Taft Miller
(1893-1982)
Taft
was born at the Double O near Burns, Oregon, April 3, 1893 to George
and Emma (Hartley) Miller; he was the 4th of 6 children. His siblings
were Francis, Pete, Earl, Girlie and Baby. He also had three half
brothers; Mark, Dave and George Bollenbaugh. Taft’s family ran cattle
and horses. Taft was running horses with his Dad from the time he
was big enough to “sit a saddle”. He put in a lot of time with the
horses at Clover Swales in Catlow Valley in the summer time.
Taft was out on his own at a young age and worked for various outfits
running horses with them. John Crow recalls when Taft was 14 he
was working for Eaf Sizemore and they were helping the 7T Outfit
run horses. After the gather was over John, then only 4 years old,
wanted to go with Taft. Taft put John in his alforjas, on his packhorse
Schroder and went back to Sizemore’s.
Taft rode a single riggin' Walker saddle and packed a long rawhide
reata. He was well known for riding rank horses. People were always
letting Taft on horses they thought could buck him off. John Crow
recalls Taft drinking too much raisin wine and getting on a big
bay outlaw horse. The horse tried his best but couldn’t buck Taft
off. One time Taft needed a horse, so someone gave him an outlaw
from a work team and he rode him too.
One time Taft’s horse went lame and he came upon the MC wagon and
asked to borrow a horse. The MC boys thought they would have a little
fun and gave him Chub. Chub had bucked quite a few of the MC buckaroo’s
off. Taft mounted Chub and he blew. Taft got the last laugh as he
rode out of camp on Chub.
Rankin Crow recalled meeting up with Taft on Chub out on the desert.
Rankin wanted to see a little show so as they were shaking hands
Rankin stuck the toe of his boot in Chubs shoulder. Chub went to
bucking out across the flat. Taft was looking over his shoulder
cussing Rankin with every jump. When the horse quit bucking Taft
rode back to chew Rankin out. Rankin said that actually Taft got
as much fun out of riding Chub as he did watching him. Sometime
later Roy Clark asked the MC buckaroo boss, Ross Dollarhide, how
Taft was getting along with Chub. Ross chuckled and told him Taft
was using him for a wrangler horse.
All the outlaw horses Taft rode, the thousands of miles in the saddle
across a barren snake infested desert running horses at a full gallop
never knowing when his horse might stumble and fall, was nothing
compared to bad moonshine which Taft said was the closest he ever
came to premature death.
Many of the horses in the country at that time were branded. There
were enough oreanas left that young ambitious men could get a start.
Taft began his horse herd and broke many to sell. He branded his
horses with the TAF brand. When Taft was 21 he homesteaded Catlow
Valley.
Taft married Nellie Sitz, March 3, 1920. They had 7 children, Gene,
Donald, Virginia, Lucille, Tiny, Joe and Jerry. In 1938 they moved
from the homestead to Rock Creek Ranch which they bought. They raised
cattle and horses but his real love was the horses. He was from
the old school of horse breaking. He wanted them to use hobbles
and have a foot tied up. He always said, “Don’t cripple the horse,
you can always find another cowboy but you can’t replace the horse”.
He would rope a colt and quickly tie up a foot then tell the boy
they were all theirs. They would sack the colt out and soon as they
could they would get on him and Taft would open the gate and let
them outside, teaching the colt to move out.
He taught all his boys how to ride a bucking horse. Jerry recalls
he’d have them take an average rein and tie a knot in the reins
and he would have them tie their reata on good and tight and told
them to hang on. Taft always said not to blame a horse for bucking,
just sit up and ride. Stay on so you don’t have to chase your saddle
the rest of the day.
Taft liked thoroughbred horses, narrow in front and high in the
withers. He liked to see what was in front of him, he didn’t care
what was behind him. Taft went many miles a day on horseback and
wanted a good traveling, tough horse under him. Many of Taft’s horses
ended up in his son's, Don or Gene’s bucking strings. They were
rank and tough to ride. Some were Dandy Dan, Top Rail, Tar Baby
and Weaver Fever. Two of the best bucking horses Taft recalled having
were Box Dot and Trade Dollar. He use to ride them before they put
them in the bucking string.
Taft loved the Buckaroo life that he lived. After retiring from
the ranch he would still show up at all the brandings in the area
with his long reata and he could still throw the big loops and make
the long shots. He would always be there when the horses were being
gathered. When he was in his mid 80’s a lifetime of hard long hours
in the saddle slowed his body from getting a horseback. But you
could still find Taft with a twinkle in his eye, plowing through
the sage, jumping ditches, and kicking up dust, running horses in
his red Toyota jeep, still young at heart. When the horses were
corralled, Taft would stand for hours looking each horse over with
a contented smile on his face.
Taft loved children and spent many countless hours with his grandchildren
and others in the community. He would sit and whittle wooden tops,
planes and animals. Every spring he would make willow whistles for
each kid.
In 1968 Taft married Mabel Ackley and they lived in Frenchglen.
In the early 70’s Taft’s Walker saddle and all the other saddles
and tack was stolen from the Rock Creek barn. None of it was ever
found. Taft rode a Sandy Saddle after that.
Taft was a skilled buckaroo that could ride the rankest horses and
throw one of the longest loops. He was tough enough to conquer the
sage covered alkali flats of Catlow Valley, yet tender enough to
bounce a child on his knee.
His family still owns and operates the Rock Creek Ranch near Burns,
Oregon.
Taft Miller was inducted into the Buckaroo Hall of Fame in September
1997.
|
