Tuesday, February 11, 2025

1895 -- 8th Grade Final Exam & Answers -- Subject: Geography

                 A Completed 8th Grade Final Exam 

Salina, Kansas, 1895

Here is a completed 8th Grade Final Exam -- Subject: Geography (Time, one hour)

1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Arizona? 
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean? 
4. Describe the mountains of North America 
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall, and Orinoco 
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each. 
7. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude? 
8. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers. 
9. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?


a) Climate is the prevailing or average weather of a place as determined by the temperature and meteorological changes over a period of years. 

b) The climate of a place depends largely on the latitude of the place, the features of the surrounding terrain, the nearness to an ocean, or a mountain range that channels and directs wind patterns. We have seasons in our weather pattern, and changes in the length of the warming day throughout the year, due to the ecliptic of the earth's annual path around the sun. It is the daily warming and cooling of the land and oceans that is the prime generator of the world weather system. 

2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas? 

The extremes of climate in Kansas are predicated on the fact that the state is in the middle of the continent and the great plains, not near any mountains or oceans, exposed in winter to cold winds from the north in Canada, and in summer to heavy moisture-laden winds from the Gulf of Mexico. It is the meeting of these two wind sources in the fall that creates the huge wind vortices and deep moist convections which become the tornadoes that are a yearly danger in Kansas. 

3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean? 

a) Rivers have many uses: first, to drain off excess water from the land surface; secondly, to replenish the aquifers under their stream bead and underlying all of Kansas and from which we get most all of our water for irrigation and human consumption; thirdly, the river is a highway of commerce, with the steamboats reaching far into the west; and fourthly, as an area of recreation, fishing, boating, and swimming. 

b) Oceans are the reservoir for the majority of heat received from the sun, for the runoff of all rivers and aquifers, the source of most all rain from the evaporation of the surface waters, and the engine which drives our weather patterns, and the moderator of coastal climates. The ocean fisheries are a major source of protein to many of the world's people. International commerce would not be possible except for the navigation of the oceans. 

4. Describe the mountains of North America.

The mountains of North America lay in four great chains, oriented generally north to south. They are in order from East to West, the Appalachian/Adirondack chain inland from the Atlantic coast, including the Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountains. They are an old range, worn down through the eons. Across the Great Planes from them, midway to the Rocky Mountains, are the Black Hills of the Dakotas, somewhat isolated from the Rockies. 

The Rocky Mountains, consisting of many parallel ranges, are located at the western boundary of Montana, running southeasterly from the Yukon to Arizona and New Mexico. They form the Continental Divide, which determines the course of the rivers emptying into the Mississippi drainage, and those emptying into the Pacific Ocean. The high plateaus and basins of Utah and Nevada by and large intervene between the Rockies and the next great chain, the Sierra Mountain range in California and the extension northward in Oregon and Washington State, where they are called the Cascade Range. 

Beyond the Sierra/Cascades across the interior valleys of California and Oregon is the Coastal Range, lying quite close to the Pacific Ocean. Westerly from the Cascades in Washington on the Pacific Coast is the Olympic range north of the Columbia River forming the Olympic peninsula. 

The Olympics has one of the most important rainforests of the world and is a valuable source of timber, as are all the mountain ranges of North America. Most mining in North America is in the mountains, the Eastern mountains are a source of coal and iron, and the Rockies and Sierras are a source of gold, silver, and other metals. 

5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall, and Orinoco. 

a) Monrovia City is the capital of the nation of Monrovia, on the Atlantic Ocean, at the mouth of the Saint Paul River. Situated on Bushrod Island and Cape Mesurado, it is the nation's chief port and commercial center. It has extensive docks. Iron ore and rubber are major exports; substantial quantities of imports are transshipped to neighboring countries. 

The University of Liberia (founded in 1862) is there. Monrovia was founded in 1822 by the American Colonization Society as a refuge for freed slaves from North America; it was named in honor of United States President James Monroe. Large numbers of former slaves have been resettled here. 

b) Odessa is capital of Odessa region of the Ukraine, a port on Odessa Bay of the Black Sea. The third largest Ukrainian city after Kiev and Kharkiv, Odessa is an important rail junction and transportation hub. Grain, sugar, coal, cement, metals, jute, and timber are the chief items of trade at the port of Odessa, which is the leading Ukrainian Black Sea port. 

Odessa is also a naval base and the home port of a fishing and an antarctic whaling fleet. The city's industries include shipbuilding, machine building, metalworking, food processing, and the manufacture of chemicals, machine tools, clothing, and products made of wood, jute, and silk. 

Health resorts are located nearby. Odessa has a university (est. 1865), an opera and ballet theater (1809), a historical museum (1825), a municipal library (1830), an astronomical observatory (1871), and an opera house (1883-87). Ukrainians, Russians, Jews, and Greeks predominate in Odessa's cosmopolitan population. The city is said to occupy the site of an ancient Miletian Greek colony (Odessos, Ordyssos, or Ordas) that disappeared between the 3rd and 4th centuries. In the 14th century the site, then under Lithuanian control, became a Crimean Tatar fortress and trade center called Khadzhi-Bei. In 1764 it passed to the Turks, who built a fortress (Yenu-Duniya) to protect the harbor. It was captured by the Russians in 1789. 

c) Sited on high plains at the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains, Denver, the capital of Colorado, has a sunny, cool, dry climate, averaging 13 inches of precipitation a year. The sun shines 300 days a year. Denver was established by a party of prospectors on November 22, 1858, after a gold discovery at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River. 

Town founders named the dusty crossroads for James W. Denver, Governor of Kansas Territory, of which eastern Colorado was then a part. Other gold discoveries sparked a mass migration of some 100,000 in 1859-60, leading the federal government to establish Colorado Territory in 1861. 

Before the great Colorado gold rush, the Rocky Mountains offered little to attract settlers, except "hairy bank notes," the beaver pelts prized by fur trappers, traders, and fashionably hatted gentlemen in Eastern America and Europe. The gold rush changed that, as the rudely dispossessed Cheyenne and Arapaho soon discovered. 

The Mile High City's aggressive leadership, spearheaded by William N. Byers, founding editor of the Rocky Mountain News, and Territorial Governor John Evans, insisted that the Indians must go. After dispossessing the natives, Denverites built a network of railroads that made their town the banking, minting, supply, and processing center not only for Colorado but for neighboring states. 

Between 1870 when the first railroads arrived and 1890, Denver grew from 4,759 to 106,713. In a single generation, it became the second most populous city in the West, second only to San Francisco. Although founded as the main supply town for Rocky Mountain mining camps, Denver also emerged as a hub for high plains agriculture. Denver's breweries, bakeries, meat packing, and other food-processing plants made it the regional agricultural center, as well as a manufacturing hub for farm and ranch equipment, barbed wire, windmills, seed, feed, and harnesses. 

d) Manitoba, a province in south-central Canada and the easternmost of Canada's three Prairie provinces was part of the Hudson's Bay Company's holdings in North America known as Prince Rupert's Land, founded in 1670. Chief interests for its first two centuries were the fur trade, the province's major economic activity, exploration, and settlement. 

After 1870, Prince Rupert's Land was incorporated into the Dominion of Canada. As large numbers of settlers came, agriculture and wheat growing became dominant. Manitoba province has been known as the Keystone Province ever since Canada's Governor General Lord Dufferin described the province in 1877 as "the keystone of that mighty arch of sister provinces which spans the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific." Manitoba lies in the geographic center of Canada. Winnipeg, Manitoba is a transportation and processing center for the agrarian west. 

e) Mount Hecla is one of the most active volcanic constructs in Iceland and is also the site of descent into the interior in Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth". 

A poem by Richard Hovey, "The Quest of Merlin", mentions Mount Hecla in the prelude: "Interior of a cavern in the bowels of the earth, beneath Mount Hecla. Huge rock fragments, amid which twists tortuously a great root of the tree Yggdrasil. A flickering flame, by the light of which is seen the NORNS, colossal but shadowy shapes, about a gigantic but indistinct Loom. Dull, heavy sounds, out of which arises strange music, which resolves itself continually into imperfect harmonies, which leave the heart in unrest. A sense of striving and struggle beats through the music." 

f) The Yukon is Alaska's largest river. It originates in Canada in the Yukon Basin of the Northwest Territory and flows 2,000 miles west into the Bering Sea. From the third week in May when the ice breaks up until mid-October when it re-freezes, it is a summer waterway. After it freezes, it is a winter highway. About 200 riverboats and steamers carry freight during the summer months. I have heard that gold has been discovered along the Yukon. 

g) St. Helena is an island in the Atlantic about mid-way between South America and Africa. It was uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502. The island was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century. It became famous as the place of Napoleon Bonaparte's exile, from 1815 until he died in 1821. It is located at 15º 56' South Latitude, 5º 42' West Longitude. 

h) The Juan Fernandez Islands, (33º 50'S, 80º 00'W) have developed in isolation, about 400 miles west of Santiago in Chile, on two small islands of volcanic origin, Robinson Crusoe Island and Santa Clara Island. The most ancient of these islands, Robinson Crusoe Island, thought to be some 4 million years old, harbors plant communities including survivors of many ancient plant groups that were once much more widespread in the southern hemisphere. The first human occupation of the islands was in 1574 when the Spanish explorer Juan Fernandez discovered the islands. 

i) Aspinwall is a town in Georgia. It is in the area where the Seminole/Muskogee Indians lived. 

j) The Orinoco River in Venezuela is one of South America's longest rivers, extending 1,590 miles. Its source is in the Guiana Highlands, on the slopes of the Sierra Parima, in extreme southeastern Venezuela, on the border of Brazil. It flows northwest to a point near La Esmeralda, where it divides. One arm, the Casiquiare River, goes south and after a course of 180 miles enters the Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon River. 

The main branch continues northwest to the town of San Fernando de Atabapo and, flowing generally north, forms the border between Venezuela and Colombia. After passing over the Maipures and Atures Rapids it meets the Apure River. The Orinoco then turns northeast and traverses the plains of Venezuela before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. The Orinoco averages 4 miles in width. The delta of the river begins 120 miles from the Atlantic. 

The Orinoco is navigable for oceangoing ships for 260 miles, from the mouth to the city of Ciudad Bolivar. It is navigable for smaller craft for a distance of 1,000 miles. The Orinoco was sighted in 1498 by Christopher Columbus and was first explored by Europeans (1530-1531) to the confluence with the Meta River. The German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt explored the upper reaches in 1799. 

6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S. 

a) The principal trade centers of the United States are New York, New York, located at the mouth of the Hudson River; Boston, Massachusetts, located in Boston Harbor; Chicago, Illinois, located at the south end of Lake Michigan; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, located on the reaches of Delaware Bay; Baltimore, Maryland, located on the reaches of Chesapeake Bay; New Orleans, Louisiana, located between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River inland from the Gulf of Mexico; St. Louis, Missouri, located at the confluence of the Missouri River and the Mississippi; Kansas City, Missouri, located on the Missouri River at the Kansas River confluence, also being a great rail hub; Denver, Colorado, situated at the eastern slope of the Rockies as noted above; Los Angeles, California, in Southern California at Los Angeles Harbor; San Francisco in the north of California at San Francisco Bay; and Seattle, Washington, located on east side of Puget Sound in Washington State, now becoming an important trade center in addition to its primary lumber industry and naval shipyards. 

7. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each. 

France with its capital at Paris, and Switzerland with its capital at Bern are the only republics in Europe. There are no other republics in Europe as we know a republic to be, all the other nations are Constitutional Monarchies or Principalities. 

The major monarchies are Great Britain, London; Germany, Berlin; Russia, St. Petersburg; Ukraine, Kiev; Austria/Hungary, Vienna; Italy, Rome; Spain, Seville; Portugal, Lisbon; Belgium, Brussels; Holland, Amsterdam; Denmark, Copenhagen; Norway, Oslo; and Sweden, Stockholm. 

8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude? 

The Atlantic coast is colder because the southward flow of the Japanese current prevents the majority of cold arctic air from sinking south along the Pacific coast, until east of the Rocky Mountains, sweeping thence across the northern plains, sinking to lower latitudes bringing freezing weather south as far as Florida. 

9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers. 

As the sun heats the ocean waters the evaporate rises into the prevailing wind currents which flow generally from West to East. On reaching mountainous areas the wind currents rise and are cooled, condensing the evaporate into rain, hail, or snow, which then returns to Earth, the excess which is not absorbed becoming run-off and forming rivulets, streams, then rivers, returning to the sea to repeat the process over again. Eventually, even the water that is absorbed by the Earth also returns to the sea, as in our Colorado/Kansan aquifer, although that may take many thousands of years. 

10. Describe the movements of the Earth. Give inclination of the Earth. 

Today we know that the Earth is involved in five motions, Rotation, Revolution, Precession, Motion around the galactic nucleus, and Motion of the galaxy. The rotation or spinning motion of a planet about an axis is the most basic of the five planetary motions. 

The Earth rotates about its axis once every 24 hours, producing changes in what portion of the Earth is illuminated by the Sun, creating our day and night. The term "revolution" refers to the orbital motion of the Earth as it travels an elliptical path around the sun. The earth's period of revolution, i.e., the time to complete a revolution, is 365.25 days. 

As the Earth's axis is inclined 23.4 degrees relative to the orbital plane, this produces our seasons. The Earth's axis is "wobbling", meaning that the axis changes its orientation with respect to celestial objects. This wobbling motion is referred to as "precession". Precession is similar to the wobbling motion of a top as it spins. The earth's period of precession is about 26,000 years. 

As we look out into the nighttime sky we cannot help but ponder the vastness of space and the innumerable stars that fill it. Our Sun is one of 100 billion stars that are gravitationally bound and make up the Milky Way Galaxy. Because we are a part of the galaxy, it is difficult for us to determine its shape and size and our location in it. However, based on the best available information, the Milk Way is a spiral galaxy similar in structure to its nearest neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy. 

Our Sun is located in the flattened disk approximately two-thirds of the way from the central bulge in a spiral arm. Just as the planets orbit the Sun, the Sun orbits around the galactic nucleus. The velocity of the Sun and the planets around the galactic nucleus is consistent with the laws of Kepler and Newton. Astronomers calculate that this period of revolution around the galaxy center is 240,000,000 years. The suspected motion of the galaxy through space has not yet been determined.

--- end of 1895 8th Grade Final Exam and Answers in U.S. History

Time to take this exam: 45 Minutes

Editor's Note:

While I've tried to find out who took the time to answer the exam but haven't been able to, you should know that the answers are correct. 

I've made the same comment and asked the same questions after each section in this series on the 8th Grade Final Exam given in Salina, Kansas, in 1895. First, after reading these questions and answers, I realize how dumbed down our society has become. Second, there are a lot of questions that we should be asking.

For example, here are a few questions to think about. How well do you think you would have done taking this 1895 8th Grade Final Exam? Do you think 4-year college students today can pass this exam? How about Teachers today, how would they do taking this exam? Would they be able to pass this test?

Lastly, I have to wonder why 8th Grade children in 1895 were able to pass this test versus 8th Graders today? Have we allowed things to change for the worse? Is it because the government had no input in the education system in 1895 versus their control over what children are learning today?

Just some things to think about.

By the way, I want to thank Pete for his 30 years of service as a Police Officer -- and for reminding me to post this. Thanks, Pete. I appreciate it.  

Tom Correa

Sunday, February 9, 2025

William Thompson -- Scalping Survivor 1867


The Union Pacific Rail Road was incorporated on July 1, 1862, under the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862. President Abraham Lincoln had approved the act, which authorized railroad construction from the Missouri River to the Pacific. The idea behind it was to ensure the stability of the Union throughout the Civil War. President Lincoln believed that such a railroad would benefit the Union economically with the movement of goods -- as well as strategically with the movement of troops and supplies to fight the ongoing Civil War. Its construction would continue long after the end of the Civil War.

Building the Union Pacific railroad across the Great Plains had its challenges. While constructing the railroad across the Great Plains, the Union Pacific faced relentless attacks from the Cheyenne, Sioux, and Arapaho tribes. Of course, besides, the tribes trying to push back what they saw as encroaching Americans of their lands, the tribes saw the construction of the railroad as an attack on their hunting grounds. It's believed that the tribes united over a common threat to their way of life.

As a result, tribes regularly attempted to disrupt the railroad's progress across their territory. The railroad was attacked and harassed relentlessly. Livestock was continuously rustled by tribal raiders. Railroad surveyors were particularly vulnerable because they went on their own ahead of the work crews. Of course, while several railroad surveyors were killed, most of the railroad workers who were killed died from Indian attacks on work crews and terrorizing isolated station towns.

In August of 1867, the Union Pacific Rail Road realized they had not received a telegraph for several days from their Plum Creek Station which is present-day Lexington, Nebraska. What they didn't know was that on August 6th, a war party of Cheyenne cut the telegraph wires near Plum Creek Station.

For some reason, Union Pacific didn't associate their downed telegraph line with a Cheyenne war party or the possibility of trouble. Instead, they simply dispatched a five-man repair crew on a handcar to restore communication. One of the men sent to find out why communication had stopped was their lineman William Thompson. Thompson was from England and new to the frontier.

It was already dark when the five-man crew aboard their handcar approached their destination. In the dark, they didn't see that their way was blocked with railroad ties placed on the tracks. They ran into the ties and their handcar derailed. Disoriented and in the dark, the five men had no idea that they had fallen into a trap.

A war party of more than two dozen heavily armed Cheyenne warriors on horseback engulfed the railroad workers. Soon, all of the Union Pacific men except Thompson were killed.

Thompson was left for dead after he had been shot in the shoulder and scalped. It is said he miraculously survived by playing dead. Of course, it's also said he may have lost consciousness. Either way, at one point the Cheyenne left. 

What Thompson didn't know was that a train that was sent right behind the five-man repair crew also ran into railroad ties placed on the tracks as a barrier. Besides the 17 railcars being derailed leading to a battle with Cheyenne warriors, the resulting wreck killed two crewmen who were crushed beneath the train's boiler. The engineer, fireman, and conductor were also killed.

Thompson is said to have regained awareness of his situation after the war party left. Besides finding his co-workers dead, he also found his severed scalp. Since the Cheyenne at the 17-car derailment were some of the same Cheyenne who ambushed Thompson and his co-workers, he figured that it must have been dropped during the chaos of the second battle at the 17-car derailment.

Union Pacific sent out a second rescue train the next day. While I have no idea how Thompson found his bloody scalp in the dark, it's said that when a rescue team arrived, they placed it in a bucket of salt in hopes of preserving it. And no, I have no idea if they thought it could be reattached -- but they did take Thompson to Omaha where there was a doctor that they thought would try to re-attach the scalp. 

In Omaha, Thompson saw Dr. Richard C. Moore to see if it could be reattached. Sadly, Dr. Moore could not reattach it. Dr. Moore described Thompson's wound as follows: The scalp was entirely removed from a space measuring nine inches by seven. The denuded surface extended from one inch above the left eyebrow backwards. There was also a severe tomahawk wound. Thompson was in such excellent health, that his recovery was rapid. Thompson had severe neuralgic pains on the right side of the head and face, but in about three months all pain ceased and nearly the entire surface was cicatrized or scarred. Thompson would have an irregularly shaped bald patch for the rest of his life.

Since different tribes had different methods for scalping their victims, the scalping beginning over the left eye and was cut in a diamond pattern was seen as the Cheyenne method of scalping.

As for William Thompson's new life on the American Frontier, it was short-lived. After he recovered, he returned to his native England. Supposedly, he left America "evidently thinking that the wild and woolly West was too strenuous a neighborhood for peaceful residence."

So what happened to William Thompson's severed scalp?


According to sources, it's said Thompson hung on to the scalp after returning to England. According to one source, "His fellow countrymen were not as enamored with the scalp as he was." So, in 1900, Thompson expressed his appreciation to Dr. Moore by gifting his scalp to the doctor. Dr. Moore in turn donated Thompson's severed scalp to the Omaha Public Library where it has remained as a permanent part of the collection ever since.

For almost 75 years, the scalp was displayed in a bell jar. Today, it’s stored in an acid-free archival box and brought out for display on special occasions or upon requests made in advance.

So now, other than William Thompson surviving being scalped, he is the only survivor of Native Americans sabotaging the iron rails themselves. And to answer the big question of why didn't he bleed to death from being scalped?

Believe it or not, though it's said that infection had started to set in when he was taken to Omaha where Dr. Moore tried to re-attach the scalp, the bleeding stopped on its own soon after the scalping. The reason that the bleeding stopped might sound unbelievable. It's said the Nebraska night was so warm that Thompson's blood glutted quickly. The summer heat stopped the bleeding. Imagine that.

Tom Correa

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Coping with Feral Hogs -- Selective Shooting

Photo of feral hogs under a feeder by Orly Botello

The posts below are from Texas A&M. Both are recommended practices when shooting feral hogs.

Selective Shooting

Shooting is a popular tool for managing feral hogs. It allows managers to see immediate effects, in some situations there is little preparation needed, and there is almost no cost of setup due to the fact that most managers who use this tool already possess a firearm. However, there are drawbacks to this tool. The greatest limitation is that in most cases, shooting can only remove one or two pigs at a time. 

In situations where only one or two pigs are shot out of a group, the remaining pigs will work to avoid popular shooting areas and times. For this reason, you should never shoot pigs in an area you plan to trap in the near future or in an area where you are already trapping.

Even though there are limitations to this tool, it can be an important component of a good management plan. Selective shooting can be a great way to finish off a sounder (or group of pigs) that was only partially removed through trapping. 

Shooting can also be an effective tool when feral hogs are first seen on a property in very small numbers. Additionally, when paired with accessories such as suppressors, thermal imagery, or night vision, shooting can allow managers to remove final hogs that have successfully avoided other management efforts.

Legally, feral hogs in Texas are designated as exotic livestock which means that ownership falls to the landowner. This means that the state does not impose any bag limits, possession limits, or closed seasons. If the landowner grants permission, feral hogs can be shot on private property and a valid hunting license is not required. However, Texas game laws do require that hunter’s education requirements are met before shooting a feral hog (for both instate and out of state hunters). 

To meet current hunter education requirements, one of the following mush be true:
  • You were born on or before September 1st, 1971, and are therefor exempt.
  • You were born after September 1st, 1971, have completed a hunters education course and have proof of completion.
For more information on these requirements, check out Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Hunter Education page or their Exotic Species Regulation page. 

Feral hogs can sometimes be confused with the native game animal Javelina. For more info on the differences between feral hogs and javelina, check out our identification page.

Correct shot placement is important to ensure the process is quick and humane. For feral hogs, it is very similar to other large game species. One important exception is that boar hogs possess a shield or dense tough layer of tissue under their hide that covers their shoulder area. 

The purpose of the shield is to protect males from the tusks of other males, but it can also allow a pig to survive poorly placed shots with low-caliber rifles. To increase your chances of success when shooting feral hogs, use a high-caliber rifle just like you would when hunting other large game. 

For information on how to safely handle or dispose of hog carcasses, see blow.

Carcass disposal

Proper carcass disposal practices are an important part of any kind of animal management. These practices ensure that resources are not contaminated and minimize the chances of spreading diseases. 

When managing feral hogs in Texas, there are three primary options for disposal: harvesting the meat, safely disposing on the landscape, and selling to a buying station prior to death. Because each option has different considerations and requirements, managers should make a plan before catching or dispatching any animals.

No matter which option is selected, managers should minimize their contact with the carcass as pigs can carry diseases that are transmissible to humans, pets, and livestock. When moving a carcass, sturdy gloves should be worn whenever handling feral hogs. For further protection, managers can construct a hog puller to help move carcasses with even less physical contact.

Feral hogs that appear healthy prior to being shot can be consumed by humans or pets after being heated to 165° Fahrenheit. 

Prior to that, feral hogs can carry diseases that can be transferred to humans, pets, and livestock. Managers should wear gloves, glasses, and a mask when butchering a feral hog to prevent any accidental exposure to the pig’s bodily fluids. It is also important that managers, processors, and chefs remember to wear gloves and thoroughly disinfect workspaces even when preparing feral hog meat in their kitchens. 

Even if the meat has been frozen, feral hog meat can still carry transmissible diseases until it has been thoroughly cooked to 165° Fahrenheit.

If managers choose not to consume feral hog meat, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has published information on the proper disposal of livestock carcasses. Important factors to consider are placing the carcass in an area where it cannot contaminate water sources and where other livestock and pets cannot access it. 

This protocol can also be useful in disposing of bones and organs that are not harvested for cooking and consumption. Because feral hogs can carry and transmit diseases that are fatal to dogs, uncooked bones, meat, and organs should never be given to pets.

A final option for managers is selling feral hogs to a buying station. While transportation of feral hogs to another location for release is illegal, managers can take pigs to a buying station to sell for meat processing. The Texas Animal Health Commission keeps a map of approved and active buying stations, but it is best to call in advance for specific protocols. 

Selling pigs for meat is typically only compatible with trapping since buying stations require the animal to be alive upon arrival. Depending on the trap type used, a livestock trailer can be parked at the headgate and pigs can be loaded from there. 

It is recommended that modifications for pig transportation are created in advance so that managers do not enter the trap with live pigs.

I want to thank Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Coping with Feral Hogs for the information above. 

Tom Correa






Monday, February 3, 2025

Feral Hogs Are Terrorizing Texas


According to Fox News, feral hogs are terrorizing the city of Irving, Texas. 

The news report said, "frustrating residents as their properties are destroyed by the invasive animals. As many as 10 hogs have been tearing up yards and rooting through trash left for garbage collectors, according to WFAA. Locals have become frustrated after they repair their yards dug up by the hogs, just for the animals to return to wreak havoc again."

After reading this, I contacted a friend who lives near there to try to find out what's happening and why haven't the locals shot those hogs. 

He told me that people are setting up game cameras in trees and on the sides of their homes to record their activity. He said a lot of folks are getting footage of hogs ripping up their yards, digging up property, and basically being destructive. He went on to tell me that the destruction by the feral hogs (wild pigs) is pretty extensive. They dig up landscaping, uproot freshly planted plants, rip up sod, and tear into just about everything. 

I told him that I read that there was garbage scattered all over the place. He confirmed that saying, "Just like how bears and other critters are lured to garbage cans, wild hogs will get into garbage cans and leave a trail of trash behind them. They make a pretty good mess of everything."

He hadn't seen the Fox News article saying that the City of Irving hired a "Wildlife Contractor" to address what's going on down there. I asked him about it and whether "Wildlife Contractor" was a euphemism for "Pig Hunter"? 

He laughed and said he hoped so. He agreed that the government, even a city government, would rather use a polite or less offensive word or term in place of what some folks see as an unpleasant or offensive word. And sadly, the way things are today with sensitivities being so high, to some folks the word "hunter" is offensive. Or at least it may be until a bunch of hogs rip up their landscaping and cost them a bunch of money to replace what's ripped up.

Irving, Texas, is not what anyone would consider a "Small Town USA" city. It is a city of over a quarter of a million residents — that's huge. According to the 2020 United States Census, the city's population of 256,684. That makes it the "12th Most Populous" city in Texas. The City of Irving includes part of the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. So yes, it's part of that whole Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex that encompasses 11 counties. Yes, 11 counties. That's huge! 

So no, unlike a small town that's challenged by monetary restraints, it shouldn't be a matter of financial resources to handle the problem of getting rid of 10 feral hogs terrorizing the city. I'm sort of surprised that the City's Animal Control, which usually responds to requests for help with wild animals isn't in charge of getting rid of the hogs. They should have the capability to trap and relocate, or terminate, those feral hogs. 

The wildlife contractor that the city hired should also have the ability to trap and transport nuisance wildlife. Of course, the contractor might just kill the 10 hogs -- especially since they are threatening public safety and destroying property as we know they are doing. And no, it's not as if the contractor doesn't know where to find them. According to the news, city officials said the hogs are coming from a wooded area near Grapevine Creek. 

Just so my readers understand, I get a lot of emails about feral hogs tearing up farms and ranches in the South and Southwest. This is a huge problem throughout the South and Southwest. Nationally, the livestock and crop damage alone exceeds more than a Billion Dollars a year. And yes, we wonder why food is so high -- eradicating such pests is just one more cost piled on to farmers and ranchers who are already having it tough these days. 

Farmers and ranchers who face this problem hunt and kill a lot of them. They also hire people to hunt wild hogs. I know of a few ranchers who used to welcome hunters, even those from out of state, to go on down there and help them eradicate the problem. A few years back, I wanted to go down there to help but sadly I couldn't make it. 

Since feral hogs cause an estimated $400 million in damage per year in Texas, it shouldn't surprise anyone that hunters can hunt on private land without a hunting license and with no bag limit. A hunter can shoot as many as they can kill on private land for a reason -- the problem is that out of control. Though the problem is just as invasive on public lands in Texas, a hunter would need a hunting license to hunt them on public land.  

Texas faces the biggest brunt of the feral hog problem. Like the huge Illegal Alien problem going on in Texas, wild hogs are an invasive species. Of course, wild hogs are an easier problem to deal with since you can shoot them if you live in rural parts of Texas. 

As for stopping the invasion of Illegal Aliens, we took our first step in doing that when we voted in President Trump. Imagine, we now have a President who will do his sworn duty and protect our border. 

Now after reading that, you're saying, "Why mention the Illegal Alien problem in Texas? What does that have to do with wild hogs." 

Well, here's why I mention it. There is only so much money in state funds that can go to everything that folks want to see done in any state. Texas is no exception to that rule. State funds are limited. State funds in Texas have been severely depleted fighting the good fight against rapists, murderers, Cartel groups, criminal gangs, child sex traffickers, and a bunch of other bad hombre who have entered the United States through the Texas border. Sadly for the people in Texas, the Federal Government said they were not going to help in that fight -- and the people of Texas had to pay for it. Well, thankfully that's changed.

Now that President Trump is in office, Biden and the Democrats in Washington, D.C. can no longer give the middle finger to Texas whenever it asks for federal help. Texas may now have more funds to use for its people -- including toward doing something to eradicate the feral hogs there. 

Do you see the connection? If the Biden-Harris Administration and the Federal Government had been actually helping Texas in their fight against Illegal Aliens, the state of Texas may have had more funds to put toward more things that the state of Texas has needed. Yes, things like education, transportation, disaster relief, and more -- including helping the folks who grow and raise our food in their fight against feral hogs.

What can be done to prevent the spread of wild hogs? This problem has been going on for a while, and it seems the hog population is getting larger. Feral hogs are an invasive species found in 35 states. There is an estimated population of over Six Million in the United States. And here's a big part of the problem: It's believed that at least half of all those Six Million feral hogs are in Texas. 

Hogs are not native to North America. Europeans first introduced them in the 1500s as a food source. And yes, folks who didn't understand the perils of introducing invasive species also introduced Eurasian wild boars into the area for recreational hunting in the early 1900s. 

According to sources, today’s feral hog populations are now comprised of escaped domestic pigs, Eurasian wild boars, and hybrids of the two breeds. Their population continues to rapidly grow because of their high reproduction rate, their ability to eat anything to survive, and the fact that feral hogs don't have very many natural predators. 

So, what makes them invasive? According to research from Texas A&M University and the National Wildlife Research Center:

"Feral hogs cause damage to the tune of $500 Million a year in Texas, and the monetary losses due to crop damage are estimated to be $1.5 Billion a year in the United States. Those are huge numbers, and so is their ecological impact.

Feral hogs damage agricultural lands and the environment by impacting water quality and destroying crops and native habitats. They disturb the ground and vegetation along wetlands and bayous when they forage or wallow, increasing particles, sediment, and dirt in the water, which changes its acidity and oxygen levels, resulting in unfavorable living conditions for native plant and animal species within the stream. This dirt and sediment can also block sunlight from reaching aquatic life and plants that rely on it to survive.

Feral hogs do not have sweat glands, so they usually search for wetlands and bayous to keep cool during hot and humid Texan summers. Since they spend their time in and around bodies of water, their waste also ends up in bayous, either directly through the deposition of fecal matter or indirectly through stormwater runoff, which increases concentrations of bacteria in surface waters. In fact, a recent study in Alabama showed that streams in watersheds with feral hogs had 40 times the bacteria levels than those in watersheds without them. This has the potential to be detrimental to our water quality in Texas, causing human health concerns.

Perhaps the most concerning potential damage is that feral hogs can spread diseases to humans. 

Wild hogs have been known to carry brucellosis, a bacterial disease that spreads among pigs through close contact. Infected pigs carry these bacteria for life. Humans can become sick if blood, body fluid, or tissues from an infected animal when it comes in contact with the human’s eyes, nose, mouth, or cuts to their skin. This disease can cause severe, long-lasting health problems, and even death if it is not diagnosed and treated quickly."
What's the solution? Can this problem be managed? 

If it were me, and I lived in an area where I could use lethal force, then I'd kill as many as I could. I'd wage war against them.  

The experts say, "Hunt, trap, and exclude individual hogs from areas using non-lethal tools such as fencing." 

For farmers and ranchers, I say shoot as many feral hogs as one can. Trapping and shooting feral hogs is the most effective strategy that can be used against such an invasive species. Large corral pen-type traps are the most effective way of trapping larger numbers of feral hogs at one time. Those large traps can capture an entire sounder of wild hogs all at once. Once trapped, shoot them. 

It is recommended that folks try to "catch" one or two feral hogs by using smaller box traps. If that works, don't try to relocate the problem to somewhere else where it's still going to be a problem. Besides, relocating them is illegal in Texas. Just shoot them. And by the way, beware of using snares or iron traps that can harm expensive horses and livestock. 

I'm told that aerial shooting from helicopters is extremely effective if done by someone experienced on property where the hogs are out in the open away from dense groundcover where they can hide. I'm sure a few Marine buddies would love to relive their youth in Vietnam by doing that, but for me, I would go with a ground game. And frankly, if I were a rancher with such a problem, I would do what my rancher friends were doing and bring in hunters who wanted to take out as many of the pests as possible. I would furnish hunters with food and a place to stay and turn them loose where the problem exists. I would let the ranchers handle and dispose of hog carcasses. 

As for the use of poisons, I don't know if I like the idea. First, you have to have specially constructed bait feeders in place to get the hogs conditioned to go to the bait for at least a week before the poison is added to the bait. Once the poison is added, the hogs need to consume a lethal dose. Once they wander off and die, they may die on someone else's property or in a place where you can't find them. 

As for the folks in towns and cities?

For folks in cities and towns with the same problems faced by homeowners in Irving? I gather that a few wanted to shoot the hogs, but then they realized that that's not a good idea since that would be illegal to shoot within city limits -- and not very smart in a neighborhood setting. Frankly, that's what Animal Control and that "Wildlife Contractor" are for. But, since they reproduce at a rate of single sow giving birth to up to two litters of six to eight piglets each year, I suggest someone do something pretty quick. 

While I don't live in a city, or a town as far as that goes, I'm not sure what can be done to stop wild hogs from destroying property. I certainly wouldn't recommend shooting them or at them in town. That will only get you in trouble with the law. 

Well, these days it's bad enough to have to worry about two-legged predators and vandalism from the wrong element. That goes in town or in rural areas. Of course, besides all of the property damage, it is a fact that wild hogs have been known to attack pets and people. So yes, something has to be done.  

Just as a matter of information about trying to keep critters out of where they aren't supposed to be, let me tell you about one of my wife's gardens. Right after I remarried back in 2005, my new wife started a garden in the front yard of our home. She decided to turn it into an oasis and I was all for it because that's what she enjoyed doing. That harder is what I describe as her "flower garden." The following year, she started a vegetable garden. We put up an 8-foot fence around her vegetable garden.

As for the flower garden? The deer in the area must have thought she was putting out a feast for them because they came in and ate just about everything she planted every night. This went on for a while until we started looking for different types of "non-lethal" ways of keeping her garden deer-proof. Frankly, we had success with motion-activated sprinklers that we found online. 

So here you go, before you turn to fence those hogs out, and since you can't shoot them in town, you have to keep your garbage and debris in a place where they can't get to them. As for deterrents, I suggest installing security lighting, motion-activated noise makers, and motion-activated sprinklers. That worked for deer for a while -- but ultimately, I ended up putting in a 4-foot fence and using a hot wire setup.  

Just as a word of caution, I have a friend who put up a hot wire setup in his front yard -- and he lives in town in a regular neighborhood. He did it to stop critters from digging up his yard. He said it worked. But, he said that if you plan on using a hot wire and it's exposed to the public, you need to have it clearly marked with electric fence caution signs. 

I don't know if a hot wire would keep wild hogs from destroying your yard. But, I really believe a hot wire plugged into a 120-volt socket will definitely get their attention. That might be a solution worth trying.

Tom Correa



Thursday, January 30, 2025

Dozens of Dead Horses in Clements, California


I live in the Sierra Nevada foothills in a tiny berg with a population of about 189, at an elevation of 2750 depending on where you're standing. Over the last 24 years of being here, I've learned that it's a pretty friendly place. Yes, I can say that this place is mostly made up of good folks. And that's actually a lot of praise for this area, especially since most people in Calaveras County look at the area where I live as being "Outlaw Country."

Of course, that's understandable since every once in a while, even in a place as sparse as where I live, you'll find bad people. As you know, wherever you live there are people who you wish lived somewhere else. And yes, even in small towns, or those bergs on a Highway like where I live, you'll find some folks who really spoil the goodness of a place. That's sort of what's going on in Clements, California.

Down in the valley about 45 minutes down the road from me is the town of Clements. While the berg that I live in only has a Post Office and an American Legion hall where our local drunks hang out, there's a lot more to Clements than meets the eye as you're passing by. 

It used to have Lay's Roadhouse which was a great place to grab a meal. Now the restaurant is gone. The building was sold to some folks who turned it into a convenience store. But not to worry, Clements still has a pretty good burger place, The Old Corner Saloon, a church, a rodeo arena that the Clements Buckaroos call home, and the Ricotti Saddle Company. 

As for the burger joint, the folks there are nice and the burgers are great. The Old Corner Saloon is a local watering hole with some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. I haven't been to the church up the road, but it looks like it does well. I haven't dealt with the folks over at the rodeo arena in at least 20 years. They were as cliquish as the day is long, and not a welcoming group at all considering they were horse folks. 

As for the Ricottis Saddle, they make custom high-end high-quality saddles. They specialize in old-style craftsmanship, custom saddles and tack, fancy show tack, and training equipment. They have been around for what seems like forever, always dedicated to serving Western horse people and their horses. I have friends who are really into the California Cowhorse and Vaquero traditions. Ricotti's is the place if someone is looking for saddles, mecates, romal reins, silver bits, and spurs. and more that's durable, functional, and has that artistic craftsmanship that reflects the old-style Vaquero traditions.

Clements is rural America at its best with a population of about 900. Its farmland elevation with an elevation of about 140ft. It's all about farming, orchards, vineyards, cattle ranches, and horses. It sits in San Joaquin County on Highway 12/ Highway 88. 

I know it well because I used to help a few ranchers in the area during gatherings and branding. I can remember a lot of early mornings trailering my horse down the hill to Clements. I'd stop at Lay's for a last cup of coffee and meet others before going out to work cattle for the day. Most of those ranchers got old or have passed away. Of course, that doesn't stop me from thinking about them and those days as I drive down to that area every couple of weeks when I get down that way to buy hay in the town of Lockeford which is just past Clements. 

I wanted you to know a little about the area before we talk about what was discovered a few days ago. I wanted you to know that what's happened there is completely out of the ordinary. The people who live there are farmers and ranchers, basically good-hearted rural Americans. And yes, many who live there are horse people. 

That's why I was shocked when I read the report from the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office which read:

27 Horses Found Dead In Clements, California

"Today, January 22, 2025, deputies from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office along with our Animal Services officers executed a search warrant in Clements, CA, in regards to an ongoing animal neglect investigation.

Multiple properties were searched. During the operation, several malnourished horses were discovered on the premises with limited access to any food or water, and approximately 27 deceased horses were located.
 
Our Animal Services Officers, along with veterinarians who were at the scene, immediately began to triage and evaluate the condition of the horses. After thorough assessments, 16 horses were rescued and are now in the care of professionals at the Oakdale Equine Rescue who will ensure they receive proper nutrition, medical attention, and rehabilitation. 

Unfortunately, 4 horses and 1 Bull had to be euthanized due to their extreme neglect. Animal services officers and veterinarians are still currently evaluating additional horses and animals due to the size of the property.

Jan Johnson of Clement’s was arrested and booked into the San Joaquin County jail for the following charges:
Cruelty to an animal
Threatening a public official
Criminal threats
Possession of a short-barrel shotgun

We are committed to protecting the welfare of all animals in our community and will continue to investigate this matter. If you have any information related to this case, please contact our office.
Thank you to our Deputies and Animal Services team for their dedication and swift action in addressing this situation. We would also like to thank Oakdale Equine Rescue for their incredible support in assisting us with this rescue." 

This information is from the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office report which they posted online. 

So now, after reading what the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office reported, here is what CBS News out of Sacramento reported about what took place:

Number of Horses Found Dead Surpasses 50 in San Joaquin Animal Neglect Investigation

Story by Madisen Keavy
January 24, 2025

CLEMENTS — Volunteers spent two days rescuing dozens of horses and animals at the center of an animal abuse investigation in San Joaquin County after dozens of dead or malnourished horses were discovered.

According to the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office, 90 horses, five donkeys, and three alpacas were rescued while 53 horses, one cow, and one dog were found dead. Thirteen horses, one donkey, and one bull had to be euthanized. These numbers are subject to change, according to authorities, as the investigation is still active and ongoing.

"In this amount of numbers, yes, this one is one of the worst we've seen in this kind of abuse and there was no excuse for it," said Chantel Tieman with Hold Your Horses Livestock Evacuation and Rescue.

Tieman said her team of around 12-14 volunteers works with the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office on emergency and disaster evacuation cases. They spent most of Wednesday rescuing 47 horses from the main property, taking them to Oakdale Equine Rescue, another volunteer group taking care of the animals now.

"Heartbroken. Absolutely heartbroken. This should have never happened. These animals should have never suffered. There's no reason for it," Tieman said.

Volunteers echoed the same sentiment: it's going to take community support to nurse the surviving animals back to health. The animals are part of the investigation but are being treated by the rescue as the legal process goes on.
 
Rooster Fight Alerts Authorities: Warrants Reveal Horrors

The sheriff's office said law enforcement officials first made contact with suspect Jan Johnson, who is facing multiple charges including cruelty to an animal, in August 2024 after reports of neglect. At that visit, she allegedly threatened deputies.

Then, on January 4, officers responded to a report of a rooster fight at one of Johnson's three properties near Clements — this one on North Atkins Road. Officers discovered 30 dead roosters and 65 that were alive.

A spokesperson for the sheriff's office told CBS13 that Johnson was not associated with the rooster fight and was not at the home at the time, but because she was the owner of the property, authorities were able to get warrants to search her primary home and others.

In this search, they found the horses, with 27 initially being reported as found dead, and other animals. Johnson was arrested.

"It's so easy to give them a second chance"

Volunteers spent hours rescuing animals from Johnson's property and are now responsible for their recovery.

"It's so easy to give them a second chance," Tieman said. "You can join the team, help with rescues, help with evacuations during fires and disasters, sponsor, or foster — anything to give them a second chance. We're all nonprofits, all volunteers. None of us get paid. It costs us to do this, but we need the public's help to save them."

Tieman urges the public to see this story as a reminder of what can be done:

"See something, say something. If you don't say something, these animals cannot get the help they need. We hear excuses all the time: 'I don't want to get involved. They know me. I don't want my name out there.' If you don't step up, these animals won't get help. Tips are not enough. Going to Animal Control is not enough. You have to be willing to make a report, and you have to be willing to testify. I don't care who you are. If it was my own family, I would testify against them if someone was hurting an animal. These animals are innocent creatures. They have the right to at least the bare minimum—food, shelter, and healthcare. We all owe it to them to speak up and say something."

Oakdale Equine Rescue is fundraising to help pay for medical expenses for animal recovery.

-- end of CBS News story. 

The story of Jan Johnson who was arrested after 27 horses were found dead across multiple properties made national news. Deputies confirmed that Jan Johnson, of Clements, had been arrested and booked into the San Joaquin County jail and was now facing charges including cruelty to an animal and threatening a public official. Yes, she's also charged with criminal threats and possession of a short-barrel shotgun. So in total, she is being charged with 1) animal cruelty, 2) threatening a public official, 3) criminal threats, and 4) possession of a short-barrel shotgun.

First reports said that 27 dead horses were found and the live horses had "limited access to any food or water." Those reports said 16 live horses and a bull were taken. Of those, 4 horses and the bull were euthanized "due to their extreme neglect."

What is being reported as of January 29th, 2025, is incredible and completely inexcusable. CBS is now reporting that more than 100 horses were found dead or rescued from farms in San Joaquin County, California. According to that updated report:
  • 90 horses, five donkeys, and three alpacas were rescued
  • 53 horses, one cow, and one dog were found dead
  • 13 horses, one donkey, and one bull were euthanized
The investigation into the abuse is ongoing. Also, while the rescued horses are being treated at Oakdale Equine Rescue, that volunteer organization is raising funds to pay for medical expenses. 

This whole thing is about a horse hoarder who couldn't feed and maintain the animals in her care. As for the exact numbers of how many horses and other animals were found dead and alive, I'm really hoping to find out the exact numbers. Frankly, I don't know how anyone could have a herd of well over 140 horses and their malnourished condition go unnoticed by someone in that area. And because I know some of the folks who live down there, I know they would have turned her into Animal Control for neglect in a New York minute.  

As for the numbers of how many horses, donkeys, cattle, and so on are involved, this story has me a little baffled. I cannot understand how 27 or more dead horses, especially as many as 53 dead horses, supposedly went unnoticed. 

Also, it was reported that this isn't Jan Johnson's first run-in with the law. In 2006, she was arrested on suspicion of 42 felony charges of financial elder abuse and accused of stealing over $150,000 from a woman to buy horses and ranching equipment. She was sentenced to eight months in jail following the arrest. And yes, there's more about her ...

Jan Johnson Tied To Investigation of Arson of Her Restaurant LaStrada 88

Here's something more. Back on September 9th, 2014, a fire broke out at Jan Johnson's restaurant The LaStada 88. At the time, KCRA News reported the following:

A fire that burned down the popular La Strada 88 restaurant was so unusually hot that investigators are calling it suspicious in origin. The La Strada 88 restaurant is fittingly on Highway 88 and located directly across the street from the Clements Fire Department. And even though firefighters raced to the scene, there was little they could do to save the building.

"In my heart of hearts, I know it was arson," restaurant owner Jan Johnson said. "It started on the roof. There was not even an air-conditioning unit going at that time." When asked why someone would want to torch her building, Johnson said, "Who knows. There's jealousy, there's greed."

Johnson continued, "It's a cowardly act that someone could do such a thing to any building and possibly risk the lives of human beings, much less animals that were in the building."  -- end of KCRA report. 

As for the fire, I remember talking to locals at the time who called it "suspicious." And yes, some called it "arson." As for the death of those horses that Johnson owned, a lot of this doesn't make sense and leads to more questions. 

Tom Correa 

 

Sunday, January 26, 2025

The Story Of A Famous Feud -- A Story By Elmo Scott Watson (1936)


The Pleasant Valley War, sometimes called the Tewksbury-Graham Feud, was a range war fought in Pleasant Valley, Arizona, from 1882 to 1892. It was an extremely deadly conflict in the Old West that has been written about for many years. Yes, including by my friend Terry McGahey who wrote about it here The Pleasant Valley War.

In addition to the two feuding families, the Grahams and Tewksburys, several people were involved. It was a very bloody feud between two families, ranchers versus sheepmen, people who took their war to the extreme. Of course, while the Lincoln County War is probably better known because Billy The Kid was involved, the Pleasant Valley War had the highest number of fatalities of any range war in American history. It is believed that close to 50 people were killed during that range war.

While some want to point to troubles in Tombstone as the reason that Arizona statehood was stalled, many believe it was because of the level of violence involved during the Pleasant Valley War that gave the Arizona Territory a reputation of being a badland not ready for statehood. 

As I said a minute ago, many books and articles were written about the feud years after it ended. During my research of period newspapers, I found the story below written by Elmo Scott Watson. Between 1920 and 1951, Elmo Watson was, among other things, a photographer, journalist, Western historian, and journalism teacher. His story below was sent out by syndicated telegraph by the Western Newspaper Union. If you've read about the Pleasant Valley War, you should read what Watson has to say about some of the main characters in that deadly drama. 

It was published by the Plumas Independent newspaper on October 8, 1936.

The Story Of A Famous Feud 
By Elmo Scott Watson (1936)

Speak of a feud and one naturally thinks of those fierce family vendettas that have made notorious certain sections of the mountain country in West Virginia, Tennessee or Kentucky. Yet the soil of the trans-Missouri West as well as that of the East in times past has been dyed red with some of the bitterest feuds in American history.

In the West most of these feuds were "range wars" fights between two factions for control of desirable grazing country for their herds or flocks rather than internecine family conflicts. Outstanding among them were the Lincoln County War in New Mexico in the early eighties, and the Johnson County War, or so-called "Rustler War" in Wyoming in 1892. But to Arizona goes the distinction of having a civil conflict in which was combined both a family vendetta as fierce as any ever carried on among the mountaineers of the East and a" "range war" as bloody as any ever staged on the plains or in the mountains of the West. And, of all places, this feud was carried on in a locality known as Pleasant Valley!

If you have ever read Zane Grey's "To the Last Man" or Dane Coolidge's "The Man Killer!," you have caught glimpses of the Pleasant Valley War even though neither novel follows the feud in detail nor pretends to give an historically accurate account of it. But the war has its historian Earle R. Forrest, whose book "Arizona's Dark and Bloody Ground," published recently by the Caxton Printers, Ltd. of Caldwell, Idaho, is the first attempt to tell the whole story of that dark page in the annals of the Southwest. 

In the preface, Mr. Forrest says: "The Pleasant Valley vendetta that swept through the Tonto Basin country in Central Ariuna during the latter 1880's was one of the most sanguinary and bitter range feuds the old West ever knew. Its ferocity and hatreds were rivaled only by the bloody battles and assassinations of the Lincoln County War in New Mexico ten years before, but it is doubtful, even with all its terrorism, if the number of killed there equaled the casualties in Pleasant Valley. Both were born of blood feuds, and both were fought in defiance of the law of the land until they burned themselves out after most of the participants had either been killed or had grown weary of strife. Even the well-known Hatfield - McCoy feud that held the West Virginia and Kentucky mountains under a reign of terror for almost twenty years did not surpass the lifelong hatreds born of the Pleasant Valley War." 

The family element in this feud is furnished by the Tewksburys and the Grahams, the chief opponents in the war. But others were drawn into it, some by choice and some by force of circumstances over which they had no control. For in this conflict, there were no neutrals.

Among the others who were dragged into it or voluntarily took up arms were several men already noted, or soon to be notorious, in the annals of the Wild West. There was Tom Pickett, who had been a "warrior" with Billy the Kid in the Lincoln County War in New Mexico but who was then a cowboy in the famous Hash Knife outfit. There was Charley Duchet, a frontiersman and a gunfighter in the wild days of Dodge City, Kansas. And there was the famous Tom Horn, scout and packer in the Apache campaigns, later a stock detective on the Wyoming ranges and destined to be the central figure in one of the most baffling murder mysteries in the history of the West. 

A Wild West Sheriff

Among the law officers who tried unsuccessfully to quell the feud was the famous Commodore Perry Owens, the long-haired sheriff of Apache County, a bizarre figure who might have stepped out of the pages of a dime novel "thriller," and who during the course of the feud was the survivor of one of the most amazing gunfights in the history of the Old West. 

And these were only a few of the antagonists in a war waged with a ferocity and ruthlessness almost unparalleled in the history of the West. Before it was ended, one family, the Grahams, was completely wiped out and of their allies, the Blevans, there was only one survivor among the father and five sons. Of the three Tewksbury brothers, one was killed during the war, one died a natural death and the third, who stood trial for the murder of the last Graham, lived on to become known as the hero of Zane Grey's novel and the "Last man of the Pleasant Valley War." 

Three Half-Breed Sons. 

The fierceness of the vendetta may be attributed in part to the character of one of the families involved in it. For the Tewksburys were "half-white and half-Indian," the sons of John D. Tewksbury, Sr, a native of Boston who went to California in the days of the gold rushes, settled in Humboldt County and there married an Indian woman. She became the mother of three sons, John, James, and Edwin, who had grown to young manhood when the elder Tewksbury settled in Pleasant Valley, Arizona, in 1880. 

As for the other proponents in this bloody conflict, Tom and John Graham, they were born on a farm near Boone, Iowa, went to California in the seventies and in 1882 located in Pleasant Valley. 

"Tom was the oldest and because of the personal enmity that later developed between the Grahams and the Tewksburys, he became the acknowledged leader around whom the cattlemen rallied when sheep invaded the valley. Tom Graham is pictured in fiction of the vendetta as the leader of the rustlers that swarmed through the mountains, a ruffian and killer of the worst type. Nothing could be further from the truth; for he was a quiet, peaceful man and honest in all his dealings. Even after the invasion of sheep made war certain he refused to take human life; and his restraining hand held his followers in check until the first blood spilled by the Tewksbury forces made further restraint impossible. But he has been held responsible all these years for the acts of others." 

A "Short Trigger Man." 

Chief among these others were the allies of the Grahams, the Blevans, who was known in Arizona as Andy Cooper, mainly because a sheriff back in Texas, where the Blevans came from, was looking for him. Cooper, or Blevans, was noted as a "short trigger man," a killer by instinct, and he soon became the leader of the rustlers who preyed upon the cattle herds in that part of Arizona. 

The origins of the feud are wrapped in mystery. Various reasons have been given for the hatred which existed between the Tewksburys and the Grahams but none of them have ever been substantiated. One story says that a woman was at the bottom of it, that the attentions of a man in one of the factions for the wife of a man in the other faction started it.  Another says that the Grahams and the Tewksburys were partners in rustling operations, then fell out over the division of the spoils. There may be some element of truth in both stories but the fact remains that the hostility between the two factions which slowly developed might not have burst into the flame of open warfare if It had not been for an event that took place just 50 years ago this autumn. 

Forrest records it thus.

"The Tewksburys are driving sheep over the rim of the Mogollons!"

"From mouth to mouth, from ranch to ranch throughout all Pleasant Valley this message was carried by dashing young cowboys in Paul Revere style. The effect was like an electric shock and more dangerous than a charge of dynamite. For years the cattlemen of this little valley in the wilderness of central Arizona had successfully held their range against the encroachments of sheepmen from the north who were only too eager to scatter their flocks over the luxuriant grass of this beautiful land. 

Hastily those cattlemen and their cowboys saddled their horses and rode out to investigate. Perhaps it was only a rumor after all; but with their own eyes, they could see them in the distance like a great mass of maggots rolling down over the trail from the rim and swarming out over the valley at the foot of the Mogollons like a plague of locusts, greedily devouring the grass, tearing it out by the roots; and already a cloud of dust drifted up in the lazy morning air from the desert they left behind. 

"The die was cast. The Tewksburys wanted war. Well, they would get it; all they wanted and more than they had bargained for." 

Cattlemen vs. Sheepmen. 

So the cattlemen and rustlers forgot their own differences and joined forces to resist the invasion of their common enemy, the sheepmen. 

Daggs Brothers of Flagstaff, at that time the leading sheep men in northern Arizona, needed a new range for their "woolies." They had heard of the trouble between the Grahams and the Tewksburys and decided to turn it to their advantage by breaking the united ranks of the cattlemen in Pleasant Valley and open that rich grazing land for their sheep. So they made a deal with the Tewksburys to send a band of sheep into Pleasant Valley under the protection of the Tewksbury guns and share profits with them. 

The cattlemen immediately rallied to defend their grazing lands and Andy Cooper, the "short trigger man," proposed to lead a party of armed men to wipe out the sheep and their herders. But Tom Graham held him in check, hoping to be able to scare off the sheepmen without loss of life or destruction of property. However, the reckless cowboys soon got out of hand and in February 1887, they drew first blood by killing a Navajo Indian sheepherder. Soon afterwards the sheep. were withdrawn from the valley but the peace which came to Pleasant Valley was a short-lived one. 

Then "Old Man" Blevans, father of the Blevans boys, allies of the Grahams, disappeared and was never again heard from.

In August, his son, Hampton Blevans, accompanied by four Hash Knife cowboys and three from the Graham ranch started in search for him. They stopped at the Middleton ranch where they found Jim and Ed Tewksbury and some of their adherents. 

Hot words between the two parties were followed immediately by blazing six-shooters and when the - fighting was over Hampton Blevans and another cowboy were dead and two others of their party wounded. This was the first white man's blood spilled in the Pleasant Valley War, but it was only the beginning. 

Next Jim Houck, a Tewksbury man, killed young Billy Graham and in revenge for that Tom Graham led a party of cattlemen to attack the Tewksbury ranch. In the siege and battle which followed John Tewksbury, Jr., and one of his followers was killed before the attack of the cowboys was beaten off.

From that time on it was a war to the death. Forrest's book is filled with the details of the various gunfights, ambushes, lynchings, and assassinations that marked the progress of the war during the next two years. It is a record of almost unbelievable ferocity and cruelty, yet its dark pages are relieved at times by the chronicle of deeds of high courage and loyal devotion on the part of both men and women as the wives of some of the clansmen also played a prominent part in the war. 

By the end of 1888, the war was virtually over. Jim Tewksbury had died of tuberculosis. John Graham and Charley Blevans had been killed in a fight with a posse headed by Sheriff Mulvenon of Yavapai County. 

Sheriff Commodore Owens of Apache County had had his famous gun duel in Holbrook in which Andy Cooper (Blevans), Sam Houston Blevans, and their brother-in-law, Mose Roberts, had been killed and John Blevans was in jail. 

Triumph of the Tewksburys. 

In the meantime, Tom Graham had married and his young bride had at last prevailed upon him to take up farming near Tempe. Ed Tewksbury and a few followers were left to enjoy their hollow triumph as winners of the war. But they had learned their lesson and they made no further attempts to bring sheep over the rim of the Mogollons. 

Apparently, the feud was over. Then as suddenly it burst into flame again. On August 2, 1892, Tom Graham, while hauling grain from his ranch, was shot from ambush near the Double Butte schoolhouse. Ed Tewksbury and John Rhodes were accused of the murder and placed under arrest. 

During the preliminary hearing of the accusation against Rhodes in justice court, the old feud spirit flared up again when Mrs. Tom Graham tried to shoot Rhodes down in the courtroom but failed in the attempt. Rhodes was discharged from custody. 

Then the long battle to convict Tewksbury began. Found guilty of the murder, Tewksbury obtained a new trial on a technicality and in the second trial in 1899, the Jury disagreed. 

After the passing of another year, the prosecution, evidently believing that a conviction would now be impossible, filed a motion to dismiss the charge. When this was granted on March 18, 1896, the curtain fell on the last act of the bitterest blood feud in the history of the Old West, a story that has become a legend of old Arizona's cattleland." 

Western Newspaper Union 
As published in the Plumas Independent newspaper, Volume 43, Number 4, 8 October 1936.


Saturday, January 25, 2025

The Hashknife Ranch -- An Historic Texas Ranch

Story by: H. Allen Anderson
Published: 1952
Updated: 1995

The Hashknife Ranch was begun in 1875 by J. R. Couts and John N. Simpson when they drove a herd of longhorn cattle from Weatherford to Elm Creek in Taylor County near the site of present Abilene. The ranch established its headquarters in a dugout on the creek bank near a high hill. It was named for the peculiar brand, which resembled a hash knife, a common kitchen tool used to chop meat and vegetables. 

Couts was said to have originated the brand as early as 1872, and when he formed his partnership with Simpson, who married his niece, they chose that brand. By 1879 a more comfortable wooden cabin had replaced the dugout headquarters on Elm Creek. 

The Hashknife range was gradually extended west into Nolan County, and in 1880 additional free rangeland was acquired on the southwest bank of the Pecos River; the range ran from the New Mexico line 100 miles downstream to Grand Falls and twenty-five to thirty miles out from that river. Charles W. Buster, another investor, was put in charge of this range, which branded 10,000 calves annually for the next five years. Each spring, some 5,000 Hashknife steer yearlings were trailed north to Montana. 

By 1885 the Pecos range was running over 34,000 cattle. That summer Buster and the Hashknife owners sold the herd to Henry Warren, manager of the Aztec Land and Cattle Company. Warren trailed these longhorns to his ranch, which he had established the year before, between Holbrook and Flagstaff, Arizona. 

This was the "Hashknife Outfit," immortalized in the novels of Zane Grey, whose employees became involved, to some extent, in the Graham-Tewksbury feud during the 1880s and 1890s. Later, in 1901, this ranch was sold to the Babbitt brothers of Flagstaff.

In the meantime, Simpson and the Buster brothers had formed the Continental Land and Cattle Company of St. Louis, Missouri, with William E. Hughes, who had bought out Couts's interests in 1881. 

They immediately purchased the Miller Creek outfit, in Baylor County, from the Millett brothers and added it to the Hashknife holdings. This gave the Hashknife a total of 50,000 cattle. 

When the Texas and Pacific Railway began building into West Texas, Simpson arranged to meet with the railroad officials at the Hashknife headquarters and was influential in getting the line routed through Taylor County. As a result, the town of Abilene developed just southwest of the headquarters. After the completion of the railroad in 1882, the former Millett spread in Baylor County became the center of the Hashknife Ranch operations. 

Hashknife cattle were also run on choice grazing land along the forks of the Concho in Tom Green County during 1883–84; it was for this ranch that Sam Isaacs worked briefly as an "outside man." 

After the sale of the Pecos range cattle to the Aztec Company in 1885, the Continental Cattle Company purchased the W Ranch on the northeast bank of the Pecos and used it for Hashknife stock, under C. W. Buster's management, until 1893 when they sold it to the Johnson brothers.

By 1889 the Continental Cattle Company had disposed of the Hashknife Ranch in Baylor County and moved its cattle to the Mill Iron range in the lower Panhandle. At that time the old Hashknife brand was discontinued, but beginning in 1882, E. C. Sterling and Sons used an inverted form of the brand on about 8,000 cattle, which they ran on 80,000 acres in Baylor and Throckmorton counties until 1906. 

From 1906 to 1917 the brand was run by the Knox brothers, from 1917 to 1926 by J. W. Stevens and sons, from 1926 to 1928 by J. W. Knox, and from 1928 to 1950 by E. W. Hunt of Olney. Ernest Hunt inherited the ranch from his father in 1950 and ran it until 1993, when his son Ernest W. Hunt, Jr., and daughter K. Ann Hunt Schriver took over. 

The site of the old Hashknife headquarters in Taylor County is now a part of the campus of Abilene Christian University, which was established in 1927.


TSHA is a proud affiliate of the University of Texas at Austin

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Victor Davis Hanson: Trump Has Destroyed Biden, Bush & Obama


Here is this video's description: 

In this exclusive interview with GB News, renowned historian Victor Davis Hanson shares his insights on Donald Trump's inauguration and the transformative vision he brings to the presidency. 

Victor Davis Hanson discusses why President Trump is at the peak of his power, likening him to historic figures such as JFK and Teddy Roosevelt for his ambitious projects on space exploration and the revival of America's sense of manifest destiny. 

Victor Davis Hanson critiques Joe Biden's presidency, describing it as ending in corruption with a tarnished legacy. He contrasts this with Donald Trump's unifying inaugural address and outlines the bold policies he expects President Trump to pursue, including securing the borders, deporting millions of illegal immigrants, and boosting the U.S. economy. 

Victor Davis Hanson also highlights how President Trump has redefined the Republican Party by attracting new voters, particularly young people, and minorities, thanks to his affable and likable demeanor.

Just so everyone knows, I've been a huge fan of Victor Davis Hanson for years. He is a well-respected scholar and professor associated with Stanford University. But don't hold that against him because he's also a farmer and not out of touch with the concerns of Americans as many intellectuals seem to be. 

He understands the day-to-day problems that we face today and why the last four years under the Biden-Harris Administration have been such a horrible experiment in Socialism for Americans. He also understands, and frankly relates it to people in a way that I wish I could, the reasons for us to have hope that Donald Trump will make our lives better and make America great again.

Tom Correa


Monday, January 20, 2025

The Agenda I'd Like To See President Trump Enact


Below is part of President Trump's actual agenda. Below also has elements of the agenda that I would like to see him enact. 

1.  On day one, I'd like President Trump to send the U.S. Army on a humanitarian mission to provide real federal government help in the way of road building and temporary housing to aid those who endured the destruction of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. 

The Biden Administration's pathetic response was weak and shameful and there are still Americans living in tents in freezing Winter weather that's now hitting that area. There is no reason for our people to suffer considering Joe Biden gave Billions of American taxpayer dollars to all sorts of foreign countries to help their people live better. 

January 21, 2025, President Trump announced that he's going to North Carolina to inspect what needs to be done after the Biden-Harris administration abandoned those folks.

2.  On day one, let's secure the border and stop the Illegal Alien invasion. Bring back common-sense Immigration Policies that work for legal immigrants. Stop outsourcing, and turn the United States into a Manufacturing Superpower. 

On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to Secure the Border by declaring a National Emeregency on the Border!  

3.  Within the first few months of 2025, carry out the largest deportation operation in American history. Deport the criminals, the gangs, the Drug Cartels, the child sex traffickers, and the people who were released from foreign prisons. Focus on deporting the criminals when deporting everyone who came across the border "illegally." 

The people Democrats allowed to freely enter the United States while bypassing our Immigration System should be put at the end of the Immigration Line. Stop the migrant crime epidemic, demolish the foreign drug cartels, crush gang violence, and lock up violent offenders.

On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to designate the Cartels as International Terrorists and to start the Deportation of Illegals.  

4.  Prosecute and imprison thieves, robbers, those who assault others, those who would steal and scam others, rapists, arsonists, murderers, and terrorists. Bring back consequences for one's criminal behavior. Make criminal activity crimes again and persecute the criminals.  Make it so criminals are brought to justice and made to pay for their crimes. Support law enforcement. 

On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to support law enforcement and prosecute criminals. 

5.  Rebuild our cities, including Washington DC, making them safe, clean, and beautiful again. Many cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Portland are rat-infested cities.

6.  End the weaponization of government against the American people. Prosecute the traitors who tried to weaponize the Department of Justice, the EPA, the IRS, and other agencies. They have overstepped their authority and have criminally persecuted working Americans for violating agency regulations that were not laws. 

On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to End the Weaponization of Federal Government Agencies. 

7.  End inflation, and make homes, groceries, goods, services, and gas affordable again. Make America an affordable place to live again.

8.  Eliminate the over-regulation of Farmers and Ranchers, food producers, American agriculture, manufacturing, and businesses big and small. Our industrial base is critical to ensuring good jobs for our people, as well as the reliable production of vital Defense platforms and supplies. Our Policy must be to revive America's Industrial Base with a priority on Defense-critical industries. 

Equipment and parts critical to American Security must be MADE IN THE USA. Let's "Buy American and Hire American." Let's ban foreign companies from doing business with the Federal Government. 

On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to rescind all burdensome regulations created by the Biden-Harris Administration. 

And while we are at it, let's rebuild family farms instead of driving them into poverty. Let's bring back President Trump's Deregulation policies, they saved Americans $11,000 per household and ended Democrats’ regulatory onslaught that disproportionately harms working Americans.

9.  Reenstate the Trump policies that make America the dominant energy producer in the world. This alone will bring down transportation and manufacturing costs.

On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to "Drill Baby Drill!" 

10.  End the "Green New Deal," cancel the electric vehicle mandate, and eliminate costly and burdensome regulations on manufacturing so that the cost of products comes down.

On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to end the oppression caused by the "Green New Deal" and he canceled the Biden-Harris Administration's electric vehicle mandate.  

11. End the support for the Climate Change Hoax. Stop overtaxing Americans and giving our taxpayer dollars to other countries. Americans are in need and don't need to be overtaxed. 

If the Federal Government has enough money that it can give Trillions of American taxpayer dollars to foreign countries for Climate Change and other political reasons, then we are being overtaxed. 

On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order for the United States to exit the Paris Climate Change Agreement which will instantly safe American's ONE TRILLION DOLLARS!  

12.  Create tax cuts for working Americans. End Income Tax, Inheritance Death Tax, and Seniors paying taxes.. Besides stopping tax on tips, stop taxing Americans into poverty to fund Socialist/Communist programs. 

13.  Defend our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and our fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to keep and bear arms.

14.  Prevent World War Three, restore peace in Europe and in the Middle East, and build a great Iron Dome Missile Defense shield over the entire United States -- all made in America.

15.  Rebuild and strengthen our military with a masculine warrior ethos, eliminate CRT and DEI, and make it without question the strongest and most powerful in the world. Before that can happen, we need to stop the Left's social experimentation within our military. 

Also, as a matter of national defense, we must be concerned with critical supply chains that return to the United States. These chains ensure National Security and economic stability while also creating jobs and raising wages for American workers. 

On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to end DEI in all Federal Government departments, including our military.  

16.  Keep the U.S. dollar as the world's reserve currency. Place heavy Tariffs on cheap goods and equipment coming from China where slave labor is used in manufacturing. Let's stop bringing in China's poor-quality metals and other items.

17.  Fight for and protect social security and Medicare with no cuts, including no changes to the retirement age. Restrict Illegal Aliens from receiving government benefits. 

Let's understand that Social Security is a lifeline for millions of Americans. Of course, that hasn't stopped corrupt politicians from robbing Social Security to fund their pet projects. We need to restore Economic Stability to ensure the long-term sustainability of Social Security, as well as strengthen and protect Medicare’s finances from being financially crushed by the Democrat plan to add tens of millions of Illegal Aliens to the rolls of Medicare. 

18.  Cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory (CRT), radical gender ideology, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.

Let's ensure K-12 schools are safe learning environments free from political meddling. We need to restore Parental Rights and promote American Values while preparing students for successful lives and well-paying jobs. But we need teachers who want to teach instead of show up to indoctrinate children in Leftist Ideology. 

19.  Disband and rebuild the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, and other corrupt government agencies from the ground up. Let's eliminate any existing political partisanship and corruption. 

Ingrained corruption and a culture of criminal activity, and that's what it is when government agencies spy on American citizens without warrants or just cause, needs to be eliminated and we need to start fresh with officials being held to a code of conduct that can result in prison time for violations. 

Americans should not have a "Deep State" of covert operators doing what they want to sabotage the working of our elected government. Partisan Americans should not condone the actions of a rogue FBI agent colluding with others to go after the President of the United States, just as it should be criminal for the former FBI Director to secretly orchestrate "leaks" to newspapers with the motive of perpetuating the Russian Collusion Hoax. 

20.  Keep men out of Women's Sports. Support Women's Rights by getting Gay men out of Women's Sports competitions. Gay men do not belong in Women's Sports. We can keep men out of Women’s Sports by banning American taxpayer funding for sex change surgeries, and we can stop taxpayer-funded schools from promoting gender transition. We need to reverse Joe Biden's radical rewrite of Title IX Education Regulations and restore protections for women and girls.

We need to educate young people that it is scientifically impossible for someone with an XY chromosome to transition into having XX chromosomes. Females have two X chromosomes in their cells, while males have X and Y chromosomes in their cells. That can't be changed and thus the term "Trans" is a political term used by the Left. It is not a scientific term. 

On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order designating that the United States only has to sexes, Male and Female.  

21.  Deport pro-hamas radicals and make our college campuses safe and patriotic again. Arrest and deport violent protestors of every sort who are here on Student Visas. 

Please understand that we should all condemn anti-Semitism and support revoking Visas of Foreign Nationals who support terrorism and jihadism. While there are a lot of folks who focus on supporting this Race of people over that Race of people, we need to hold accountable those who perpetrate violence against the Jewish Race. 

22.  We need to ensure Election Integrity. We should exercise our duty to vote in secure same-day elections. We need to institute voter identification, paper ballots, and proof of citizenship for everyone who votes. We also need to have stiffer penalties for fraud. 

23.  We should try to have Congressional Term Limits instituted to stop politicians from staying in office too long. Joe Biden got rich over a 50-year span in government which should not have taken place.  No one should spend that much time in government or get rich off of public service.

24.  We must defend the First Amendment Right to Religious Liberty. It protects the Right not only to Worship according to the dictates of Conscience, but also to act by those Beliefs, not just in places of Worship, but in everyday life. Republican ranks include men and women from every Faith and Tradition, and we respect the Right of every American to follow his or her deeply held Beliefs.

To protect Religious Liberty, Republicans support a new Federal Task Force on Fighting Anti-Christian Bias that will investigate all forms of illegal discrimination, harassment, and persecution against Christians in America.

On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to Defend our Freedom of Speech and end government censorship. He did all of the above in one day.  

25.   Encourage American Patriotism starting in grade schools as it once was in America. Americans need Donald Trump's 1776 Commission Republicans reinstated to promote Fair and Patriotic Civics Education. We must support schools that teach America’s Founding Principles and Western Civilization.

Tom Correa