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James Frank Dobie

Cow People (The J. Frank Dobie Paperback Library) Paperback – January 1, 1981

by J. Frank Dobie (Author)

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Cow People records the fading memories of a bygone Texas, the reminiscences of the cow people themselves. These are the Texans of the don't-fence-me-in era, their faces pinched by years of squinting into the desert glare, tanned by the sun and coarsened by the dust of the Chisholm Trail. Their stories are often raucous but just as often quiet as hot plains under a pale Texan sky.

A native Texan, J. Frank Dobie had an inborn knowledge of the men and customs of the trail camps. Cattlemen were as various as the country was big. Ab Blocker was a tall, quiet man who belonged totally to the cattle and the silent plains. But big men often had big lungs. "Shanghai Pierce was the loudest man in the country. He would sit at one end of a day coach and in normal voice hold conversation with some man at the other end of the coach, who of course had to yell, while the train was clanking along. He knew everybody, yelled at everybody he saw."

Texas bred tall men and taller stories. There was Findlay Simpson, who played havoc with fact but whiled away the drivers' long, lonely evenings with his tales. Old Findlay told of a country so wet that it bogged down the shadow of a buzzard, and of cattle that went into hibernation during rugged winters; he once spun yarns for three days straight, outlasting his listeners in a marathon of endurance.

All real cow people—from the cattle drivers to the cattle owners—lived by a simple code based on the individual's integrity. Bothering anyone else's poke or business uninvited was strictly forbidden, and enforcement of this unwritten law was as easy as pulling a trigger. Honesty was taken for granted, and a cowman's name on a check made it negotiable currency.

Yet Texas had its "bad guys"—the crooks, the thieves, even the tightwads. "A world big enough to hold a rattlesnake and a purty woman is big enough for all kinds of people," wrote Dobie. This is the world whose vast and various population the reader will find in Cow People.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University of Texas Press
Publication date

January 1, 1981
Dimensions

8.25 x 5.4 x 0.91 inches
ISBN-10

0292710607
ISBN-13

978-0292710603
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Cow People records the fading memories of a bygone Texas, the reminiscences of the cow people themselves. These are the Texans of the don't-fence-me-in era, their faces pinched by years of squinting into the desert glare, tanned by the sun and coarsened by the dust of the Chisholm Trail. Their stories are often raucous but just as often quiet as hot plains under a pale Texas sky.

About the Author

J. Frank Dobie (1888–1964) was a folklorist and author of many books about Texas life and culture.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Texas Press; 1st Edition (January 1, 1981)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0292710607
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0292710603
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.25 x 5.4 x 0.91 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,174,113 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #27,014 in U.S. State & Local History

Customer Reviews:
28 ratings

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5 star		67%
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Daniel F. Rousseau

History comes alive.

Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2020

Verified Purchase

Frank Dobie's writings are aimed at those of us who want to know what life was like in the great west for the colorful people brave and restless enough to face it. If you love western history, you'll love Cow People.

2 people found this helpful

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Nick Sinclair

True glimpses of yesteryear's real Western people.

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2016

Verified Purchase

Mr. Dobie has always been one of my favorite authors. His thorough grasp of a time that has gone forever provides the basis for the stories in this highly enjoyable book. In it you will meet some amazing characters introduced with a wealth of interesting detail. I'm quite sure that Larry McMurtry read this, and other works by Mr. Dobie, when writing the Lonesome Dove series!

4 people found this helpful

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J. Coquat

Cow People

Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2005

Verified Purchase

I have several titles by J. Frank Dobie, and I also am an aspiring writer of western historical lore. I use Dobie books in my research and as guides to find information. Cow People is an excellent reference for pieces that happen on or around the big spreads of the 19th century, and an interesting read. I enjoy reading about the old timers that I have heard so much about through the years, especially the ones that were here in our area. I too have worked cattle and horses on these same lands, so it takes me to places and times with which I am very familiar. I identify with the Dobie take on things because he's home-folks. He reported faithfully the way of life in this Brush-Country of ours and was one of my grandfather's best friends.

12 people found this helpful

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Dr. James L. Griffin, Ph.D.

WESTERN hERITAGE

Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2016

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If your interested in our western heritage, a MUST READ!
Coming from a Floridian Reared AGGIE!

One person found this helpful

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Ada M

Cow People

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2011

Verified Purchase

This is the only book that has a picture of my Great-Great Grandfather who is listed as a trail driver on the Chisholm Trail. I have passed this book on to family member to have as a reference. We were not around to know him, but can relate with pictures of relatives from the pass, and can see family "resemblance". The store is short, still can we can relate.
Thanks!

4 people found this helpful

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xina stone

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2014

Verified Purchase

down home and love the old stories