| |
| | "It's
All Trew" by Delbert TrewAppears
in the Amarillo Globe News
Delbert retired from a lifetime of farming
and ranching along with stints as a carpenter, cow trader and 35 years as a "Saturday
night professional musician." He turned to freelance writing because he was "literally
full of it." |
New
Dad
had a ball with newfangled electric 12-2-08
Today,
when we need electrical power an electrical outlet is usually within reach or
at least in reach of an extension cord. I can remember when this was not always
the case. Our family progressed from kerosene lamps to an electrical generator
before the REA finally reached our farm home...
Old
blacksmith shop full of stories 11-25-08
The
Trew Ranch blacksmith shop, a relic of the 1920s, stood for 75 years before a
wind storm left it beyond repair...
Pear
preserves always worth the work 11-19-08
Each
year in late September or early October, if Mother Nature allows, the Trews "put
up pear preserves." As long as I can remember this annual routine has taken place...
Good
use of newspaper 11-18-08
Today's highly-touted
"recycling" programs are not new to old timers. The terms of "save it, use it
up and wear it out" were the everyday habits of the early day families in order
to get by and survive...
I've
got some issues with the term 'issues' 11-3-08
The
phone rang and the young lady dispatcher at the Gray County Sheriff's Office stated,
"Mr. Trew, we have a deputy just north of your house who is having some issues
with a stray bull out on I-40. Could you possibly help him please?" ...
Necktie:
Torture device of men's fashion 10-28-08
The
necktie, one of the few men's fashions to survive 400 years of change, will be
presented to 4.5 million dads on Father's Day each year...
Scales
revolutionized ranching 10-21-08
I once asked
my father what he thought was the greatest innovation or improvement made to the
ranching industry during his time. I was thinking in terms of four-wheeled vehicles,
stock trailers, livestock auctions and long-distance livestock hauling. His answer
came as a surprise. He believed the livestock scales located on ranches was the
greatest improvement and explained...
'Scrape'
takes on numerous meanings 10-15-08
A young
person recently asked me to define the word "scrape," as he knew it only as to
scrape paint off a wall but wondered if it had other uses....
Bertillion
Method early way to track criminals 10-7-08
I
take great pleasure in learning a new word, a little-known fact or hearing a story
I have not heard before. In the book "Texas Gulag" by Gary Brown, the history
of Texas prisons, jails and even the early-day chain gangs is presented from the
years 1875 to 1925. The book outlined in detail how criminals were identified
as they processed through the old systems.
Head-rises
wiped out frontier towns 9-30-08
A head-rise
is a wall of water, either small or large, brought on by a heavy downpour of rain
upstream. A head-rise may occur on a down-sloping cow trail, ranch road, arroyo,
canyon, creek or river. A head-rise can even occur down a wide flat draw if enough
rain falls quickly... History tells of many mining towns located along creeks
or rivers that were totally wiped out by floods...
Canadian
River was watery trap 9-30-08
Almost every
early day description, narrative and historical note written about the Canadian
River uses the words "dangerous," "treacherous," "quicksand" and "death." Whether
man, beast or wagon was involved, the river often took its toll...
'Big
Ditch' brought river water to gold mines 9-23-08
My
recent column about The Moreno Valley, home of Eagle Nest town and lake, generated
questions about The Big Ditch Project constructed in 1868 to furnish water to
the new gold mines...
Camino
Real known as scenic byway 9-16-08
The old
road "Camino Real" or Royal Road may not be the oldest road in America but was
completed in 1598, a long time ago... The U.S. designated it a National Scenic
Byway and in November of 2005... | |
Columns
(Weekly starting
May 2007)
Travelers
forced to siphon 9-9-08Selling
water never a thought 9-2-08Moreno
Valley great spot for a vacation 8-26-08
Stetson
led way for modern cowboy hats 8-19-08
XIT
was on cutting edge of ranching 8-12-08
There
were rules in good-old days, too 8-5-08Deadly
trail tamed by fort's installation 7-29-08Old
West accounts often fabrications 7-24-08
Vigilantes were the law
in frontier towns 7-14-08Technology
replacing old ranching ways 7-10-08Fresh
beef top concern for settlers 7-3-08Forts
the front line for Texas 6-26-08Early
Texas rarely let go of land 6-19-08Early
Texas settlers saw many firsts 6-12-08Military
posts had top jobs 6-3-08Hanging
preceded death of a town 5-29-08Early
settlers threw mega-wedding 5-13-08Lots
of laughter in Old West 5-8-08Origins
of land ownership 5-1-08POW
camp stirs memories 4-24-08No
journey too far for determined cattlemen 4-17-08Icons
grow grayer 4-10-08Wagons
vehicles of West 3-27-08Voters
hold fiery rally 3-20-08Tick
trouble takes 30 years to terminate 3-13-08Locusts
plague settlers 3-6-08Crude
work: Oil methods fascinating 2-28-08Horse-to-tractor
switch laborious 2-21-08Brush
up on the classic products 2-14-08Dust
Bowl was deadly 2-7-08Indian
scouts helped end the Indian wars 1-31-08Horse
had to run its course
Region the birthplace of shopping cart, 'Old Yeller'
1-22-08Captain
William Coe lived criminal highlife 1-16-08Orphans
find homes in West 1-8-08Standardized
wheel widths kept you in a rut 12-26-07Pop.:
150, minimum 12-18-07It's
a wonder the Panhandle was ever settled 12-11-07Patience
a valuable lesson 12-3-07Military
editions are book rarities 11-27-07Train
travelers owe much to service pioneer 11-20-07Old
West fires often impossible to tame 11-13-07Tobacco
is as American as apple pie and baseball 11-6-07Survival
rough as the land in Cimarron Country 10-30-07Old-time
improvisation in branding and jailing 10-23-07Early
ranchers formed well-organized groups 10-16-07Bull
Durham tobacco the 'cheapest luxury' 10-10-07New
Deal art provided hope 10-2-07Museum
honors horse's gallantry 9-25-07Surveying,
mother of invention 9-18-07'Spares'
needed pairs 9-11-07Myths
of the South Plains 9-5-07Stables
were cultural hub 8-28-07How
legends are made 8-21-07Lamp
chores evolved 8-14-07Conditioning
a saddle into tiptop quality 8-7-07Water
supply not to be taken for granted 8-1-07Annual
pear event preserves the past 7-10-07Buffalo
slaughter had benefits 7-3-07Can
you please pass the salt? 6-26-07 Home
canning was a high-pressure job 6-19-07 Country
cures tame pesky farm critters 6-12-07 Measuring
systems of the past 5-29-07 Fascinated
by food facts 5-22-07 Higgins
was stage station 5-14-07 Trail
drivers brought in income, coined phrases 5-6-07Hungry
cowboys foil pickle plan 5-2-07 History?
It's in the mail 3-30-07 Autograph
book reveals mother's girlhood 2-1-07 My,
how record keeping has changed 1-1-07 Work
continued despite weather conditions 12-15-06 Old
gardeners avoided 'feast or famine' route 12-1-06 Wildfires
top long list of life's hazards 11-14-06 Great
Depression brought many programs 11-1-06 Rationing
reminds of sacrifices for war effort 10-16-06 Some
old-time superstitions prevail 10-3-06 Book
about old-time expressions evokes story 9-26-06 Dirt-moving
methods improve through years 9-19-06 Chance
chats solve history's mysteries 9-13-06 Texas
weather always unpredictable 9-5-06 What
a smoker smokes can reveal personality 8-29-06 Past
can continue to serve the present 8-21-06 Rollaway
bed was favorite for sleeping, hiding 8-15-06 Texas,
Oklahoma line ever-shifting until 1930 8-8-06 Water
- then and now 8-1-06 Right
lubrication greases squeakiest of wheels 7-25-06 Tagging
vehicles has colorful history 7-18-06 Mineral
Wells once a booming health spa 7-10-06 Haphazard
biscuits now memories 7-4-06 Second
income not such a new thing after all 6-27-06 Saving
energy has always been worthwhile 6-20-06 Love,
appreciation for trees go full circle 6-13-06 Deere
was a man farmers could really dig 6-7-06 'Greatest
Generation' kept America together 5-29-06 Evolving
farms grew to look like small towns 5-22-06 Water
defines local historical events 5-17-06 WPA
aided America's health 5-8-06 Being
in hot water actually a luxury 5-3-06 A
look at wash day from early to modern 4-25-06 Crocks:
The Tupperware of their day 4-17-06 A
criminal or a saint? You never know 4-11-06 Reflecting
on traditional meat processing 3-30-06 Brick
chimneys a favorite memory 3-14-06 Ghost
towns aplenty in Texas Panhandle 3-11-06 Daily
chores were priority during childhood 2-27-06 Cowboys:
Stand-up comedians for the Lord 2-21-06 Neighbors
quick to help those in need 2-14-06 Technology
opens many doors 2-7-06 Dipping
into the history of snuff, tobacco 1-31-06 Pederson
Creek offered unique privileges 1-24-06 Canning
remains popular throughout time 1-18-06 Childhood
medications were simple, gave relief 1-12-06 Trewisms:
Hard-earned observations reflect life's lessons 12-13-05 Phillips
66 Service Station 10-1-05
The First Phillips 66 Retail Outlet in Texas
– 1928
Encounters
of the outhouse kind make great family reunion tales 9-17-05 Lessons
Learned Riding School Bus Last a Lifetime 8-26-05 Rural
'home office' centered on farmer's almanac 8-7-05 Wash
day on the farm always fell on Monday 7-22-05 Factory-made
horse trailer had its share of problems 7-1-05 A
penny saved is worthless if it's nowhere to be found 6-15-05 Memory
tickled by itch of childhood ailments 6-1-05 Boys
will be boys - and also troublemakers 5-14-05 Domino,
pool parlors were pre-TV entertainment 5-1-05 Point
of view depends on viewing point 4-11-05 Some
cuss words aren't really cuss words 4-5-05 Language
changes a little from generation to generation 3-28-09
Some believe a
different language was spoken in the old days? Maybe so, here are a few examples
used by the Trew clan.
War
surplus was godsend to folks at home 3-14-05
"Everyone wanted a jeep.
This heroic vehicle had appeared in every war movie, newsreel and photo sent home
from the war." Quills,
nibs, ink bladders were part of daily life 3-1-05 All
types of things happened when making butter 2-1-05 Dogs
figure in life's fondest memories 1-16-05 Planning
for weather is trying proposition 1-1-05 Fuel
Fires Up Memories 12-15-04
'Waste
not, want not' was law at supper 12-1-04
Once
lowly fare, potatoes enjoy popularity 11-15-04 Home
remedies would cure or kill you 11-1-04 The
Hog, the Whole Hog, Nothin' but the Hog 10-20-04 The
Great Nail Pickup 9-1-04 First
Car Memories 8-17-04 Old
Time Objects Long Gone 8-2-04 Five
gallon buckets were versatile, useful farm equipment 7-7-04
Two addendums to vows help marriage to last 5-26-04Coal
oil was useful all-purpose home remedy 4-1-04Unique
Monument 3-24-04
The "TRIBUTE TO BARBED WIRE" The Only Monument in the
World dedicated to Barbed Wire Got
sweet, skim, sour, butter or scalded milk? 3-19-04Using
concrete involved search for sand, much hauling 3-19-04Things
Worthy of Prayer: Baling wire, duct tape, drywall screws and caulking 3-17-04
Quilting
was hub of family, social life 3-14-04
'My
mama's cornbread' discussion gets hot 3-14-04Biscuits,
even the 'whomp' kind, make world a better place 3-14-04Bugs
provided hours of entertainment 3-14-04
Smoking
just seemed to go along with pioneer, cowboy life 3-10-04
Mailbox
was rural portal to outside world 3-3-04
Screen
door was faithful fixture 2-26-04
Barbed
Wire Telephones 2-20-04
Harvey
Girls and Juke Quarters
2-6-04
A fact most significant to the history
of the West is that approximately 100,000 girls signed up to work for Fred Harvey
from 1901 to about 1944.
Linoleum
was family's first sign of prosperity 2-6-04
Dishevelment
is lifelong trait | Delbert
Trew
Delbert Trew was born
in Ochiltree County in the northern Panhandle of Texas in 1933. His wife Ruth
was also born in the Panhandle on a farm near Follett, Texas. This was during
the darkest days of the Great Depression and in the heart of the Dustbowl. They
are retired and live 65 miles east of Amarillo on a ranch that's been in the family
for 54 years.
Both have suffered personal tragedy. Delbert's first wife
and sixteen-year-old daughter were killed in a car wreck in 1970 and Ruth's first
husband, a Marine helicopter pilot became one of those still missing in Vietnam.
They married, combining their surviving families.
Living through hard
times, good times, tragedy and three major wars gave Delbert boxcar loads of hindsight
and experience.
Delbert retired from a lifetime of farming and ranching
along with stints as a carpenter, cow trader and 35 years as a "Saturday night
professional musician." He turned to freelance writing because he was "literally
full of it."
Writing for newspapers, magazines, doing public speaking
and now publishing books, his writing hobby has turned into a full-time job. He
doesn't complain, since it's still better than digging post holes in the hard
Panhandle soil.
He states to all, "I write from a been-there, done-that
and seen-it-all philosophy. Whether I write or speak, and whether the subject
is nostalgic, historical or humorous, I guarantee 'It's All Trew' from start to
finish."
As a disclaimer he sometimes says, "I never let the truth stand
in the way of a good story" and other times he says, "If you've already heard
this story, don't stop me, 'cause I want to hear it again, myself."
Delbert
is also a museum curator and supervisor at the Devil's Rope Barbwire Museum in
McLean, Texas. Those traveling old Route 66 would be hard pressed to find a more
qualified Panhandle ambassador.
His time spent as an editor/publisher,
plus being "a mite windy" assures that time spent with his writing or listening
to his programs will be both enjoyable and fun.
His column "It's All
Trew" appears weekly in the Amarillo Globe News. Mr. Trew has graciously
agreed to share his column with our readers providing them a closer look at the
Texas Panhandle - past and present.
February
5, 2004
Delbert Trew's website
: http://delberttrew.com/
|
Books by Delbert
TrewDelbert
Trew - Book Order Form "It's
All Trew" 80 weekly news articles as published in the Amarillo Globe-News
Here
and Gone: A Gray County Centennial Edition
The
RO Brand: The Story of Alfred Rowe, founder of McLean, Texas and the RO Ranch.
The
McLean P.O.W. Camp: A WWII installation built at McLean, Texas
Warwire:
The History of Obstacle Wire Used in Warfare
With Bill Russell:
Twice
Told Tales of the Llano Estacado (Illustrated by Al Martin Napoletano) |
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