Through Time and the Valley

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments I must begin by acknowledging my debt to those Texas writers who blazed the trail and who have left young writers like me with a strong and viable literary tradition. The writings of J. Frank Dobie,J. Evetts Haley, John Graves, Al Dewlin, and Larry McMurtry have sustained and inspired me, given shape to my writing, and provided me with an example of high craftsmanship. Had they not pointed the way, it might never have occurred to me that Texas, and especially the Panhandle, could be a subject worthy ofa young man's attention. I am also indebted to the good and openhearted people of the Canadian River country who made this work possible: The ranchers and landowners along the river who gave Bill Ellzey and me permission to cross their country-J. A. Whittenburg III, Bud Brainard, George Arrington, Leroy McGarraugh, Albert McGarraugh, Scott McGarraugh, Cliff McGarraugh, Walter Killebrew, Jim Streeter, Frank McMordie, Hugh Parsell, Ben Hill, Tom Conatser, W. A. McQuiddy, and John Isaacs; The families who took us into their homes during our ride down the river-Mr. and Mrs. Ed Brainard, Mr. and Mrs. Ben McIntyre, Mr. and Mrs. Leroy McGarraugh, Jim Streeter, Mr. and Mrs. David Trimble, Ben and Arnold Hill, Tom Conatser, Mr. and Mrs. Hunky Green, Mr. and Mrs. John Isaacs, and Mr. and Mrs. Ben Ezzell; And the storytellers and yarn-spinners who shared their tales with me, and whose names appear at the back of the book. I also wish to express my thanks to the following people who contributed to the making of this book: Ed Atkinson of Perryton who aided me in legal research; The Ellzey family of Wolf Creek, especially Lawrence, whose list of favors and services would run to several pages; vii Bill Herndon, also ofWolf Creek, who loaned us Dobbin Mule for the river trip; Paul F. Boller, Jr., of Fort Worth who, in 1963, began telling me, "You learn to write by writing," and has given me encouragement ever since; Bill Ellzey, my partnerin this adventure; as the old-timers used to say, "He'll do to ride the river with"; Judy Timberg, my kind and patient editor at Shoal Creek Publishers ; Joe and Anna Beth Erickson, my parents; And my wife, Kris Erickson, who has sustained me through ten long years of rejection slips, and given me life. viii ...