Joy, i attended Selden Schools 1942-1944 for the first 2 years of High school and Texas added a 12 th grade that year, between the 7 th and or 8 th and all us who were past that grade were diuble promoted, which allowed me to finish school in 11 years. My principal and main teacher at Selden was Lige M. Fox- he had one arm missing and was teaching when many his age were overseas. His twin sons were Jimmy and Sammy and they had a smaller brother His dad had lived at Tolar. He asked all 9 and 10 grade boys to go home or to a relative or friend's home and get a gun- we were sent out for two days hunting Rabid dogs so it would be safe for the elementary students to walk home, Try that today. We knew the gun was a farm tool to protect livestock and kill hogs and rabid animals of all kinds and kill snakes. . We "put down" our own old diseased pets and horses. It was what farmers did- vets like Dr. Scott & Hennessee were busy saving cows and horses which might have a future. wE DID NOT DUMP UNWANTED PETS IN A POISONED COTTON PATCH WHERE THERE WAS NOTHING TO EAT. Today coyotes would kill dumped pets and eat them in some of Erath,Bosque, and Hill County. Yes, as someone noted, we left houses unlocked, even with guns in them and I never heard of one being stolen before 1950. Every one had one , just like Alaska today. Out of this group came a Throckmorton Sheriff, a Texas Hiway patrolman, Several soldiers- some were Military Police or Shore Patrol, and several teachers. Mr. Fox said his dad was starting home from Tolar about sundown one Saturday, the family were settled in the wagon and he took out a cut plug of chewing tobacco and tried to bite the corner off. he tried again- and again- and held it up in the last rays of sunshine and turned it over. A mouse was pressed into the tobacco and he was trying to bite its head off. Bet that cured his habit. His dad also said he once had a car- many were made after WW1 with car body and surplus Aircraft motors. He kept his gun under the hood. Once a hitchhiker pulled a gun or knife on him while driving, and pretended the motor was missing by hitting his gas pedal, then adjusting his dash mixture control ( like a Model A Ford) the wrong way and the motor died. He raised the hood, reached to the motor, and pulled the pistol on the hitchhiker and put him out and away from the car and drove off. Take care Charles Wyly On Mon, 10 Aug 1998 11:57:27 -0000 "Zowie" <joyz@bcni.net> writes: >Mr. Wyly, > >Do you have any stories on the Foxes that lived in Erath Co. TX? My >Great >Great Grandparents were William A. Fox and wife Lettie Roberts Haile >Fox. >William A. Fox died in 1897 and is buried in Turnbow Cemetery. > >Thank you, >Joy Goade Zowie > > _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]