6000 Miles of Fence

M.K. Brown Range Life Series

by Cordia Sloan Duke, Joe B. Frantz

The fabulous XIT Ranch has been celebrated in song, story, and serious history. This book of reminiscences of old XIT cowmen puts on record the everyday life of the individuals who made the ranch run. Their forthright, yet picturesque, discussion of ranching hardships and dangers dissipates Hollywood and TV glamorizing. They relate in honest cowboy language what actually happened inside the XIT's 6,000 miles of fence. Cordia Sloan Duke, wife of an XIT division manager, Robert L. Duke, many years ago realized that only those who had experienced ranch life could depict it with deep understanding. As the young wife of a rising young ranch hand, she kept in her apron pocket a notebook and pencil, recording all manner of interesting details as they caught her attention. This diary was the nucleus for the present book. Conceiving of an account of life on the XIT as presented by XIT cowboys, Mrs. Duke set about drawing from reticent, sometimes reluctant, ranch hands the impressions of the XIT (occasionally written down by their more literate wives or daughters) which they had retained through the years. Cordia Sloan Duke and Joe B. Frantz have organized the reminiscences around key aspects of ranch life, retaining the language of the cow hands.

285 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[J]

Gift for JMW

[James]

Direct from the cow hands, these stories are incredible and entertaining!!! The story of the XIT ranch and Texas Panhandle history in the late 19th century.

[Susan]

As recommndd in J.Brashear's bk, avail frm Univ Tx Press

[Aubrey Caudill]

really easy read, well compiled, good introduction of each piece, two thumbs up. if you want to read history, this book is the way to do it.