Frank Is Forced To Give Up His Cowboy Ways
Howdy folks and greetings from the Great Plains of North Texas!
We're in a series about one of the top Texas Ranger lawmen to ever wear the badge, the great Frank Hamer, who was brought out of retirement to take down Bonnie and Clyde.
In yesterday's post Frank was excelling in his work and taking alot of outlaws into custody. He'd spent most of his time in the saddle because of the vast, open spaces of Southwest Texas.
The Rangers had always been a mounted fighting force:
In fact, almost all his Ranger unit was still composed of cowboys. But they got the shock of their lives when Captain Rogers received orders from headquarters for the company to sell or give away their horses because they were being transferred to Austin.
This map shows the general area they'd been operating in and then you can see Austin several hundred miles to the East.
This sucked
Frank loved the country and he'd spent his life learning about nature and honing his wilderness skills so this was not good news. In fact, it sucked royally. But the men were dedicated to the cause so they all accepted the order.
It was a huge sacrifice too. Well shoot, just BEING a Ranger was a sacrifice because they didn't make any money.
They made a paltry $40 a month! That was half what the average city cop was making, and the city cops weren't exactly raking in the dough.
Here's a street scene from Austin in 1906, a mixture of horses, buggies, cars and trolley cars:
Check out that windmill on top of the building. lol.
I think Frank is going to stick out like a sore thumb among all those city-slickers with his big cowboy hat, boots and six shooter!
His story continues on the next post.
Thanks for reading folks, God bless you all!
-jonboy
Texas
PS- I found a couple more interesting wire sculptures, this time bare minimalist wire sculptures, almost not there but still ingenious:
![yi8hqbct6p.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://img.esteem.ws/yi8hqbct6p.jpg)
Look this one even has a cat!
![5npupogyng.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://img.esteem.ws/5npupogyng.jpg)
![l1xgphrt5d.png](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://img.esteem.ws/l1xgphrt5d.png)
![uvsylyennv.png](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://img.esteem.ws/uvsylyennv.png)
![ak059z170l.png](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://img.esteem.ws/ak059z170l.png)
What a shock to move from horse power to horsepower lol. Innovation has been going on for millennia
Howdy tamaralovelace! Yes, Frank was in a very transitional time in history. Not many people started out their careers on horseback and ended up in cars and airplanes!
You had Me at "Has a Cat"
@pooky-jax stole my Miracle Kitten...!!!
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haha! But he was too much of a wildman in the truck wasn't he?
Sadly yes.... I miss him badly. But only when i am parked.
Oh right, because he was all over the cab while you were driving! Don't need distractions!
i'm wondering how he was even going to afford to eat or live in the city on that pay?
I know. They all lived together in a building so they didn't have to pay for that and I hope they got some kind of food allowance!
I'm sure he must have liked it better out in the country hunting and fishing!
Yeah, talk about a fish out of water! But he was with others most of the time, at least at first so he got used to city living and transportation with them. He does get back out to the country later on though.
I'm guessing it was pretty good size city even back then. Nothing like now. But the noise and smell was probably pretty bad for someone used to the wide open country
Very good points sir rossfletcher, I'd love to know what his first impressions were when he first arrived! I bet he felt like he was on another planet!
Morning janton, I am sure Frank could buy a house on some land and keep some horses like Walker. What do you think?
I think he could eventually but at this point he has no money. He needs a hit show on tv like Walker!
He needs a manager, but that is pie in the sky thinking since that was not known in those days.
yeah he needs a manager or an agent! lol.
Moving to the city. Can't wait to see how Frank gets along there.
Interesting that there are minimalist wire sculptures.
Howdy tonight Melinda! I think Frank is so good that he can excell anywhere and those different types of wire sculptures continue to amaze me!
I'm sort of picturing "Beverly Hills Cop" with his move to Austin. Love that picture of the city!
lol! Good one sir wwwiebe! I thought that was agreat find also, that photo of the city in 1906. I love the mixture of horse drawn buggies and cars.
Frankie's transition from country boy to city boy. That would be take some getting used to for him.
The wire sculptures - very clever indeed.
Howdy sir Vincent! I agree about Frank but he's so good that I think he could excell wherever he is. Sorta like sir Vincent!
😊
I agree he will not fit in.
Those sculptures look like dreamscapes! Impossible!
Love the lions.
Howdy today owasco! I have no idea how they do any of the wire sculptures, mine would look like a wad of wire but theirs are so precise and perfect!
Mornin’ Cowboy! Frank is going from horseback to motor cars? I was thinking of the Bonnie and Clyde story where they pursued them by car.
The wire images are great.
yeah he's being forced to join the modern age! I agree, those sculptures are amazing.
But... but the cowboy hat... he gave up on that too? Did he? Diiiiiid he?! :D
No not for a long time, he still wore his cowboy hat and stood out like a sore thumb, plus he was 6ft 2 so with the hat on he REALLY stood out!