Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-01-18
Managing Texas cattle.

Managing Texas Cattle.
The ease with which Texas cattle can
be managed within their range, and by
men of experience on horseback, is a
matter of surprise to most strangers;
there is little, If any more difficulty
about it, than though they were so many
work-oxen. l remember, says President
Kingsbury of the Stock Raising Associ-
alton, one morning, about ten O'Clock,
while passing over the immense prairies
between Victoria and the seaport town
of Lamar, in company with a gentleman
from Chicago, seeing great numbers of
cattle coming from three direcSions,
North, East and South, and seemingly
concentrating upon point near our po-
sition. AS there was not human being
visible to cause such a movement, we
stopped our ambulance and watched the
denOuemeI1t; presently a single horse
man riding in the distance was seen fly
ing over the prairie, then another, and
another, until ten were counted in as
many different directions, and it soon
became evident that place near us had
been selected for rounding up" When
the cattle, coming from different direc-
tons, began to meet, they stopped Of
their own accord, so perfectly do they
understand what is wanted of them. In
less than one hour from the time of our
halt fully six thousand head of beeves
and stock-cattle were concentrated in
one herd, and DIR. Kuykendall, an es-
teemed citizen of Hines Bay, rode up to
our little party and exchanged the salu-
tations of the morning. Understanding
my friend from Chicago was interested
in his cattle operations, he dismounted
two of his men and kindly gave us their
horses, that we might see all that was
to be- seen.
We rode to and fro through that i'm
mense herd of cattle with as much safe
ty as Daniel of old walked the lions
den, while it is not improbable that had
we attempted it on foot, we should have
lost our lives by being run over, and the
whole herd would have stampeded and
rushed with irresistible fury, almost
with the flight of deer over the prairie.
The reason of this is, many of the ami
mails since the hour they were branded
had never seen a man on foot, while
with horse and rider they are perfectly
familiar.
When we had sufficiently inspected
the herd, Mr.. Kuykendall gave orders
to turn out " on the South, East and
North, whereupon the men commenced
relieving or turning out from the herd
all animals not belonging to their en-
ployer, and even such of his as he had
no use for at that time, which were COWS
with unbranded calves, mavericks, and
beeves over four years old, suitable to
be sent by steamer to the New Orleans
market. To our establishment, out of
this immense herd but few over fifty
head were found subjects for the brand
ing iron or market-stall. These few
were placed in charge of two men, and
the whole party instructed to make the
next Ground up " at the "Twin Sister
Mott" point three miles distant to the
west.
The two men, with the herd, went di-
rect, taking up any they might find on
their route; the others scattered to the
right and left, and another Ground up"
and separation of a greater or less herd
than this was the work of few hours.
The cattle thus released, disperse them
selves over the prairie, to be again
grounded up" perhaps in an hour or a
day, by other parties sweeping through
the country in search Of their stock.
The cattle become so accustomed to
this, the stock-man has but to crack his
whip "a long lash with short handle, ca
pable of producing a loud report halloc
and start them in the desired direction,
when they know they have reached the
place for concentration.
The question will occur to parties out
of Texas: odd Mr.: Kuykendall gel
all his cattle in the territory hunted
over ?" He very likely got all that was
upon the line of his march; but he may
not have passed two hours before Others
would come in from either side, ant
although he might pass over the countr,
four or five times during the season
five hundred COWS with calves might es
cape him, until the calves, becoming
mavericks, would be branded by som
one else; his chances, therefore, of get
ting his own, or keeping even, are il
branding five hundred for some on
else.