In February, 1895, a handsome cowboy, whose name was Billy Bonner and who had come from Philadelphia to learn the cowboy profession on the Spurs, took suddenly ill with a pain in his head. He died the next day, and was buried in a rough, home-made black coffin in Dickens Cemetery. His family, on hearing of his death, wrote asking that he be shipped back to Philadelphia.Mr. Flock, who was chief bookkeeper at the Spur Headquarters, reply is significant: ".....with regard to the idea of having Billy removed to Philadelphia and interred there, you are doubtless aware that it would be a great expense. This is a very unsettled country, and there is no one here who could do the undertaking work. We are 100 miles from any railroad point. The work would have to be done by experienced men, and I believe there are none nearer than Fort Worth...I dare say the work would cost $400..."
However, Billy was the kind of cowboy that saved his money, and he had deposited $420 in the Colorado National Bank. He did not have any real estate but did possess about 30 head of ponies which were not of much value.
Billy was an unusually thrifty young ranch hand who had met an untimely death. The Green family of Dickens knew him and Gill Green attended his funeral in Dickens. Mr. Green loved and respected him and always said he was a fine young handsome cowboy, who came from the North and wanted to make good in Dickens County and have a ranch of his own. What became of his money and ponies, Mr. Green never did say, but later years, he removed a petrified rock from the Breaks and erected it at his grave and his name is inscribed on a brass plate and attached.
Source: History of Dickens County; Ranches and Rolling Plains, Fred Arrington, ©1971
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