Henry Caufield of the Bosque County, at one time during the early days
while on a visit to kin folks and friends in the Wheelock Community, was
entertained by his friend, Volney Cavitt, who secured a fine pack of
hounds, and arranged a chase after cat and fox near the Navasota River.
It was in the fall of the year, the moon was at its full, the cat and
fox jumped during the hunt did their part, and the hounds measured up to
their reputation for keen scent and good stayers, making it an evening
of fine sport.
Near four A.M. it was decided to blow the horns, call the dogs in, and
quit the drive. While they waited for the dogs to come in, one of the
men remarked, "It has been a perfect night and a fine hunt, if we only
had a bottle of rock and rye to drive out the chill, it would be a
perfect event."
Volney Cavitt spoke up, "If I knew what day Major Jones was in town
last, I could tell whether it is worthwhile to hope for any relief from
his supply.
We will go by anyway, I believe I can find out if there is anything
left in his jug, without asking him for it." So they stopped at the
Major's home, Volney appointing himself to interview the Major, knocked
on the front door and called Mr. Jones, who reluctantly crawled out of
his feather bed and came in his night clothes to open the front door.
Volney related to him the incidents of the hunt, in his most
entertaining manner, apparently unmindful that the Major felt keenly the
cold air on his barefeet and ankles and attempted in vain to warm first
one foot and then the other by holding it against his leg. Finally
Volney concluded he had tested the Major sufficiently, he bade him
goodnight and joined his comrades. As he mounted his horse he remarked,
"I am convinced the Major hasn't a drop left in his demijohn or he would
have offered it to us, so he would be rid of us and could crawl back
into his warm bed."
The next day they rode over to Wheelock where the usual crowd of men
gathered and related the incidents of the hunt. Major Jones soon arrived
and joined the crowd, having a broader grin on his face than usual. He
at once confronted Volney and remarked to him, "Oh yes. You came to my
house last night, roused me out of my warm bed and stood me in my night
clothes, in front of the open door where I was exposed to the cold air,
and thought you would freeze me out and make me pull my bottle on you
boys to get rid of you. You finally concluded there was nothing left in
my jug-that was one time you got fooled good and plenty-I was in to town
three or four days ago, and my demijohn is still half full; but I made
up my mind you should not have a drop of it, since you thought you could
out-smart me." The laugh was on Vol who enjoyed it as much as anyone.
xxx
Captain Beck and Col. Wm. C. Sparks,(father-in-law of Vol Cavitt) were
both horse racing men. In the 1850's Henry Caufield, who lived on the
Bosques, told a story about these men.
He knew Captain Beck, who was a good friend and standby of General Sam
Houston. The old Register of the Cavett-Armstrong House, at Wheelock,
shows General Sam Houston was often a guest, when making trips by stage,
to take a look at his race horses, which Beck had in charge, on General
Houston's race horse farm near Wheelock.
Captain Beck, at one time, was heavy loser in a race he had matched
against a fast horse owned by Colonel Wm. C. Sparks. He not only lost
the money he put up on the race, but became the "butt of the
boys'jokes", which made him long for revenge.
Finally he framed a scheme he felt sure would work. He sent a trusted
messenger to his friend, Sandy Taub, of Leon County, and requested the
loan of "Bonnie Bell", his noted race mare, which Beck knew outclassed
the Sparks horse. He told Taub he planned to match a race with Colonel
Sparks noted race horse, and enter "Bonnie Bell" under an assumed name,
offering to split the winnings fifty-fifty with Taub.
--
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The most beautiful things in the world cannot be
seen or touched. It must be felt with the heart.
Helen Keller
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Wishes, Wants, and Dreams....a few poetic illusions
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...It is in silence where music lies...
Yanni
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One ought, everyday, to hear a song, read a fine poem,
and, if possible, to speak a few reasonable words.
Goethe
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