FREIGHTING

Over the years, various forms of freighting provided needed income and goods for the family.

When the family was living in Bandera County Texas, they cut large Cedar trees in the area and transported them to a sawmill in San Antonio by team and wagon. They also used their Ox teams to bring trees to their Sawmill.

When they were living near Trinidad, Colorado, they not only used their Oxen to bring trees to the Sawmill but transported their own products from their sawmill to customers. They also did other kinds of freighting.

The winter they spent at Fort Apache in Arizona their Ox teams and horse teams were used for freighting in the area.

The next winter , they spent at Buttermilk Point in southeastern Arizona, they again engaged in freighting in that part of Arizona.

Since the invention of the automobile a lot of things have changed. When Brannick and Mary Elizabeth’s grandchildren or great grandchildren read this, they may have never even seen a team of Oxen and know nothing about how to work them. Here is a little about them. Oxen are usually large strong castrated male cattle used to haul loads or to plow fields. They are harnessed together with a wooden yoke laid across their necks and shoulders. There is a neck bow that holds the yoke on the oxen and hangs below the neck.

A working relationship has to be developed between the teamster (the person driving the oxen) and the ox team. Oxen are easier to work when they realize you will provide them with adequate feed, water, rest, shelter and freedom from danger or injury. A teamster must be patient and help the oxen learn to trust that they will be fairly treated. Beyond proving himself to be in control, a teamster must also prove to his animals that he is worthy of being followed. There are no reins to guide the oxen so the teamster walks beside his team and guides them with voice commands and occasionally uses a long whip. Oxen respond to visual cues as well as voice commands. Mostly the verbal commands are as follows:

Get up – move forward Whoa – stop Gee – turn right Haw – turn left Easy – slow down Back – move in reverse

Step in – step toward pole or chain Step out – step away from pole or chain Come Boss – come for feed

Use of their name to get their individual attention. As they began their trip to Arizona, 16-year-old William, who was already an expert teamster, drove the big freight wagon drawn by six yoke(12 animals) of good oxen. Sometimes freight wagons were pulled by teams of Horses or Mules. The number of animals in a team depended upon the weight of the load in the wagon. Teams would be hitched two abreast with as many as 20 animals in a team.