The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-23
Texas Cattle.

The man owning n large stock of cat
tie in Texes, says the President of the
Western Texas Stock Raising Associa-
ton, conducts his business differently,
though like their marks and brands, no
two manage exactly the same way. The
extent of country over which their cat
tie range depends upon the size of the
stock : one of $4,000 head would range
in most cases over an area of country
fifty miles wide and one hundred miles
long, though some may always be found
beyond the limits. Most of our large
stock-raisers, as they sell their beeves,
invest their surplus money in other
stocks of cattle contiguous to, or within
their range, and much depends upon
these purchases as to the size or shape
of the Territory. They always have a
central rancho at which they keep a
sufficient number of brood-marea to
supply all demands flor horses. This
place is known as headquarters :"
they generally have othero sub-ranchos,
at which they keep two or more men,
doing what they can in driving up, mark
ing and branding young stock, gather
ing and selling beeves, and looking out
generally for the interests of their en-
ployer. As in the other case, nothing
is done during the winter months with
the cattle, except to get up and sell the
beeves to supply the home demand, the
packing houses on the coast, and the
New Orleans market. When the spring
opens, and the grass is sufficiently high
to support his horses at labor, the stock
raiser employs his hands, gets up his
horses, and prepares for operations.
Twenty-Five men are about as many as
can work to an advantage in one gang,
and for this number, one large four
mule wagon, laden with provisions,
camp-eqipage, very little baggage,
and about one hundred horses, make
up the "outfit." OF course the cattle
about the central rancho are first gath
cred in, marked and branded, and as
many of the calves kept in the pen as is
desirable ; the large stock-raiser, or a
number combined, having series of
pens located with view to permanent
water throughout his range. The party,
thus equipped and provisioned, estab-
lish their first camp at one of these
pens, and the business of the season is
considered fairly commenced. The
wagon, and one man to cook, being al
ways kept at the camp, another with
the assistance of "bell-mare keeps
the extra horses under herd, while the
balance of the party ride over the coun-
try, in every direction, and drive up all
the cows with young calves belonging
to their employer. If it is the wish of
the owner to gather beeves at the same
time, they are driven along with the
COWS, kept in the same pen at night,
and herded during the day. The calves
are generally branded in the morning
and turned out with the cows, and
nothing more is ever done to them un-
til the male portion are of sufficient age
to gather and sell for beeves. 1 men-
ton this that my readers may estimate
for themselves the cost of raising beef
upon the prairies of Texas.
The beeves which are being gathered,
are kept in hand until the drove is suf-
ficiently large, say eight hundred to a
thousand herd, when they are turned
over to the speculator, and the proprie-
tor receives from twelve to fifteen thou
sand dollars in gold, and Immediately
commences the gathering of another
drove.