Larry James Interview

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Larry James Interview

Larry James was very excited when he was approached to do an interview. He smiled and said, “I got a lot to say and no one to listen, so hurry now, let’s get started.”
When we had the first interview, which took place January 20, 2003, Mr. James was anxious to star. He said, “I’ll start talking’, you start writing’.”
He immediately started to discuss his early childhood. He was born to Luther and Sally James, in Milborne, Texas. He thinks his birthday is February 4th, 1900, which would make him soon to be 103 years old. He had seven brothers and five sisters. His only contact with any of the family was with Jake, his brother, whom he read about in the newspaper about the oldest Texan in a nursing home in Midland, Texas. I had this lady here write to him and he is my brother but not the oldest Texan as I am Jake’s older brother,” said Larry.
Jake did call Larry, either Thanksgiving or Christmas but Larry was not sure which. They enjoyed talking to each other, and Larry promised not to tell anyone important he was the oldest. Larry still says, “I am the oldest Texan and proud of it.”
Larry’s home was a dirt floor cabin in the plains of Texas. The cabin had two rooms for the fifteen members of the family. They grew their own food; his father and older brother went hunting for their meet. The environment, in the early days of the west, was hard for the families to survive the numerous hardships. Larry had to work the fields, pick berries, help tend the animals, and clean the meat. There was very little time for his education; he had, maybe, three years of which he attended school.
The conversation at this time was directed by Larry to when he returned from a cattle drive and went into town to wash the dust from his throat at the local bar and met Wyatt Earp. He was very impressed with him. Wyatt was a very nice man, always smiling. Larry said, “T wasn’t really sure if he was...