Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-07-01
LETTER FROM COLORADO.
ISLAND STATION, June 16, 1875.

it had aroused my curiosity, so that
was anxious to witness this novel meth
cd of hunting cattle, and when Mr..
Brantner asked me if l would assist
Ira, his herder, through it, eagerly
consented.
The country where We were to oper-
ate is that part of Colorado between the
South Platte River and the Rocky
Mountains, and extending, from Cedar
Creek on the South to Little Thomp-
son, on the north, including about six
! hundred square miles.
Three other young men, Ira and my
self, packed our provisions, cooking
utensils and bedding in the same Tag-
on. Our squad of five had eight ponies,
for we must do hard riding and have a
change of ponies occasionally.
J, The first one of the series of round
ups was held eight miles from where
we were, on the Goth of May. The
morning was clear and pleasant, our
ponies fresh, and we in good spirits.
We mounted and rode slowly, till
we reached the top of the bluffs, and
| then halting upon a cOnical one, turn
ed and gazed upon the beautiful scene
nv, which cOntrasted so strongly with
| the monotonous prairie on either side
OF it. There lay the Platte, its waters
| flashing in the sunlight as it streamed
| in through the young leaves of the cot
| tonwood which stand upon its brink,
and forms beautiful groves on the clus-
ter of green islands which lay like so
many emeralds pinned on the bosom
| of the river.
We turned and dashed down the
bluffs, and soon came upon band of
Texas cattle, which, startled by Ira's
war-whoop, started at full speed, snort
ing and lashing the air with their tails.
we followed at the lope, making the
! Jack k-rabbits-Rhich think are cross
between the common rabbit and the
jackass- fly before US, end the hungry
looking coyote slyly glide behind dis.
| tant soapWeed, over which he would
peep at us. Sometimes 'whiz' from
the grass, followed by a leap of our po-
nies, told us we had passed over rat
tlesnake.
AS we neared the closing ground,
men were seen coming from every di-
rection, driving bands of cattle at no
slow pace. A ring was formed around
the cattle by about hundred men, all
on horseback. Indeed, no one would
dare be on foot among those cattle, for
footman is a strange object to them,
which frightens them SO that they
make either a desperate effort to get
away or charge at the footman.
The ground was carefully selected,
being free from ant-hills and prairie
dog holes. The believing of the cat
tie almost drowned all other sounds.
Now the work of cutting out began,
by the Captain calling squad No. l,
composed of six men, into the ring. A
band of cattle that has been cut out, is
called q calvy-yard. These are placed
about three hundred yards from the
| herd, with sufficient number of men
to keep them in close bunch.
When it came our turn, Ira and an
other of our party went into the herd
and cut out another drove to the calvy-
yard, which the other two kept. 1 first
| took my station at the calvy-yard, till
l saw how it was done. Soon it came
my turn to drive. The ring opened,
and out came steer, which L took af-
ter. | soon found that my pony knew
more about it than did, and all had
to do was to keep from falling off.
The steer went straight for the wrong
place, with Billy and his rider in full
chase. 1 could see nothing but cloud
| of dust, which made sudden turn, so
did Billy and l. Well, L managed to
hold Oh to the horn of the saddle, but
nv neck cracked like whip. / shut
my eyes to keep the sand out; then
| there were a series of quick turns,
which threw me first on one side of the
saddle, then on the other, with my
right and left heel in the air alternate
Iy. All at once there was stop, and l
arose from Billy's neck to find that we
were at the right place.
A dozen men, all chasing cattle in
different directions, whooping and
cracking their whips, it is wonder
there are not more accidents. Once l
saw three men and cow rush togeth-
er and 60 down in pile.
After all are done cutting out of the
herd, they examine the calvy-yard to
see that there are no estrays ia them,
and that each man has his own, and
no more. In case of dispute about
an animal, it is separated from the rest
and pursued by two men who flourish
their Iassos over their heads, then with
u dextrous throw they are slipped over
its head. One man stops his horse
and brings the animal to a halt, while
the other rides quickly around it, en-
tangling its legs, and throwing it down.
The brand is then shaved.
One roundup is made each day, in
which there are from five hundred to
a thousand head of cattle, which are
found ON piece of ground from five
to eight miles aquare.
One day just after we had formed a
ring around the cattle O cloud came
rolling over the mountains, growing
more threatening as it approached ,and
finally opened its battery upon us,send-
ing rain and hail into our ranks. The
cattle turned their tails toward the
storm and started. We got in front,
but could not make the ponies face the
storm. On the cattle moved as unre-
sistibly for a time as the current of a
river; but they could not long resist
such yelling, such whipping, and such
swearing ss was brought to bear upon
them. l think the swearing was what
stopped them. Some of the oaths
would knock an OK down at forty rods.
Having checked the cattle and formed
a wall of our horses in front of them,
all stood with heads down, as far down
between their shoulders as possible, and
backs reached like cats, to shed off
the rain, and present more oblique sun
face to the pelting hail. Occasionally
a poor fellow, soaked to the hide, and
shivering with cold, would break for
camp, followed by the jeering shouts of
the men. At first joined the rest in
the cry OF coward baby &C., but
soon began to feel uncomfortable. Wa
ter was pouring in streams down my
back; my boots were full and running
over. slowly worked to the front,
then turned my horses head toward a
house about mile distant, where a
fiume of smoke seemed to beckcn me,
suddenly Strengthened up, sank my
spurs into the horses flanks, and soon
left the complimentary remarks of de-
sertar., coward , fetch him back oiy-