Mrs. D. H. (Mary) Dunn, pioneer Dickens woman came west in a covered wagon from Tennessee with her family and settled in the Croton community and in Dickens.Mrs. Dunn, as do many pioneers, has her own stories of the days of early times out here. A good one she tells is about a venturesome girl called Mary, who swiped a pair of her "poppas" Sunday go-to-meeting pants, rolled up the pants legs and went gaily off on a picnic in the rugged ranch country around Dickens.
But alas, and alak, the girl went through a barbed wire fence and ripped the seat almost out of the trousers, (Poppa´s best ones to his suit, remember). Well, Mary hung them back in the closet, but Papa had to go to Dickens to Court the next Day.
He came in from the field and hurriedly got into his best (and only) pair of dress pants. As he walked to the courthouse, he felt a draft, and found the seat of his pants in sad repair. But he couldn´t go home and change (even if he had had another pair). He had to go on into the courtroom, ripped trousers and all.
The spectators snickered as he walked up front toward the judge´s bench. Judge Ben Worswick rapped for order and demanded an explanation, from the Courtroom spectators and Papa.
"I figured coming in this way was better than being late in your court, sir," Papa said seriously. The gruff judge smiled and had to cover his face with his hands to keep from joining in the general courtroom laughter, Papa was off the hook.
Needless to say, a certain girl had a lot of explaining to do at the end of that day when Papa came home and called out: "Mary, have you been wearing my pants again?" But like father in Court, like daughter at home, Mary had a quick answer: "Yes, papa, I was going out to pick you and Mamma some pretty wild flowers and I snagged´em."
by Tanner LaineSource: History of Dickens County; Ranches and Rolling Plains, Fred Arrington, ©1971
SPUR (Special) - Services for Mrs. D. H. Dunn, 90, will be at 4 p.m. today in the Dickens Baptist Church with the Rev. Alvin Petty officiating, assisted by the Rev. Victor Crabtree.
Burial in the Dickens Cemetery will be directed by Campbell Funeral Home.
A native of McMinn County, Tenn., Mrs. Dunn moved to Dickens County in 1908. She died about 11 a.m. Sunday in Crosbyton Hospital after a lengthy illness.
Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Jo Perrin of Las Crusces, N.M. and a brother, Robert Reynolds of Dickens.
Pallbearers will be Alton Lawson, J.C. Porter, Bil Scott, Virgil Hawley, Buck Partridge and Tom Green.
©Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Sunday Sept. 5, 1974
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