While other women on the Mexican border, in Colorado and in New Mexico were busy punching cattle, throwing lead and words and keeping their spirits up, Mrs. Mabel Doss Day of Coleman County, Texas, got caught with her fences down. It was called the Fence Cutting War of 1883 and the principal areas of destruction were Jack, Wise, Clay, Coleman and Frio counties. The cutters were not, at first, mad at Mabel personally. They were mad at the barbed wire which was enclosing the open range.
Long before becoming embroiled in a fence-cutting war in Coleman, Mabel Doss had been the belle of society in Sherman, Texas, where she taught music. The highlight of the Sherman social season was the Fourth of July celebration called Natal Day. In 1878, Mabel was the candidate most likely to be crowned queen of the event. The whole town was considerably surprised when another candidate was chosen. An investigation into the matter showed that the winner's father had appeared in town the day before with a bag of Mexican silver pesos which were deposited, evidently, in the right hands.
Mabel's friends and supporters rallied around her, held their own celebration and presented Mabel with a chain and gold watch on the back of which was an inscription attesting to their love and loyalty. The group attended the Natal ball to which Mabel wore an elegant princess-style dress embellished with a rose sash draped in flowers. Taking in all the festivities was William H. Day, a prominent cattleman.
Mabel and William Day were married in 1879, and Mabel began her new life as a ranch wife in Coleman County. William gave his bride a pony and saddle and she, in a blue riding habit, accompanied her husband on the range. Day's primary concern was fencing his land—some forty thousand acres of it. In addition to her own horse, William bought Mabel a "traveling she-bang," as she called it, which was a vehicle with three seats. It was ordered from St. Louis and cost $973. The contraption had seats that could be let down for a bed or used on a rainy day for dining.
In 1880, Willie Mabel was born to the couple and life looked stable, but in 1881, the horn of a saddle severely injured Colonel Day and he died from gangrene. Before his death he told Mabel about his business and instructed her to take over. The operation was $117,000 in debt.
The widow was determined to refinance and carry on the ranch operations on land that was already bought and not part of public domain, but instead of using local capital, she went outside the state for backing. When the news got around that Mrs. Day had formed a two hundred thousand dollar corporation known as The Day Cattle Ranch Company with Kentucky backers, the fence cutters declared war on her. When the cutters were not hanging out with Madge Barker and her girls at the Blue Front Saloon, they were getting rid of Mabel's fences as group therapy. Just in case Mabel was not getting the message, they posted a notice on the streets of Coleman complaining not only of Mabel but of a few more grievances which were beside the point:
Mabel tried other methods to stop the destruction of her fences. She persuaded a friend in a high place to get the Texas Rangers to come to Coleman. When the Rangers came, they mixed and mingled with the population to see which way the wind was blowing and decided that, according to a General King who helped arbitrate:
The Rangers were no help. The local sheriff refused to help. He was too busy with rustlers who were, no doubt, finding lots of wandering cattle on the ranges. When the head of the local law-and-order league asked Sheriff Jones to investigate the wire cutting, he replied, "I love to live too well to do that."
Mrs. Day even went outside the law by promising help to a man accused of murder in exchange for his services as a fence rider with his Winchester for a companion. The fence cutters took the man's Winchester, pointed it at him, and made him help them cut six more miles of fence.
The legislature finally considered the problem of fence cutting and made several suggestions. One lawmaker thought the offenders ought to be shot on sight. Another thought fences ought to be built around Coleman and all the fence cutters armed with nippers put inside it:
In 1889, Mabel married Captain Joseph C. Lea and moved to New Mexico. She continued as an influence for good in her new life and among other things founded New Mexico Military Academy in her home in Roswell.
Not all ranch women were entirely successful in their attempts to solve their problems inside or outside the law, but with words, guns, and other interesting and questionable weapons they managed to trample a good many wrong men who got in their way. And they proved that life could be dangerous when a woman took matters into her own hands.
The Cowgirls, Joyce Gibson Roach
First Barbed Wire Fence in Coleman County.
The first strand of barbed wire ever strung in Coleman County was run by Clark Mann around a section of land on Jim Ned Creek, which is now a part of the Morris lower ranch. That was in the year 1880, according to the memory of J. C. Jones, who was first here in 1876.
The first cost of wire was about 20c a pound at the railroad, which at that time was Fort Worth or Round Rock. The effectiveness of barbed wire in holding live stock was problematical and stockmen were slow in taking hold of the innovation. Mr. Mann used elm poles to reinforce the fence; in fact, the barbed wire was auxiliary to the pole fence, being placed a single strand above the elm poles. Some of the square iron spikes that were used in holding the elm poles in place may still be seen embedded in some of the old mesquite trees on the Morris ranch.
A man, who was employed here during the early 80's to keep in repair the Government military telegraph line that connected Coleman and Camp Colorado with Fort Griffin and civilization to the east, was considerably nonplused when he first encountered the Clark Mann wire fence. He had gone out from Camp Colorado on an inspection trip over the telegraph line and returning toward Coleman as the crow flies he came across the fence blocking his path. Giving the situation only a moment's thought, he cut his way in and left a window on the opposite side where he went out.
The first real barbed wire pasture fence of any consequence erected in Coleman County was built by the late Col. W. H. Day about the year 1881. He fenced what was then and ever afterward known as the Red Wire pasture, being so known because the wire used in fencing was painted red. From 5,000 to 7,000 acres were inclosed in the Red Wire pasture, except when it was opened up by wire cutters.
In a short time other cowmen, noting the practicability of the barbed wire fence, began buying and fencing their ranges. Among them were H. R. Starkweather, Col. R. H. Overall, G. W. Mahoney, J. L. Vaughn, L. L. Shield and scores of others. And it was then that the wire cutters seeing the free open ranges disappearing, took a hand in the acting.
It was about this time that H. R. Starkweather, like many other cowmen of the time, needed financial assistance in putting his ranch business on a safe footing. Mr. Starkweather had gone North to interest capital in his Coleman County ranch venture. He was in Chicago and had about concluded a satisfactory deal incorporating his ranch holdings, when something happened. While he was waiting to get the final details of the deal closed up, daily papers appeared on the streets of Chicago carrying headlines something like this: "Hell Broke Loose in Texas." "Wire Cutters Cut 500 miles of Barbed Wire in Coleman County." Mr. Starkweather's trade blew up then and there and he took the next train for Texas.
Col. Day had a man hired to look out for the cutters. One day the wire cutters took charge of him by use of threats or force, made him take a hand and cut for an entire day.
The cowmen were hard put in holding their fences intact and it was many years before the county became pacified to the passing of the free open range. One day during the troublesome days, J. L. Vaughn, who was greatly harassed by the depredations of the wire cutters, was heard to remark at the rock store in town of Trickham that "he wished the man who invented barbed wire had it all wound around him in a ball and the ball rolled into h—l."
Long before becoming embroiled in a fence-cutting war in Coleman, Mabel Doss had been the belle of society in Sherman, Texas, where she taught music. The highlight of the Sherman social season was the Fourth of July celebration called Natal Day. In 1878, Mabel was the candidate most likely to be crowned queen of the event. The whole town was considerably surprised when another candidate was chosen. An investigation into the matter showed that the winner's father had appeared in town the day before with a bag of Mexican silver pesos which were deposited, evidently, in the right hands.
Mabel's friends and supporters rallied around her, held their own celebration and presented Mabel with a chain and gold watch on the back of which was an inscription attesting to their love and loyalty. The group attended the Natal ball to which Mabel wore an elegant princess-style dress embellished with a rose sash draped in flowers. Taking in all the festivities was William H. Day, a prominent cattleman.
Mabel and William Day were married in 1879, and Mabel began her new life as a ranch wife in Coleman County. William gave his bride a pony and saddle and she, in a blue riding habit, accompanied her husband on the range. Day's primary concern was fencing his land—some forty thousand acres of it. In addition to her own horse, William bought Mabel a "traveling she-bang," as she called it, which was a vehicle with three seats. It was ordered from St. Louis and cost $973. The contraption had seats that could be let down for a bed or used on a rainy day for dining.
In 1880, Willie Mabel was born to the couple and life looked stable, but in 1881, the horn of a saddle severely injured Colonel Day and he died from gangrene. Before his death he told Mabel about his business and instructed her to take over. The operation was $117,000 in debt.
The widow was determined to refinance and carry on the ranch operations on land that was already bought and not part of public domain, but instead of using local capital, she went outside the state for backing. When the news got around that Mrs. Day had formed a two hundred thousand dollar corporation known as The Day Cattle Ranch Company with Kentucky backers, the fence cutters declared war on her. When the cutters were not hanging out with Madge Barker and her girls at the Blue Front Saloon, they were getting rid of Mabel's fences as group therapy. Just in case Mabel was not getting the message, they posted a notice on the streets of Coleman complaining not only of Mabel but of a few more grievances which were beside the point:
Down with monopolies. They can't exist in Texas and especially in Coleman County. Away with your foreign capitalists. The range and soil of Texas belongs to the heroes of the South. No monopolies, and don't tax us to school the nigger. Give us homes as God intended and not gates to churches and towns and schools. Above all give us water for our stock.Mabel was not much on guns—yet. She wrote a calm, friendly reply in the paper telling the offenders of Coleman that 1) She owned her own land; that she was not fencing public land; 2) It was not the place of anyone but civil authorities to remove her fences; 3) There were plenty of gates which anyone might use when they wished to pass through her land; 4) If certain people did not leave her fences alone, she just might not live in Coleman County any more; 5) Wasn't there some way law-abiding men could put a stop to the lawlessness. In reply, the fence cutters ripped out some more fence.
Mabel tried other methods to stop the destruction of her fences. She persuaded a friend in a high place to get the Texas Rangers to come to Coleman. When the Rangers came, they mixed and mingled with the population to see which way the wind was blowing and decided that, according to a General King who helped arbitrate:
There was no real foundation for apprehending any organized outbreak or contest with arms between pasture men and fence cutters, and that personally the most friendly feeling existed between many of the owners of pastures and those who openly opposed large pastures, and who thus gave encouragement to those who were lawlessly and secretly cutting down and destroying these pastures.Apparently General King's men forgot to ask Mabel what she thought.
The Rangers were no help. The local sheriff refused to help. He was too busy with rustlers who were, no doubt, finding lots of wandering cattle on the ranges. When the head of the local law-and-order league asked Sheriff Jones to investigate the wire cutting, he replied, "I love to live too well to do that."
Mrs. Day even went outside the law by promising help to a man accused of murder in exchange for his services as a fence rider with his Winchester for a companion. The fence cutters took the man's Winchester, pointed it at him, and made him help them cut six more miles of fence.
The legislature finally considered the problem of fence cutting and made several suggestions. One lawmaker thought the offenders ought to be shot on sight. Another thought fences ought to be built around Coleman and all the fence cutters armed with nippers put inside it:
As the fence cutters preferred to do their work at night, the plan was to propose stretching a great awning over the county, paint it black to represent night, and cut holes in it to represent stars. They would then be able to cut all the time and would all die of sheer exhaustion from the lack of sleep.Finally a sensible law was passed under which fence cutters were assessed from one to five years imprisonment. When they realized that they would have to face more than a few angry cattlemen, the fence cutters studied war no more.
In 1889, Mabel married Captain Joseph C. Lea and moved to New Mexico. She continued as an influence for good in her new life and among other things founded New Mexico Military Academy in her home in Roswell.
Not all ranch women were entirely successful in their attempts to solve their problems inside or outside the law, but with words, guns, and other interesting and questionable weapons they managed to trample a good many wrong men who got in their way. And they proved that life could be dangerous when a woman took matters into her own hands.
The Cowgirls, Joyce Gibson Roach
First Barbed Wire Fence in Coleman County.
The first strand of barbed wire ever strung in Coleman County was run by Clark Mann around a section of land on Jim Ned Creek, which is now a part of the Morris lower ranch. That was in the year 1880, according to the memory of J. C. Jones, who was first here in 1876.
The first cost of wire was about 20c a pound at the railroad, which at that time was Fort Worth or Round Rock. The effectiveness of barbed wire in holding live stock was problematical and stockmen were slow in taking hold of the innovation. Mr. Mann used elm poles to reinforce the fence; in fact, the barbed wire was auxiliary to the pole fence, being placed a single strand above the elm poles. Some of the square iron spikes that were used in holding the elm poles in place may still be seen embedded in some of the old mesquite trees on the Morris ranch.
A man, who was employed here during the early 80's to keep in repair the Government military telegraph line that connected Coleman and Camp Colorado with Fort Griffin and civilization to the east, was considerably nonplused when he first encountered the Clark Mann wire fence. He had gone out from Camp Colorado on an inspection trip over the telegraph line and returning toward Coleman as the crow flies he came across the fence blocking his path. Giving the situation only a moment's thought, he cut his way in and left a window on the opposite side where he went out.
The first real barbed wire pasture fence of any consequence erected in Coleman County was built by the late Col. W. H. Day about the year 1881. He fenced what was then and ever afterward known as the Red Wire pasture, being so known because the wire used in fencing was painted red. From 5,000 to 7,000 acres were inclosed in the Red Wire pasture, except when it was opened up by wire cutters.
In a short time other cowmen, noting the practicability of the barbed wire fence, began buying and fencing their ranges. Among them were H. R. Starkweather, Col. R. H. Overall, G. W. Mahoney, J. L. Vaughn, L. L. Shield and scores of others. And it was then that the wire cutters seeing the free open ranges disappearing, took a hand in the acting.
It was about this time that H. R. Starkweather, like many other cowmen of the time, needed financial assistance in putting his ranch business on a safe footing. Mr. Starkweather had gone North to interest capital in his Coleman County ranch venture. He was in Chicago and had about concluded a satisfactory deal incorporating his ranch holdings, when something happened. While he was waiting to get the final details of the deal closed up, daily papers appeared on the streets of Chicago carrying headlines something like this: "Hell Broke Loose in Texas." "Wire Cutters Cut 500 miles of Barbed Wire in Coleman County." Mr. Starkweather's trade blew up then and there and he took the next train for Texas.
Col. Day had a man hired to look out for the cutters. One day the wire cutters took charge of him by use of threats or force, made him take a hand and cut for an entire day.
The cowmen were hard put in holding their fences intact and it was many years before the county became pacified to the passing of the free open range. One day during the troublesome days, J. L. Vaughn, who was greatly harassed by the depredations of the wire cutters, was heard to remark at the rock store in town of Trickham that "he wished the man who invented barbed wire had it all wound around him in a ball and the ball rolled into h—l."
Harry Hubert, in Dallas Semi Weekly Farm News.
Frontier Times, July 1924
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