Interviewer
John R. Moore
Project
Big Bend National Park Oral History Project
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Former river rider in Big Bend National Park, game warden at Black Wildlife Management Area, deputy sheriff of James Country, TX., longtime resident of Big Bend area.
Summary of Interview
Part of Big Bend National Park Oral History Project; biographical data; recalls experiences as river rider preventing Mexican cattle from entering Texas during hoof and mouth disease epidemic in Mexico in the 1940s; recounts fishing activities on the Rio Grande; dangers of high water on the river; living conditions at Hot Springs; cotton farming in San Vicente, discusses killing rattlesnakes and burning river cane despite National Park Service policies prohibiting such activities.
Date of Interview
7-1-1994
Length of Interview
1 hour and 15 minutes
Tape Number
No. 855
Interview Number
No. 855
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with James Ely by John R. Moore, 1994, "Interview no. 855," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.