The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-07-12
CATTLE RAISING IN SOUTHERN CAL
TFORNIA.

IF From the end of the track thu
Visallt stage route leads across Fire
baugh's ferry, and at that point
remained to see something of lift
|. quite. different from that on the
n Mercer side of the San joaquin
Dn one side of the river arc wheat
9 fields, on the other you find only
cattle. Miller & Lux own 40 miles
!, of land on the western side of the
|. San Joaquin; and other persons
own almost equally great tracts.
1t is said that Mr.. Miller is the pos
e SCISSOR of half a million of acres in
\ this State; he has nearly 100000
n cattle, and being q shrewd business
: man, he is fencing in his great es-
tate, to reserve it for his own cattle.
He is rapacious for more land; and
I is said TO have determined not TO
| rest until he can drive his cattle
over his own land from Los Ange-
: los to the Sacramento. Two men
, in San Francisco saw him some
where lost in thought, and one ask
ed, 81 wonder what Miller is plan
ming now 2" The other replied,
she is making a little plan to buy
the rest of the State"
Miller s. Lux now have about 125
miles of fence built, and vile build
100 miles more this year. Some
other great land owners have nearly
as much. Fencing costs them from
$500 to $3.50 per mile. OF course
these are not the men who oppose q
"no fence" law
| At Firebaugh's l fell at once from
California into Texas. Who drives
wild cattle must be wild himself, l
suppose. l found myself in the
evening in large room, used as
store room or shop, where eighteen
or twenty vaqueros or cattle-herd-
ers sat about a fire and smoked, and
chewed, and swore, and spat, with
great gravity and decorum. Some
were Americans, from Missouri and
| TeXas-the persons called "Pikes"
in this State; some were MeXicans
who. came in with jingling spurs,
and with riding trowsers made of
calfskin with the hair left on, which
gave them quito startling and dis
| gushing satyr-like look. There is
nothing picturesque about the Pike.
He is a creature for use and not for
ornament
AS L OS1I AANA oiISl
supper. l began to think that /
| should have to take some care not
to be spit on; but the accuracy,
neatness and precision of their aim
presently treasured me. One fell
| low, lounging on the counter be-
hind me, spit over my hat; vigor-
Gus crossfire was kept up by two
| others, across the toes of my Shoes
a scattering, but unintermitting rain
fell upon the center of the floor
aud occasionally the fire received 4
douche; but believe that l may
safely say that no accident occur
red during the evening.
It happened that Mr.. Miller him.
self was present that evening. He
is German by birth, short, alert in
his movements, neatly dressed, and
with n good nose, low forehead,
but a remarkably expressive coun-
tenance. He busted himself with
| instructions to his foreman, smok-
ing, meanwhile, and l was amused
| to see that when once he got up
| from his chair, 81 Vaquero slipped
| into it-and as there were more
people than chairs, after wandering
abont the room for a while, expos
ed to the battery of tobacco juice,
the owner of half million acres
finally squatted down in the wood
box, at the side of the fire, and pru-
IDENTIFY took care not TO get up again
until he went off to bed. His men
give him q good name for liberaiity
and kindness to them, and to all
working men; and 1 believe there
is no doubt but that he is an I'M
commonly able business man. He
began life poor, in this State, less
than Is years ago, and has made his
fortune sin cattle"
The next morning | had oEportu-
nifty to study little the manners
aud customs of these men. They
do everything on horseback and
the lassO, or TiatG, as it is more
commonly called here-lasso being
properly verdi find, is a sort of
third arm to them. 1t was de- |
signed to single out half a dozen |
horses from herd of twenty-five !
or thirty confined in stable yard. |
So the horses were let out of the |
yard, cornered by two horsemen in !
q fence corner, and then one man, |
fixing his eyes on the horse he
wanted, dashed into the herd, flung |
his TidtG, and unfailingly secured |
the prize. In one case the horse,
used probably to the operation-for
these animals were broken-saw
that he was wanted" and actually |
stood still TO be caught.
a vaquero came in after nights |
watch over cattle, slipped off his |
horse at the door, tied the animal |
and in a moment was fast asleep, |
standing up leaning his head on the |
saddle. His nap lasted half an hour |
and was not broken apparently by |
the noise about him. a horse not |
thoroughly broken had attached to |
its head-stall broad leather band /; |
when the owner wanted to mount |
he slipped this band over the horses
eyes, and removed it as soon as he
was securely in the saddle.
The cattle range is divided into
ranches, each of which has fore
man, responsible to the pro-
prietor for the cattle on the
place. These men receive, Il
was told, from 81 200 to $500 per
annum, and their food and necessa-
ry travelling expenses. Under them
are vaqueros. The cattle range over
an enormous extent of land; when
market cattle are wanted, or when
it is thought expedient to drive a
band 10 new pastures, foreman
set out with from twelve to eigh-
teen men on horseback, accompan-
led by a wagon which bears provis-
ions and the blankets of the men,
| as well as cook.
Three horses are taken along for
each man, for the business is not
easy. They separate and hunt up
the cattle they want-each ranch
has its distinct brand-and all drive
toward one point. Meeting there,
which may be 100 or $50 miles from
their destination, they combine
forces and drive the whole herd
slowly to where they are wanted.
This demands watchfulness both
night. and day; and men are up
from twelve O'Clock at night till six
the next night, one half keeping
| watch all night, and all of course
being on horseback all day. The
men receive $50 per month and own
their saddles and accouremeBts.-
i(Cer. n. Y. Tribune.
New York possesses 800, 841,-
/ 264 of wealth, or one-fifth the
whole amount in the United States