a bit then, relieved that the Indians had been caught and that they would be in Wichita Falls very
shortly. It had been a very long trip and he was ready for some relief from this routine. The children had gawked at the
Indians out from under the canvas of the wagon. None of them said anything but they were rather frightened at their
images. The Indians were very dark skinned and wore long pigtails on each side of their heads. The pigtails were
wrapped in some kind of bright cloth. Two feathers seemed to grow out of the tops of their heads. Otherwise, they wore
trousers and shirts like Cornelius. One of them wore a necklace that looked like quills around his neck. All of it was just
too frightening. Cornelius could hardly coax the children out of the wagon when they pulled into Wichita Falls.
"Lookee here, you chaps!" Cornelius said as he pointed off to the right. "Look at the falls. There they are!" They heard
water rushing in abundance over rocks that formed about a twenty-foot falls and fell away to the Wichita River. That got
them up and out of the wagon to see it. The river snaked through the middle of town of some two thousand people. It
was a pleasant sight after so much heat of the day, and Cornelius was determined to spend some time here after such a
long drive.
The children stared in amazement at the falls, something they had never seen before. Cornelius stopped the wagon so
that all of them could get out and experience the falls up close. The water churned and rushed and spilled over the
reddish rocks, showing both its power and beauty. Viola cautioned the children not to get too close to the falls, lest they
be sucked under by a powerful whirlpool of rushing water. It was an amazing sight for a family that had grown up on the
flat land of the Plains.
After spending a half hour at the falls, they returned to the wagon and proceeded further into town. The town bustled with
workmen, businessmen, and shoppers. Carts and wagons pulled by horses or mules or oxen paraded up and down the
busy streets. They found a livery and deposited the wagon and cattle there. After a light lunch and freshening up, they
walked around town for awhile just to see the sights. There was the bank, a couple of hotels, a drygoods store, and a
brand new lumber yard. Like Bowie, there was a train station.
They spent a good part of the afternoon looking at the town with its river flowing through the middle of it. Not far west of
the town was the beginnings of a dam that would create a lake for the town's water supply. A stream of workmen and
wagons covered the road that led to the cite. There was much talk in town about the lake to be.
Nightfall came and they slept in the wagon after a good supper and they slept well. The next two days were spent
preparing for the next and last leg of the trip that would take them northwest of Wichita Falls and the crossing point of the
river. They would be paralleling the Red River on its south bank and at some point they would have to cross it into what
was now being called Oklahoma Territory in Greer County, later to be divided and renamed Harmon County and Jackson
County.
When they finally got under way, they followed the road north through town and across the Wichita River over the town's
bridge. Always before, they had crossed small creeks by fording them, but this river's banks were much too high and the
river had a substantial amount of water in it. The bridge was the only way across. Everyone was breathless as the
wagon wheels rolled across the wooden bridge and the oxen's hooves beat like a drum on the bridge. The children
peered out from under the wagon canvass at the bridge's sides and some twenty feet down into the river. It was an
awesome sight!
But too quickly, they passed over the bridge and were back on solid ground again. They all relaxed and looked at one
another in amazement. There was nothing back in Palmer like the wonders they had seen on this trip. Just when they
thought there was nothing that could top the falls or the bridge, the wagon passed by an Indian man and woman, walking
along the road. Everyone froze. Right in the middle of town, Indians! No one said a word for a mile after they passed
them. Then, there was no stopping their talk. Indians! Right in town.
Will they make it? What will they find in
Oklahoma? Keep on reading in Part IV!