Bunkered down

Sitting on the patio, waiting for temperature to reach corona-killing range. Down here in Florida, “patio” is pronounced “lanai.” That is Hawaiian for “patio.” I think. Translations not always accurate, “lanai” could mean “Place where silly white people sit in hot sun.”

I am not sitting in the sun. I am not that silly a white man. The lanai is recessed into the house proper. My delicate Irish-gened skin is not directly exposed to the sun.

Those translation things can be in-the-neighborhood meanings, and sometimes words rephrased so as not to embarrass. I just reread “Empire of the Summer Moon,” which has examples of translations rendered more delicate.

The book is a history of Comanche v White People. We know how that 200-year-old conflict turned out. Like other Indians, Comanche were not prejudiced when it came to killing, kidnapping, torturing and raping White People. Spanish, Mexican, Texan, American, African-American – all were equal in the eyes of Comanche. Texans were maybe more equal than other White People, author S.C. Gwynne says, mostly because more Texans than other White People went head-to-head with Comanche, and because Texans were as hard-headed as Comanche and refused to be driven out.

Some Comanche names have been changed by historians because literal translations were ill suited for civilized readers. Buffalo Hump is one example. Buffalo Hump was a Comanche war leader. He raided many a Texas farm; kidnapped many a Texas child, many a Texas woman; fought many times with Texas Rangers.

Buffalo Hump’s Comanche name did not convert literally into accepted translation. Author Gwynne says the literal meaning was … We will just say it was something like “In Permanent State of Arousal.”

“Empire of the Summer Moon” is a good book for this time of social-distancing. A little less than one-third deals with Cynthia Ann Parker and her oldest son, Quanah.

A good read, like I said. And, we will be coming up on summer moons not too long from now.

Concerning different kinds of Texans, historian T.R. Fehrenbach wrote: “The moral, upstanding Comanche who lived by the laws and gods of his tribe enjoyed heaping live coals on a staked-out white man’s genitals; a moral Mexican, for a fancied insult, would slip his knife into an Anglo back. The moral Texan, who lived in peace and amity with his fellows, would bash an Indian infant’s head against a tree or gut-shoot a ‘greaser’ if he blinked.” 

Federal pensions to Texas Rangers for various Indian wars

“Through the years the United States government has granted pensions to its military veterans who served in defense of their country. It was not until the twentieth century, however, that-a pension Act was extended to include Texas Rangers who had honorably served against Indians on the frontier of Texas.

“Traditionally, the protection of the frontier was an acknowledged responsibility of the Federal government but it often was left to Texas to provide the necessary protection after her entry into the Union in 1845, just as had been done during the days of the Republic of Texas. In 1902 the provisions of an 1892 pension Act were extended to include Texas veterans of the Indian War of 1849-56 and their widows and, thereafter, in 1908 and 1917 the provisions subsequently were extended also to include the veterans who served ‘in defense of the frontier’ against Mexican and Indian depredators from 1855 to 1860, inclusive. The latter Act also specifically included those Rangers who saw service against the Kiowas, Comanches and Cheyennes in 1874 and 1875. Qualification was based on active service of at least thirty days or for the entire period of the campaign if its duration was less than thirty days. Widows of the veterans also were included, but the 1917 Act stipulated that the marriage to the veteran must have occurred prior to March 4, 1917.

“Belatedly, the generous Act of March 3, 1927, granted pensions to those survivors who had served at least thirty days in any Indian War or campaign from January 1, 1817, to December 31, 1898, inclusive, and who suffered "from any mental or physical disability of a permanent character not the result of his own vicious habits which so incapacitate him for the performance of manual labor as to render him unable to earn a support." Some claims also were covered by the Act of March 20, 1933.

“For all intents and purposes, the Federal government classed the Rangers as military veterans in acknowledging their rights to pensions. After the necessary legislation was enacted, the State of Texas was reimbursed by the Federal government for its expense in maintaining the Rangers on the frontier.”

Diversity in the Rangers -- Hispanics, Indians and at least one Prussian

GUAJARDO, Santiago J. {Ind. Sur. No. 13467) Born September 30, 1848, in Condela, Mexico, died May 17, 1919, in Bandera County, Texas. Married Mrs. Maria Calloway November 16, 1876, in Boerne, Texas; she was born July 25, 1853, died December 5, 1927. Application based on service in Captain Neal Coldwell’s Company F of the Frontier Battalion from June 7, 1874, to August 31, 1876. Application approved.

GUERRO, Aleyo {Ind. Sur. No. 14718} Born January 18, 1845, in San Antonio, Texas, died August 19, 1923, in San Antonio. Married Josefa Perez; she died in 1897. Application based on service in Company H from August 29, 1870, to May 31, 1871. Application approved.

NAH-AS-TOE (Ind. Sur. no. 15543} Born in 1834 at Medicine Bluff {location not further identified.} Married first Gee-so-ne-do near Guthrie, Indian Territory. Married second How-wa near Anadarko, Indian Territory. Application based on service as an Indian Scout in 1855. Application rejected. In traditional Indian fashion, the applicant signed his pension papers with his thumb print. He served under the name Naistor but was unable to furnish details concerning the name of the Captain in whose company he served or otherwise identify the unit. According to his application, he also served as a scout in 1874.

NIEMANN, Henry {Ind. Sur. No. 12977} Born June 29, 1848, in Hanover, Prussia, Germany, died May 3, 1927, in New Braunfels, Texas. Married Minna Boenig December 8, 1872, in Geronomo, Texas; she was born August 22, 1852, in New Braunfels, died July 27, 1940, in Refugio County, Texas. Application based on service in Captain H.R. Von Biberstein’s Company G from October 10, 1870, to May 30, 1871. Application approved.

http://www.texasranger.org/E-Books/Texas_Rangers_Indian_War_Pensions.pdf

64780

Zip Code for Rockville, Mo., and my current solitaire score.

Rockville is in Bates County. As of the 2010 census, 166 people lived in the town.

No one lives in my solitaire score, but adding the numbers gives 25. That was Frank Howard’s number when he played for the Dodgers. Howard took number 9 when the Dodgers traded him to Washington.

Rockville was named for nearby white sandstone quarries.

Frank Howard hit 122 home runs with the Dodgers, 1958-1964. He hit 240 home runs with the Senators/Rangers, 1965 to Aug. 30, 1972, and 13 with the Detroit Tigers, Sept. 1,1972, and all of 1973.

In his best years with the Senators, 1967-70, Howard hit 36, 44, 48 and 44 home runs.

Howard was traded with Phil Ortega, Pete Richart, Ken McMullen and a player to be named (Dick Nen) for Claude Osteen, John Kennedy and $100,000.

Howard went with the Senators to Texas and became a Texas Rangers. The Rangers sold him to the Tigers.

Howard was 6’5” and weighed around 250.

"One of these days (Frank) Howard will unleash a line drive at the opposing pitcher and the only identification left on the mound is going to be a laundry mark." - Fresco Thompson in Every Diamond Doesn't Sparkle: Behind The Scenes With The Dodgers (David McKay Company, 1964, Page 44)

At old Arlington Stadium, someone in the late 1970s pointed to the big scoreboard at the top of the left field wall and said Howard hit a home run off the scoreboard.

Rockville has a 95.8 percent white population. The median age was 45. By the 2000 census, 33.3 percent of families and 32.1 percent of the overall population was below the federal poverty line.

Bates County borders Oklahoma and is the sixth county up from Arkansas. Jim’s Village Meats is listed on the internet, but one site notes: CLOSED.

There was a big to-do two years ago on plans by a horse slaughter company opening a plant in Rockville.

Two people writing at yelp.com say the Old Rock Tavern is “hands down” the best eating establishment in Rockville, plus “no Lady Gaga” but George Strait and David Alan Coe.

Well, shoot, it don’t get any better than that. As long as they aren’t killing horses for shipment to France.

Stats on Frank Howard from www.baseball-almanac.com

Rockville info from Wikipedia, Yelp and Topix.

Guide for the Rangers

In the 1875 campaign against rustlers and murderers in South Texas, the forces of Ranger Captain Leander Harvey McNelly included “a local guide named Jesus Sandoval, whom the other Rangers called ‘Old Casuse.’ Sandoval was a small rancher with a white-hot burning hatred of stock thieves; his own small herd had been stolen – and worse yet, his wife and daughter raped by the bandits responsible. Sandoval and one of his Anglo neighbors had already fought back against bandits by hanging four of them – arousing threats of retaliation. But Sandoval knew the territory well – and those who lived there even better. Fellow Ranger William Caldicott writing an account of McNelly’s exploits decades later, noted grimly that ‘After the Captain had all the information he wanted, he would let Casuse have charge of the spy. Casuse would make a regular hangman’s knot and place the hangman’s loop over the bandit’s head, throw the end of the rope over a limb, make the bandit get up on Casuse’s old paint horse and stand up in the saddle. Casuse would make the loose end of the rope fast, get behind his horse, hit him a hard lick and the horse would jump from under the spy, breaking his neck instantly. Captain McNelly didn’t like this kind of killing, but Casuse did … We caught several spies on that scout before we overhauled the bandits with the cattle, and Casuse dealt with them all alike, showing no partiality – he always made them a present of six feet of rope.’”

http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/40253.html#more-40253

‘Dead bank robbers wanted’

The version people usually tell.

On Sept. 10, 1926, a car drove to and parked near the front of the Red River National Bank in Clarksville, Texas. Two men got out and went into the bank. The men, carrying revolvers and bank bags, exited the bank a few minutes later. A Texas Ranger happened to be walking on the sidewalk across the street when the two men came out of the bank. Seeing the guns and bank bags, the Ranger pulled his own pistol and said, “Texas Ranger! Put up your hands!” The two men failed to follow the Ranger’s instructions, instead pointing their guns at the Ranger. The Ranger then killed both bank robbers, identified as A.M. Slaton and T.L. Smallwood.

What really happened, as told by Henry Lee Somerville, who was 11 years old at the time.

On the September day mentioned, a car did park at the front of the bank. Two men got out of the car and went into the bank.

So far, it’s a usual bank robbery story.

But then, things got interesting.

After the two men went into the bank, the driver of the getaway car got out of the car and walked away. And, as soon as the gunmen were in the bank, the town constable began directing traffic away from the bank.

Across the street from the bank, Texas Ranger Captain Tom Hickman and a local law officer were sitting on the running board of a car, hidden from the gunmen. The Ranger now and then eased up high enough to check the bank. Captain Hickman was a patient man. Patience is part of being a Texas Ranger.

About 20 minutes after entering the bank, the two robbers came out, holding bags of cash and pistols. Captain Hickman and the other lawman stood up. The Ranger later said he identified himself and told the robbers to put up their hands. Instead, the robbers pointed their guns at the Ranger. They died for their mistake.

People at the scene, Somerville said, did not hear the Ranger make his announcement.

Somerville also said that the Texas Bankers Association not long before the robbery announced a reward for dead bank robbers. The announcement is at Page 21,

http://www.texasranger.org/dispatch/Backissues/Dispatch_Issue_31.pdf

The announcement stated in part: “$5,000 Reward. Dead bank robbers wanted. $5,000 cash will be paid for each bank robber killed while robbing a Texas bank.” The announcement also said the association would not pay one cent for a captured, live bank robber.

The Bankers Association gladly gave Captain Hickman a reward.

So, a getaway driver walks off, a Texas Ranger is concealed from the robbers, the bad men do not do as instructed by the Ranger and suffer the consequences.

But that’s not all of the story.

After Somerville’s recounting, I checked back issues of the newspaper and learned that on the day after the robbery, the Red River County sheriff went to a popular camping lake south of Annona and southeast of Clarksville. There, the sheriff took into custody two women who were in their 20s. He had the women taken to Dallas County Jail, where one was identified as having been in a drug store in Irving, Texas, a month before, on the same day a bank was robbed there. Both women denied knowledge of the Clarksville or Irving bank robberies, but did not give credible information on their decision to drive to Red River County for a campout.

Law officers never got a chance to charge the women, though.

The day after the women arrived at the jail in Dallas, an attorney from Fort Worth arrived, saying he represented the women, one of whom was from a prominent Fort Worth family. The women were released.

A story unfinished.