Hi again, Yes, I knew where Bess Mingus Dress shop was- have walked by it many times. It was not far from the stairs to the pool hall where Billy the Kid aka Brushy Bill Roberts would sit and watch when not downstairs drinking coffee.Being a farm boy and mom made many of her own dresses, I don't remember going in the shop. Are you related to Rev. B.T. Stevens buried on the Duffau Creek in Selden- Wyly Dairy? It is not the most common way to spell Stevens. The Rev. was my great grandmother's grandfather. One of his great grandsons teaches at Texas State Technical College in Waco- James Conally Air Base in the past. I worked in Black Stump Valley one summer for Jewell Ramage, then later I have Carey and Stone records of mom's and the info was gatherred by an Arkansas or Oklahoma Grace Ramage Livingstone. One of her kin runs a furniture and appliance store in Colorado City, Texas and I think there is one in Glen Rose, Texas run by another Ramage.. I used to work on the thresher crew of Riggs- Hollis Thresher group with the younger Tommy Laney and did not know he had become a preacher. He was a hard worker and well liked. So was his dad when he was able. . Riggs Brothers Aultman Taylor Tractor and Walter Hollis's 45 inch cylinder Advance- Rumley steel grain thresher.kept a minimum crew of 25, who ate with the farmer who owned the grain. Camp out workers were gone by 1940's. I remember some of them with a cook shack . Before 1950 the Aultman Taylor had worn out the old Riggs separator with more wood parts. With the post war supply of windrow and combine pickup equipment the last thresher runs in Erath County faded out in 1960/s and the old Aultman Taylor was sold to a Paluxy ranch to pull cedars. That ended 100 years of community fellowship . A thresher move was a social occasion of big dinners, swimming, religion, politics,.and sitting in the shade of loaded bundle wagons with 3 and 4 genertions playing tricks, telling stories of older times and other places, and local legends while the thresher reset. Once dad dropped ice down 6'6"" Elmer Johnson's collar and Elmer picked him up with one arm and rolled him over his shoulders and stood him up, as playful at 45 as at 10, growing up together. The engine had 2 large John Deere type engines on same drive shaft, open gears, a roof, , a three foot flywheel with a 1/4 turn crank. and a chain driven one way oiling system with an adjustable oil dripper for each bearing, Then on to the gears. In 1919 it had plowed land and built county roads. It used 60 gallons plus of gas a day running at half throttle with Orlan Riggs or Prentice Gristy as Engineer. 4 of us, including Tommy Laney , I think, tried to feed it too fast one day to see if it was possible to get a short rest, and Orlan just gave it a little more gas. Only wet muddy botton grain slowed it. I suppose your family would have been nearer the Will Fouts thresher in Black Stump.Valley or possibly the Stone thresher with 8 Model A Ford truck Bundle wagons and no cabs. The first time the old Black Stump Valley Anderson "640" ranch steam thresher engine came to dad's to thresh, I hid under the bed and peeked out the window at the snorting, clanking, and steam leaks . I thought the world might blow up. Quiet a change from that to working on M- 47 tanks, B- 36 at Convair Fort Worth, , F- 102, Regilus ll Missles, and teaching public school. I have 2 children and 4 grandchildren. My wife is a secretary and arts and crafter. My son is a Construction Company president in Keller ( The Construction Zone Company) and builds restaurant size and larger buildings, including 1/3 of Grapevine Mills Mall for another company. My daughter is a Neuclear Technician in Scott & White Hospital. and clinics. our 3 granddaughters are below 8 th grade in Keller, Texas. Our grandson is a Senior at Chilton High school next year and listed in Dave Campbell's 1999 TEXAS FOOTBALL annual as a potential for a college scholarship.He letterred and started four years at Lorena Junior and High School, loosing only 4 games in 4 years. Take care Charles Wyly