On the morning of August 1, 1917, one of my longest travels started from Alexander Neighborhood, near Eldorado, Texas, about halfway between Mertzon and Eldorado.
     Dad had a 1914 Model T Ford touring car. The top folded down and it had side curtains you snapped on when cold or rainy. It had a brass radiator and brass headlights with two carriage lanterns near the windshield, operated with kerosene oil. It had only two front doors. The spare tire was mounted on the rear seat, outside. We had an old curved top trunk on one running board, and an old square trunk on the other side. The camp gear and everything was in back with us two boys on top. The clothes were in the two trunks. We had only two wagon sheets to sleep waterproof. The car had a four cylinder engine and ran on white gas, which was all you could burn in those days, at 10 cents a gallon.     
     We left Alexander early in the morning and went to Dove Creek, near Mertzon. We went on a road right down the creek to a little town, Knickerbocker, which is still there, near San Angelo. That is where we spent the first night. You see, that was in the days before paved roads were heard of, just two tracks out through the country. We traveled about 10 to 15 miles per hour. We camped near where Dove Creek and Spring Creek ran together. That was long before Twin Buttes Lake was thought of. There was an Indian camp and battleground there in the old days.
     The second morning we were up real early as Dad was one of those early risers. We had to pack all the camp gear each day as we camped. We came on Knickerbocker Road into San Angelo, an awfully big town to me, population about five to seven thousand. We hit North Chadbourne Street and headed toward Sterling City. Dad did stop and buy us boys ten sticks of peanut butter-filled candy for 5 cents. That was always my favorite candy.  No stick candy, then jawbreaker balls. We went right out to Sterling City and on the second night we were at Big Spring, Texas. We boys were real excited, as we got to see and be near our first railroad and steam trains. We camped near the Big Spring so we could have water and get a bath. We had a small washtub tied on the side of the car. I'll never forget how cold that springwater was. Big Spring had probably two thousand population.
     After we left Big Spring we headed out for Lubbock, Texas. We first came to Lamesa, where we stopped and had a quick lunch. We had no sandwiches. Mama would fry up enough home-cured bacon or ham. She made camp bread and always made up enough pones of bread so we would have enough for dinner. We had plenty of preserves of jelly, which she had canned up early in the summer. After dinner we drove on into Lubbock, or near outside of town where we pitched camp. Dad did pretty good as we made a little over 100 miles that day. Mama couldn't drive, so Dad had to do it all.
     We were up early as usual and took off north for Amarillo, Texas. We went through Abernathy and Plainview, on to Tulia, and then into Amarillo. As usual we camped out on the edge of town, which had a population of about 2,000.  We couldn't get over the flat country and could see for miles in all directions. We were doing pretty good, about 100 miles per day.
     After we left Amarillo we began to change our direction and started going to the northwest, and our next stop would be in another state, New Mexico. Bill and were real excited. We first came to Dalhart, Texas, about noon and stopped for our hardtack and salt pork, or ham, whichever Mama had for breakfast. After we left Dalhart we came to Texline, the border of New Mexico. I remember it was Sunday and they were having a baseball game. Dad pulled in and we watched the game for a few innings, then, into New Mexico. We stopped at Clayton for the night.
     As we left Clayton, N.M., we were starting on our 6th day out. We were getting a little travel-worn so we made about 85 miles this day. We were beginning to see mountains in the distance and were really getting excited. We now headed straight west from Clayton. We spent the night in Springer, New Mexico.
     As we left Springer we began to climb. We were seeing mountains near 6000 feet. We came into Las Vegas, N.M. and finally stopped for the night at a little place called Serafina, just on the edge of Santa Fe National Forest. We were excited as little boys could be at seeing trees so big. The first thing Bill and I did was to see if, with hands together, we could reach around them.
     After leaving Serafina we headed for Bernalillo, N.M. We were there around noon. We stopped for lunch on the Rio Grande, much to our pleasure.
     Then we headed for Albuquerque. It was a nice little town and all typical Spanish, all the old buildings and, to our pleasure, our first real Indians!
     Not far out of Albuquerque we were in the Ysleta Reservation. Then, we went into Cañoncito country, and then, Acoma Reservation. We were really seeing the Indians and they were still pretty wild and primitive. They looked awful mean to us and not friendly.
     We drove a little late and got into Bluewater that night, the eighth day out. We found Dad's friends, the Evanses, from Mertzon. They had gone up there and homesteaded a section of land. Bluewater is close to Grants.  I think Grants came into being after we were up there. These folks took up land near the Cibilo National Forest. I remember it had lots of piñon trees on it. We went out and gathered piñon nuts one day. I remember how wild the Indians were. The big celebration at Gallup was in progress, the big Pow Wow in those days. When the Indians started home there were hundreds of them going back to the reservation on foot, horses, and wagons. Lots of them were drunk. The Evans house was about 100 yards from the road.
     One day the men folks had gone out to the homestead and the women folks stayed at the house. We saw a drunk Indian coming toward the house and Bill and I ran and told Mrs. Evans. She came out with her six-shooter cocked and ready. The Indian came up to the yard gate and unhooked it. She came off the porch with the gun aimed at him. When he saw her he turned and ran back down the road. Mom asked her if she intended to shoot him. She said, "Hell, yes!" Just one step in the yard and she was going to pull the trigger. I guess she meant it, too.
     We stayed about a month and Mama was scared all the time we were there, so Dad decided not to homestead, and we headed west from Gallup. The Evanses didn't stay long, either. They let their homestead go and headed back home to Mertzon.

     We stayed at the Evans' until about September 15, 1917, and then headed for Gallup, N.M. We camped at the edge of Gallup, then a very small town. The next day we drove around and saw the sights, mostly Indians. Bill and I got a big kick out of the clothes they wore. Some had buckskin clothes; some had just an Indian blanket. We couldn't see underneath. We even saw some in loincloths.
     We left Gallup and got to a small place, Hauch, N.M. It was right along the Painted cliffs, a sight for two small boys. The next morning we left Hauch for Holbrook, Arizona.  We arrived in the afternoon. Between Hauch and Holbrook Dad saw a coyote about 100 yards off the road. He pulled his 30-30 out of the scabbard, which was buckled to the windshield. The gun was an old 1892 model Marlin octagon barrel 30-30, a rare thing today. He killed the coyote with the first shot. About that time an old Indian came out of the brush. We didn't know what was going to happen. The Indian could not speak English, so Dad used sign language and Indian gibberish, and finally showed him the coyote. Then, we drove on. Dad didn't know it but he wasn't supposed to shoot on the reservation.
     We got into Holbrook early, so we camped there. The next morning we took off early for Show Low. We were beginning to get back in the high country. The elevation was around 6000 feet. Show Low is in the Segovia National Forest. After Show Low we headed for Salt River Canyon, which was a hairy ride. It was just a two track road and a drop off 2000 feet into the canyon. At the bottom was a real small, just a country store and gasoline. Dad burned out the brakes on the old T model. We pitched camp next to the Rice Store at the bottom of the canyon. Dad had to catch a ride into Globe, Arizona, for new brake bands. He was gone overnight, and then put the new bands in, himself.
     The next morning we climbed out of the canyon and headed for Globe.  Between Salt Canyon and Globe we went through Tonto National Forest, some more giant trees which Bill and I loved. We pulled into Globe in the evening in time to pitch camp. All the way from Globe we were in the San Carlos Indian reservation.
     Next morning we changed directions again to the southeast as we headed for Safford, Arizona. The road then went to what is now Coolidge Dam, to Geronimo, Ft. Thomas, Pima, and on into Safford, where we camped for the night.
     Here again we changed directions. We headed due south for Wilcox, Arizona, where we camped for the night. With good luck the next day would end a nine day journey from Bluewater N.M. We arrived at Douglas, Arizona, early in the afternoon. Aunt Oma and Uncle Holmes Doole, Mama's sister, lived in Douglas at the old Copper Queen Apartments, a two-storey complex made of old red brick. We were ready to quit traveling for awhile.
It was about the 3rd of October. All our traveling time had been eighteen days, 1418 miles. I guess Dad started out with good tires as I can remember two flats on the trip.
     We rented a two bedroom apartment at the Copper Queen Apartments. Douglas was a town of about 3000 and had a big copper smelter there. The copper was mined at Bisbee, about 13 miles away. The ore was brought in by train.
     Dad got a job at a big produce company. The produce was brought in from Mexico, especially the bananas. To show what country hicks we kids were, we found a toilet room with a commode with a pipe out of the back for water and the tank was up near the ceiling with a long chain out of the side. We had never seen anything but an old two-holer toilet, no water. I told Bill I was going to swipe that nice little chain. I got hold of it and tried to pull it off, but when I jerked it the thing flushed. We thought we had broken a pipe. We were so scared that we ran for over a block. We never went back in there.
     The railroad yard was right near where we lived. Bill and I were always being chased by the railroad crew as we loved to hop the freight cars as they were switching.
     On November 18, 1917,  Alma Louise Smith was born at the old Copper Queen. Mama was not real well following the birth. Dad hired an old red-headed mulatto mammy to take care of us and the house. She was some old gal.
     On December 25, 1917, I was seven years old, so it was time for me to start to school. The first day Mama took me up and enrolled me. I was so scared after Mama left that I ran out of the schoolroom and headed for home. I beat Mama home by ten minutes. The next day after, Dad gave me a good stern talking to and I went back to school.
     In school a little black girl sat in front of me. When I got home I told Dad I didn't like that. Then another stern lesson followed on not being prejudiced, that those people also had red blood. She and I got to be real good friends. That has always stuck in my mind and to this day I don't let color or creed affect me. I read and write Spanish and have muchas amigos among the Spanish.
     There were a few interesting things about Douglas, Arizona. Across in Mexico was Agua Prieta, a small town almost completely torn up by Pancho Villa's army. Some of the adobe buildings had big holes in them where they had shot them with cannon. On the American side lots of adobes had holes in them or were completely torn up. The U.S. put an army post there in the Villa days. The 10th Cavalry was there with a big contingent of black soldiers.
     The elevation of Douglas is 3955 feet, near the elevation of Marathon.  Across the border the elevation goes up to around 8000 feet. The range of mountains is called the Cananea Fronteras. North of Douglas the Cow Mountains go up to around 9000 feet and the Coronado National Forest is in that area.