The Parramore Sketches; Scenes And Stories Of Early West Texas.

DOCK DILWORTH PARRAMORE

Publication: Texas Western Press, 1975, El Paso

First edition. Oblong 12mo. Inscribed on the title page by one of the author's grandchildren. Decorated cloth, olive green front and rear endpapers, 93 pp. frontispiece, introduction, illustrated. Interesting series of sketches about the author's experiences ranching in West Texas from the mid-1880's through the 1930's.

Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Parramore with their six children moved from Gonzales to their ranch in Runnels County. J. H. would become a very successful rancher and landowner. At the age of ten Dock studied art with an itinerant artist in the four-year-old town of Abilene. Although he displayed considerable talent, he was discouraged from painting and drawing by his father who considered this an “unmanly” occupation. Dock acquiesced to his father’s wishes and instead purchased surrounding sections in West Texas. After he retired from ranching, he began a series of pencil sketches to entertain and instruct his grandchildren. The book is divided into five parts. In the first section, entitled “How They Worked,” Parramore wanted to show his grandchildren actual range experiences from handling a trail herd, dealing with stampedes, working cattle, fighting “tick fever, etc. Most of his primitive drawings are accompanied by a brief explanatory paragraph. Other sections are: How They Played, How They Talked and Told Tall Tales, How They Traveled, and One Particular Family which deals with the Parramores and their history. These drawings and brief vignettes, taken together, describe a cross section of ranch life just before and after the turn-of-the-century.

The sketches and accompanying comments were originally done for Parramore's grandchildren. Typography by Carl Hertzog. Fine in original transparent dust jacket.