The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-10-01
NUMBER 81.
A California "BulI.Puneher.y -

The scene described is in the redwoOds
of SOnOma county, California:
The driver Tor bull pUucher. a he Is tech
nically called) provides himSeifwith yard
or two Of hickory stick. tipped with a steel
gOad an inch long. and this pretty inStru-
ment is as busy as a drum-Stick perpetual
". The OK, with all his acknowledged
virtues. is a most provoking beast. Years
of gOIding give him an eXaSperatingly
small store of wisdom. Hence, not an hour
passes, bat some unfortunate, by his stu
pidity or laZineSS, works the driver into an
ecstacy of rage. Then, whang, prod and
whang. Blasphemy, howlS, blood and
gOadS Oxen are not unfrequently killed
in these mad attacks. One prod behind the
horns sends the poor devil to where logs
and puncherS are not. The bull-puncher
Is man of trials. Only a strong cOnstiIu-
ton can stand the excitement of the trade.
He must have a born gift for profanity, or
he need never hope 10 reach high stand
ing in the profession. Mister said the
most gifted puncher in the woods, don't
yer shout when yer hurt? Well, if didn't
cuss when the bull is contrary, I'd bust
every blood vessel in my body in no time
For the time being, the bull-puncher
yearnS for nothing but to see his ten oxen
pull together and act at the same moment.
Even years of practice and perfect tamili-
aritv with his cattle, who understand every
word and gesture, make this end not al
ways so easy.
''Stand up, Bright! You. Brown"
shouts the puncher to the leaders, when the
chain has been hooked to the log. Bright
and Brown grOan. STAND up, Bright.
You. Brown ~ comes louder, and the
punchergoes through complicated manu-
al of harmless passes with the gOad. The
oxen knOwperfectly well that this Is an or
namental preliminary. and take no notice
accordingly. unless it be to lock horns
and low, as if in dread of the coming war.
If after two or three repedtiOnS of this
willingness to get ready is shown, the
puncher is calm. If not, he jabS an inno-
cent OK near him, and swears at the Lead
erS. who below. and strive with their
horns, each to keep the other from max
| ing the tOrturing start. Vigorous thrust
| inc and Yelling produce signs of anima-
| ton along the line; and an extra prod of
the steel sets several of the hinder oxen
| tugging. That is the moment for the
! leaders to start, but in spite of the cries of
| the punCher, they scarcely lower their
| heads again, and continue their lowing and
| hooking so the opportunity Is lost. Now
! the punchcr stands forth alone. Such a
| bowling shrek of tape-wOrm blasphemy
never was heard outside of the woods.
He dances and he fOams, and tearing up
knots and billets, rains them at the refrac-
| tory leaders, who are teyOnd the reach of
his gOad. Perhaps the puncher throws
down his hat and stamps upon that article
of raiment as he screams. Happily. a
small log from his raging hand starts the
| leaders. Now, shouting, yelling, cursing,
blaspheming and believing, till the sylvan
| echoes make a frightful uprOar, the punch
er leaps and dances !fOng the line, gOad-
ing and shifting till the united strength is
brought to bear, when the log plOws slow
ly over the Shiny road till the next stop
| page, and then the whole sOul-destrOying
performance is gone through with again.
| The puncher, in addition to all his other
woes, must pass through life up TO his
| ankles in mud. A man with a couple Of
mules drawing a sled on which pair of
barrels are fixed, spends his time in dash
ing water over the ground before the log
on its way to the road of skids. Thus a
/ gutter of soft, slippery mud is quickly
formed. Tie log gliding through this
makes a sound oddly similar to a boat
cleaving water, and the puncher plodS on,
cursing and plunging.