Eloise Lane

In his introduction to the “Journal of Lt. J. W. Abert from Bent’s Fort to Saint Louis in 1845 (published in 1941), Dr. H. Bailey Carroll wrote the following: ” I should also be unmindful not to record here my thanks to Mr. George Autry, Amarillo, Texas, for his work in seeing the account through its technical and mechanical processes.” Autry, who died January 24, 1960, had been identified with the Panhandle- Plains Historical Review during its first 32 years of publication. The issue for 1960, which is dedicated to him, is the first issue in which he had no part.

As a memorial, the Review printed for the first time the small but magnificent fable which he spun out of his love for the Panhandle and the people who live here. The Panhandle~ Plains Review, 1960, published by the Panhandle-Plains Histori- cal Society, and the Panhandle Plains Museum arch Center have granted permission for the White Deer Land Museum and the Pampa News in Pampa to use George Autry’ S “A Fable” in Museum Mementos. Also the PPHM Research Center has sent photographs of of the original.

IT was one of those days when God was creating the Earth. He was working on Texas as darkness fell at the end of the day, and He had to quit. He gave the Great Plains of West Texas a smoothing stroke and said to Himself, “In the morning, I’ll come back and make it pretty like the rest of the world, with lakes and streams and mountains and trees.” But next morning when He re- turned, it had hardened like concrete overnight. As He thought about having to tear it all out and make it over, He had a happy thought. “I know what I’ll do,” He said, “I’ll just make some people who like it this way.” And that is how it came about that the people who live in the Panhandle like it this way.