Birthplace: City, State, USA
Date of Birth: 00/00/00
Murray, also known as 'Indian Jim', 'Pine', and 'Murrar', has been an institution at the Ranch for many years. In his school years, Murray became friends with Bill Sr. and that friendship opened the door to the Ranch and years of enjoyment for both of them.
Murray is a man of many talents, so many it's not possible to list them all. Murray has been a professional artist, taxidermist, deputy sheriff, restaurant owner, waste dump operator, the main attraction at an amusement park (Indian Jim), commercial fisherman, deer skinner, and TV celebrity. He is also a skilled hunter, trapper, and herbalist. He has also lived with Indians and is a noted Indian historian. There is not much Murray hasn't heard about, read about or actually lived. With all of that, at the Ranch his most useful and entertaining skills center around his skinning capabilities, his medical remedies, his cooking, and his story telling.
When Don was hunting some years ago, he tripped and busted his ankle. When we got him back to camp, Murray stated he had a cure for the swelling and carefully described an herb and instructed us to go to the creek and bring some back. We located the herb, which Murray called Chuchu Pate, and he brewed it up and applied a whole batch of it to Don's foot. When done, Don's foot and part of his leg was completely covered with this green spinach looking substance, almost what you'd expect it to look like if he pulled his foot out the ass end of a cow. It didn't stop the swelling (because it was broke, Murray said) but we did enjoy the medical lesson and the way Don looked when he went home that evening with that green crap wrapped all around his foot. There was also the time Murray spent months taking shots of whiskey mixed with a tablespoon of cayenne pepper to cure his nagging cough. It was all we could do to watch him down those shots. It wasn't until later in the hospital Murray found he had a chicken bone in his lungs, otherwise his cure may have worked.
Murray has prepared some great meals at the Ranch including chili rellanos, California beans, and a variety of stews and specialty dishes. But there was also the year Murray got on a soy sauce kick and cooked or marinated everything with soy sauce. We declared that as the 'oriental' season. Then one evening Murray decided to make palillies, an Indian bread, with our supper. Don and I went out for a little evening hunt and when we got back everything in the kitchen, including the table, counter, floor and Murray, was covered in flour. Murray was sitting at the end of the table with a highball in one hand, a cigarette hanging from his lips, and a platter with enough palillies to feed a football team. He claimed he thought we were coming right back and when we didn't, he just kept making more palillies. We thought maybe one too many highballs affected his culinary judgment.
Murray's story telling is like reading a novel or watching a movie. He paints you a picture where you can visualize each character and situation. Of course some of his more colorful stories wouldn't be appropriate for this website.
In his younger days, when a buck was killed, Murray would be one of the first to draw his knife and begin skinning the deer. Murray instructed many a young hunter on the proper technique of removing the hide without a single puncture wound. As he got older, those skinning lessons became more prolonged and often took a back seat to other activities, such as drinking. Which brings up a very important skill I overlooked when listing Murray's accomplishments. Unlike Billy III, you might say Murray has a talent for drinking. I'm sure this was one of the talents that kept him and Big Bill so close for so many years. One of the few times Murray was in the hospital I heard the doctor ask him if he had a drinking problem, and Murray replied…"No, I only have a problem when I can't get a drink."
We all have learned and gained a lot from Murray's knowledge and experience. His stories of the west and of his travels continue to entertain us. His contribution to the Ranch is unique and irreplaceable as Murray himself.
Bill Jr - August, 2003
