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June 6, 2010
WOLF CREEK HERITAGE MUSEUM NOTES by Virginia Scott MUSEUM HAPPENINGS We are beginning to think that this book will never end. The stories keep coming in and we will submit them until the publisher says NO MORE. I will be sending all that we have received this week. We will keep you informed of our progress. Again thanks to everyone who has worked so hard on this project. June is here and summer tradition are here again. On the third Saturday, June 19 we will host a reception for Denise Carter from 4pm to 7pm then the Dance Platform will open at 6:30pm. Please plan your trip to Lipscomb and don't miss enjoying our great town and its great county history. The Texas Plains Trail Region continues the stamp cancelation for our 52 counties. We are now in the "H" and I will journey to Memphis this week for the Hale county event. The official opening for the stamps are at 11 am on Wednesdays at the main post office in the county seat. Next week we will journey to Spearman for the Hansford cancelation. These are followed by Hardeman and Hartley and the 6 month mark and 26 counties done. The events are fun and we see some of our beautiful historic post offices. I hope to see a lot of you in Spearman next week. HISTORICAL MUSINGS John W. Douglas was born in 1865 in Indiana and came to Lipscomb in 1882 with his twin brother Sam. He worked on the 7K ranch and eventually became the boss with headquarters in Lipscomb. One of the favorite stories written about John in the first edition of the Lipscomb County history book by Dove Prater Bell and in his column "Memories of the Old Home Town" by Harry Zollars was his purchase of a motor car. John ordered a brand new Model T Ford touring car of the latest model and had it delivered to Higgins by railroad. He invited three of his best friend from Lipscomb area to accompany him to Higgins to accept the delivery and ride home with him in the new car. The car was a black beauty, having all four doors in contrast to the earlier models which did not have front doors. The head lights were polished brass with gas in small burners, the center of the windshield, which folded was supported by two heavy brass rods which ran down to each side of the radiator. Upon its arrival, the agent who had shipped the care was on hand to give John some quick lessons on driving and controlling the new car. In a short time John was driving the car on the rough and sandy streets of Higgins, slowing down and stopping when frightened horses and cussing drivers trying to control their animals got in his way. As soon as the agent cleared his and declared him proficient, John and his friends took off for the 20 mile trip home to Lipscomb. In those days cattle guards were unknown and gate after gate had to be opened. John would slow down and idle the car while his friend would open the wire fence gate and close it once John drove through. They were progressing fine until John seem to forget the sequence for slowing and stopping and he ran through a gate, throwing him out of the car when the gate's top wire caught him under the chin and he lay holding his neck, gasping and moaning. His friends thought he was dying John spoke in very low voice and instructed his friends to tell his wife to " Sell the yearlings, and put the money in the bank. send the kids to school to get a good learning and don't sell the house but keep it to always have a place to live and bury me in the Lipscomb graveyard. After this dying declaration, the friends noticed that there was no blood so they pulled John's hands away from his neck and observed only a small scratch. They assured John that he was not badly hurt and put him back in the drivers seat and continued on their journey to Lipscomb. Once they arrived none of them could forget John's close call with Death and decided to stop at the local bar for a glass of beer. After several rounds, the friends began to "josh" him about his last will and testament. They misjudged John's sense of humor about the affair and in a flash he had knocked one of the friend down, gave another a black eye and threw the third one out into the street. Mr. Douglas continued driving and served Lipscomb County well as commissioner living in the county for eighty - two years until his death in 1945. Enjoy your week. |
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