The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-05-30
The Texas Cattle Region.
! Dallas Correspondence of the Cincinnati Coz
mprClaLl

lfa!las Correspondence of the Cincinnati Com
m"rcial.
Although the whole State i: suitable and
L. >rMe extent dedicated To the business,
vet The maine is given by distinction to The
rrmiun west of the NucccS in the south and
the BlazoS in the north. Including all the
nrrr counties of Prcsidia. pccaS. and I'll
pa>u. the territories of Young and BeXar,
the Panhandle. and several smaller counties,
where some grain is also raised. Like the
State al large. it has general slope from
northwest to southeast; on the south II Is
low level prairie, and gradually rises into
liti.ts, mingled with rocky and s,antily
rmlrred hills, rs one goes up the slope.
similarly. too, land tit for cultivation de-
cfcascs, and drought and >terility Increase
in the same direction and the whole upper
half of the region is til ouly for grazing
hu,ls. Down these ridges, which PROJECT
like spurs far out upon the lower country.
the Comanchcs have system of trails known
onIy TO Themselves; and in the district eN-
Fused 10 their incursionS, often remain for
.llv> aud even weeks concealed among the
brush and rocks. waiting for good oppor-
u,mity to "cllt out Il herd of horses or
cattle below and run them oil. OF mornings
it i not at al uncommon for settlers, in the
narrow valleys between these ridges, to find
INDIAN sign" about their cOrruls, but no.
thing is disturbed till the proper time comes.
All this time the old Texans ride about the
country without hesitation, feeling perfectly
safe. knowing that the Comanchcs never
strike till after the stock Is secured. But
when the savagcs have once stampcdcd Il
herd and are making their way out, every
man they encounter must tight or run, for
then they show no mercy. There are two
kinds of grass; the meSquit, which is at
counted the best, and the common coarse
.ra>s of the prairie. Cattle live we'll on the
hiler, but talten rapidly on the former.
only the upper border of this region is sub
lcct to Indian raids, and in the lower part
the larger owners are beginning to dispense
altogether with hcrdsmen, and fence in tracts
vi several thousand acres for their private
use. Quite a number of dealers are recorded
who own forty thousand head each. Every
man has his private brand. which is recorded
al the county seat, with a sworn statement
Of the size of his herd at each annual 'sllr-
round" When a man wishes to make IL
drive" he employs his herders TO make Il
surround" of all the adjacent country and
bring in at random is many thousand cattle
;,> he wants, irrespective of brands. They
drive them to tie public country corral,
brands; the herder then gives bonds for
settlement and drives to market. Once Il
year the "qualiiied herders" meet at tn,
county seat aud "juStify -. e., square ac-
counts on what each has taken. Thus it is
common for one man to bring drove TO
Dallas or Denison with fifty different brands.
Of course, this Is very loose system, and
numerous frauds are pcrpetruted under it,
more particularly in branding the calves of
another herd III the spring. But when Il
Imam is detected in such work, the custom is
for other herders to empty their pistols into
him. which squares the account. The num-
Der OF cattle III this region is variously esti-
mated at from three To six millions. Texas
cattle have no wrinkles on the horn Us ours
do; it grows all the year, and does not form
a wrinkle for each winter. Hence the
general size Of their horns is two or three
times that of lOrthern-bfcd oxen. This i
the herders' explanation of the hi. horn
and suppose it will go until we hear d
better.
A class OF marauders, known as "skin.
ncrs," infest much of the cattle region. They
shoot down the cattle, skin them, take the
hides, and leave the carcass. Many bloody
contests result, as the law against bearing
arms does not apply in the cattle counties.
Last winter. on account of unusual cold one
fourth OF all the cattle died. The grazing
)ands Of Texas, if properly utilized, would
raise NOR: cattle than do all the States e,st
u the M'.sl:>ippi; her cattle lauds would