by Ed Nelson
We loaded everything including the other crooks up and headed to Fort Worth. Our numbers added up. There were five just like the gang. When we pulled into the Fort Worth Cattle Auction House there was a guy waiting for the trucks to pull in. He had a brief case with him.
Later I learned; the Dad who was in another truck with one of the Rangers pointed out the guy and said that’s him. I was with the son in the truck with the horse trailer. The Rangers had deputized me so I could legally hold a gun on the young guy if needed. I kept it handy but he made no moves.
Dad got out of the truck and the guy with the brief case came right up to him and handed him the case. The Rangers were right behind the guy and collared him. They had him in cuffs immediately.
The guy blustered and asked if they knew who he was.
“Yes you are the guy with a brief case full of money in the process of buying two loads of stolen cattle.”
“I’ll have you know that I am the biggest donor to the Governor.”
That probably was the wrong thing to say because that Governor had been trying for years to cut the Rangers budget and powers. Texas did get a new administration in the next election.
I noticed that dad and son had disappeared. I hope they got home before mom got mad.
The Rangers explained to me that this was a big deal and it would make the national news. I told the head Ranger, Mr. Walker they could have all the credit and leave me out of it.
He told me that wasn’t possible, he would like the credit but they couldn’t lie about this, it would bite them in the butt if they did. The Rangers would look good from this, but so would I.
The reward for the information leading to the capture and conviction of the largest cattle rustling operation in the twentieth century was eighty five thousand dollars. I wouldn’t get that till after the trial and conviction and that wouldn’t be until sometime next year.
In the meantime they gave me a real Texas Ranger badge and swore me in as a permanent Deputy.
I was told this was really an honorary position and I wasn’t to wear my guns and arrest people. There was even an ID card and a leather case to hold it and the badge. I bet when I was old enough to drive this would get me out of speeding tickets!
Chapter 9
The Rangers delivered me to the Rodeo headquarters and got me checked in. This started some questions about a young rider being escorted by the Rangers. They just told the people at the check in desk that as an unaccompanied minor they were making certain I got to where I needed to be.
After checking me into the rodeo the Rangers took me to an address Clint Easterly had provided. When helping me register for the championship he had contacted some Dallas people he knew so I would have a place to stay with a local family, the Ewing’s.
They had a ranch and a lot of oil wells but were really nice to me, and became my supporters at the event.
They did seem uptight about the Rangers showing up with me but soon relaxed when they were told what had happened. The older brother was quite pleased to hear the sitting governor would be having some questions to answer. Seems the Ewing’s were a power in Texas.
My skills as a rider held up but that wouldn’t have been enough to win the Championship. I got lucky; the last bull dislodged me and tossed me to the right, and while I hung on the bull tossed me to the left and then swung me right back onto its back.
Watching the movie reel of the event it looked like a planned move. When asked later how I had perfected it I said it was a once in a life time gamble and did not recommend anyone else try it.
I received a check for one thousand dollars and the largest silver belt buckle and trophy I had ever seen. I then found a pay phone and made the promised call to Brian Wilson to see how our song was doing.
Brian was really glad I called, he had been contacted by the TV show, “American Bandstand” and they wanted us to appear as soon as we could while the song was still hot.
I only had one week left before I had to be home so we agreed to do it the following week. I was to fly to Philadelphia on Eastern Airlines and he would have my flight met by a car and driver.
I also called Clint Easterly and thanked him profusely for his introducing me to bull riding and that I was now the American Grand National Junior Champion. I had to describe the ride and my winning move.
He mumbled something about being born with a horseshoe up my butt, but I probably misheard him. We promised to stay in touch and ended the call.
I took a Taxi to a local Sheplers and bought more new clothes and suitcases to carry it in. There was one carryon bag for suits that had compartments for boots! The outline of the boots shows on the outside. It was really neat.
The salesman convinced me that I needed a suit and the carry on, and by the way, I should probably have new boots while I was at it.
The grey suit with gold edging had that western look; it went well with my black Stetson. I had a hard time choosing between the Ostrich skin and Alligator boots. The helpful salesman pointed out that I could buy both, keeping one pair in the carryon while wearing the others. I left my old rucksack and sleeping bag with them as they were plumb wore out.
When I was buying my ticket at the airport I was asked if it was first class or coach, I found that it would only cost seventy five dollars for first class. I peeled the money off my money clip and paid the lady. This sure was a change from the beginning of the summer!
The flight on the brand new jet plane was smooth and I looked out the window most of the flight. This was really neat and I decided I would learn to fly one day. The meal was a nice little fillet mignon. They kept bringing me Cokes the entire flight. I really needed to pee when the flight landed, I didn’t learn till later they had toilets on the plane.
I thought about swiping the silverware as a souvenir but decided that didn’t fit my new status as a Texas Ranger. I was learning about pictures in the paper.
A man with a sign met me at the airport and after a quick trip to the restroom we went out to the car. It was a long stretched out car he called a limo. He took me to a big old hotel downtown. At the front desk they were expecting me and told me my suite was ready.
A man in a funny uniform took me and my bags upstairs and showed me all around my room. He seemed reluctant to leave. He just stood there with his hand in his pocket jingling some change. I didn’t know what to do so I just looked back at him. He turned and left but didn’t seem happy.
Brian Wilson called my room and asked me if everything was okay. I told him it was but that the bellhop seemed unhappy. He asked how much I had tipped him. Uh oh! Small town kid strikes again. Brian and I agreed to meet in the lobby to go out for dinner.
I got cleaned up and put my fancy new suit on and went down a little early. I explained to the front desk my error with the bellhop and asked what a proper amount would be to tip. They told me a dollar a bag was normal but if I could afford it five dollars would go a long way to making the guy happy.
I was lucky and the bellhop, Johnnie was still on duty. I gave him five bucks and explained I was green as grass. He told me he figured that was the case and thanked me.
Brian and I had a really good dinner at a restaurant called Bookbinders or something like that. The other guys in the band were going elsewhere. I got the idea it might involve drinking and women. Recently things like that were sounding attractive, especially the women part.
The next morning we had breakfast in my suite and went to the studio where they did American Bandstand. The host Dick Clark was real nice to Brian and me and introduced us to another singer a little older than me that was appearing, Paul Anka.
Waiting in a little room called for some reason the Green Room, which was painted grey, we had a really good talk about my possible career as a singer.
Paul had listened to my song. Both Paul and Brian agreed I didn’t have the voice for a career. The song was a novelty hit but that was it. I didn’t disagree with this harsh estimate of my talent.
Paul w
ho turned out to be an astute businessman said, “You might consider donating all the profits from this song to a charity. From what little I know of your story from Brian you will be hit with some hefty taxes.”
Brain agreed that made sense so I made a decision right then and there.
When we were introduced I told the audience that this was a fun song and that I wouldn’t have a career singing so had decided to donate all my profits to the Leukemia Society. Later I was told that was a little overboard, I had just blown fifty thousand dollars.
I do know that before I got off the air I had a phone call from the Leukemia Society wanting to get it in writing. Later in the year it turned out to be a good move according to Dad’s tax accountant.
The show went well but I later learned that if newspaper stories got around TV did it in spades. I had worn my Texas Ranger badge on my suit. The camera’s focused on it several times.
This caused questions to be asked of the Texas Rangers who told the whole story of my help with the capturing the cattle rustlers. This made me national news. Since it wasn’t breaking news it didn’t come out till the weekend and I was safely home.
It was now a week till school started so it was time to head home. The next morning I flew to Dayton Ohio and hired a taxi to drive me to Bellefontaine and home. I had too much stuff to hitchhike now. There was only one problem when I got home, there was no one there.
The house was empty! A neighbor Twyla came out and told me where we had moved to, it was in the nicest area of town, Indian Heights. The driver took me there and this time I had a wonderful welcome.
That was my summer vacation in 1958 and exactly how it happened, give or take a lie or two.
Chapter 10
The cab dropped me off at my new home a week before school was to start. My parents had moved while I was on my summer trip but at least they left word where we had moved to. I knew right away that it was the correct house. My two younger brothers were shooting hoops on the basket attached to the two car garage.
Denny the oldest yelled, “Mum, he’s home!”
Younger brother Eddie took the opportunity to steal the ball from Denny. This set off one of their typical yelling matches. Yep, I was home.
To say my arrival home was tumultuous would be putting it mildly. I had been gone all summer, and had enough adventures for a lifetime. On top of that I had raised our families standard of living by providing a new paid for home, a new car along with money in the bank.
Mum came running out the door and swept me into a hug. Dad was right behind, and started to shake my hand, but instead swept me into his own hug. Mary wrapped herself around my leg. At first it was a continuous babble about the new house, new car, me being home, the adventures I had. No order for anyone of us. The words just flowed. I was home!
Things finally settled down and Mum gave me a tour of our new house. I was shown my new bedroom. Each of us had our own bedroom in the five bed room home. There was an eat in kitchen, dining room, living room with fireplace, family room, a mud room between the kitchen and garage. The master bedroom suite was downstairs. The upstairs had a junior suite with a small bathroom which was mine.
The other kids shared a bathroom. I suspected that one day my four year old sister Mary and I would be switching rooms, but that was in the future.
There was also a full basement with a recreation room. The rec room had a regulation size pool table, with a table tennis top which set on top of the pool table. There was also a fireplace and a wet bar. The laundry room was big and airy; there was a laundry chute on each floor so you could drop dirty clothes all the way to the laundry room!
The lot was about one acre in size which meant I would have a lot of mowing to do. Fortunately the neighborhood was new enough that the trees were not full grown, so I wouldn’t have to rake many leaves. I would miss burning them though. There was a brick fireplace out back for grilling, and I could still burn the trash in it, so my inner fire bug would be satisfied.
The house had a gas furnace which meant I wouldn’t have to shovel coal, and clean out ashes like the last house. That I wouldn’t miss at all. There was nothing worse than getting out of bed on a cold morning, with the coal fire banked, and having to go to the basement to get it going, and then waiting for the house to warm up. There would be five of us standing on the main warm air register on cold days.
I didn’t know if we would have a garden here like we did at the old place, as there weren’t any in our new neighborhood. There wasn’t a clothes line strung, but there was one of those whirly things that always seemed to need restringing.
After my tour of our new house the family settled into the family room. Things had settled enough we could have a real conversation. There were a hundred questions about my trip.
My rodeo and ribbons were brought out, and I showed off the belt buckles I had won. After showing off my Colt 45’s Mum insisted that I keep them locked up in the gun cabinet in the basement.
My brother Denny pontifically stated, “You told us you camped in a dell. Dell is a proper name, like Mum’s sister Aunt Dell.”
“Denny, Dell can be a proper name like Aunt Dell, but when it is not capitalized it refers to a small secluded valley, similar to a dale. However, while a dale is a small valley, it is not necessarily secluded,” I told our budding young grammar Nazi.
“I was even given a ride by a Mr. Michael Dell out in Texas so Dell can be a first and last name.”
My now pouting brother was told to quit interrupting or go to his room by Mum. I started to tell about the bank robbery but Dad broke in, “We will talk about that later.”
John Wayne had sent the autographed copy of Variety that told about how Elvis Presley, Tab Hunter and I had got in a fight in Mexico and I had to bail them out of jail. The Mexican Police had sold pictures of us all together with the Police so I couldn’t deny it. Actually Mum and Dad were okay about it.
I think Mr. Wayne writing; “Wish I was there”, helped.
They wanted to hear all about the movies I was in; even Denny and Eddie were impressed that they would see me on an upcoming Mickey Mouse Club TV show.
They both thought it a shame that I hadn’t a chance to get to know Annette. Denny even wanted to know if I kissed her. As if I could get past those chaperons!
Mum and Dad wanted to know all about John Wayne. They also let me know that Elvis had been drafted and was now in the Army! They also liked the way I had worked my way across the country and not just hitchhiked.
The story about the Texas Rangers and the Rustlers had everyone on the edge of their seats. Mum made a point that I was lucky not to get killed. She seemed to forget I was the one with the guns.
My singing career was amazing to the whole family because we weren’t noted for our ability to keep a tune other than in a bushel basket. None of the family had seen my appearance on American Bandstand. They were all interested in how I was treated in Philadelphia.
When I told them about my promise to the Leukemia Society Dad about had a cow. When I told him about Paul Anka’s and Brian Wilson’s comments on taxes his words were unprintable.
He hates taxes. He blames all of those on President Eisenhower. When he calmed down he reached the conclusion we would have to talk to an accountant.
Luckily I had kept all the paperwork from my trip. This included the record contract, reward notices, rodeo winnings, movie and TV pay, plus my roughneck pay. Mr. Easterly had paid me out of pocket and it was only twenty dollars a week for three weeks.
My brothers and sister left us alone after they established I had not brought them any presents. I wish I had thought of that, especially for Mum and Dad.
When I mentioned that I was sorry about no gifts.
Mum laughed at me. “Ricky you just gave this family this wonderful new house and you haven’t even seen the 1958 Buick Roadmaster we have in the garage!”
This led us into a financial discussion. I had sent home twenty-five thousand dollars from the bank reward
. There was probably going to be another eighty-five thousand dollar reward within six months but we wouldn’t count that till it happened.
I also had nine hundred dollars left over from my trip but I intended to keep that separate for my use.
The house had cost sixteen thousand dollars and the car twenty four hundred. After the new furniture, electric washer and dryer we had a little over six thousand dollars left. My parents asked me what I wanted to do with that. I turned the question around to them.
“You know more of what the family needs than I do. What do you think?”
Mum and Dad exchanged looks and Dad started.
“Rick, work hasn’t been good. You know I’m only on the extra board on the railroad. I only get called for work after all the regular full time employees have been scheduled for their forty hour work weeks. Many weeks there aren’t forty hours of work available to me.”
“I thought you have been working there since you came back from the war. Don’t you have seniority?”
All railroad kids knew about seniority. Dad’s time book where he kept track of his hours even had a list of employees and their starting years. When he started in 1946 the most senior person had been there since 1898.
“I have, but the railroad has been declining faster than my seniority has been building. Trucks, buses and the new jet planes are taking over the freight and passenger business. I am afraid the railroads days are numbered for me. We own some stock in the New York Central and it keeps going down. I don’t think the government will let it shut down but it will be much smaller and consolidated with fewer employees than ever.”
“What are you going to do?”
Chapter -11
“Mum and I have an idea; we have been talking about this ever since you sent the reward money. We still own the house on North Detroit Street. We would like to fix it up and rent it out. If that works we would like to buy others and do the same thing.”
