The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-20
A YANKEE BOY IN TEXAS
EXPERFFNCES or 4 LiD or SryrN
TLEN IN HERDFNG STTILP.

/ Description Of the scenery nbout Co,,
Kancho Texas Ponies - The Rio Fri
Fourth Of July-The sheep Bu.incs.
SOUTHWEST Erin TEXAS, July IL hav,
had just about AS hard a time a. coul hays
: ind exist Wnat went through during those
eight weeks on the Goat ltncho It Is inp ,ssibls
to describe. Il was worse than Uelng alone, for
the mon with me were the most disi1reeab o I
ever met. I studied the matter up while with
them, ami came to the conclusion that II WA
impossible to make anything or Of OTIS
when left the Rancho del Frlo my feet were
very sore from herjin9 the sheep, aud when
had been on the Goat Rancho but n short tina.
they were In such a forlorn condition that was
obliged to make sandals Of my shoes. and In
that way herdod for over three weeks. You
can imagine what worse than wretched tlmeI
had, and at last played out" entirely, and
was obliged to 90 down to the Rancho del Frio.
where spent week In bod, which consisted
OF an old mattress laid on the earthen floor, and
my covering was a camp blanket.
The hrst thing did when recovered was 70
take ride on my pony. lie ia small. and to you
he would seem very small but here, where all
horses ere ponios, he seems Of common siza
He Is more Inclined to trot than to pace but
his movements are 80 easy that It oes not MAKE
much difference which he does. All tho ponies
hare LOPEZ" ana this one never moves you an
inch in the saddle. lie Is spirited little vicious.
aud loves 10 set OF at a dead run now and then
through the brush. when he gets little
cited. IL is unpleasant to be carried through
thorny brush at the speed OF a steam engine.
As soon "a / was able TO 90 about, | wont uD
the canon to get my mail and see about the bin
OF sale OF my pony How / wish you could have
been with me. left tho rancho In the middle
OF the afternoon, and, starting NJ a brisk pace, I
cd "A low of hills. and had DpfOra
me plain Of eight miles to cross. My direction
was northwest. Beyond the plain rose noun
tain over mountain. / could not help being
charmed by the scene, Il 30 reminded mo Of
Centre Harbor. N. H. To the north and north
east nothing was visible but the prairie, dotted
here and there with clusters OF live oak and
mes quite, The landscape was beautiful. and I
enjoyed II that day more than ever before, De-
cause knew mad nothing - do but to enjoy
H. no work that / must hurry back to- ana no
hocks TO round In After crossing this narrow
strip Of prairie struck the mountains. Al first
the hills were very low, but soon they lowered
mp on every side and you couldn't help calling
them miniature mountains for they were rough,
rugged and with sharp peaks, the same as You
would expect to find In nigh mountain cham
rhey were all quite low, however, but theu
forms made the scene very beautiful.
BEAUTIFUL RIVER.
After going up the canon miles | came to
the Goat Rancho, where 1 spent 50 many mlser-
able days. There are some oiutiful groves ia
the couatry around IL, and just in front of the
/
with pecan trees. 1t Is surrounded on one tide
by foil aged range of bills, aud ON the other by
tue most beautiful river, whose sparkling water
runs within "A lew steps OF our camp.
The water IN the Ri) FRO here Is as clear ~
| crystal at all times even after "A rain, though
| there Is not mucn IN the river. II gathers in
small pools or basins. and IN some place, l. quite
| deep. FISH are Sc rte IN It, but in these pools
| you can see them near tue bottom, AS though
| you were looking through "A window at them.
The toli ge In tue LOCALITY Is not like what yOu
are used to seeing, there being very iittle tbat
interesting or pretty ia the bushes on the iiyer
banks. J he bed Of tue river Is very broad. Dus
the river itself IN some pieces II only i've or SIX
feet wide, while Ia Others 1t extends entirely
across us ped, making a very broad aud oeauti.
ful sheet Of water. Along the banks are found
mesquite, and post (Or live) oaks, cedais, and
here aud there huge cypress, towering up
above tue rest. something as YOU have seen tue
| primevM pines In New Ham pshire
After making, at the rancho. supper Of oat-
in my blankets and was soon asleep. | Was up
| before the sun In the morning, ana, after very
GOOD breakfast | was once more IN the saddle
and on INV way up the canon. Crossing tho
plata" which was like going through "A gre II,
old apple orchard, forded the river and Wa
soon in "A thitkvt consisting mostly OF cedars.
was not long IN getting through this. II Icing
only a little over mile In tAtent, aud then
came upon an immense pl tteau. looking, "a
| saw 1t IN the distance, as smooth as II parior
| floor. In one spot there were several hundred
! acres a. level and beautiful as a lawn, wituOuI
| bush or tree on tue whole of II. This great
/ plateau was surrounded by steep aud rugged
hills which completely enclosed IL. IL was a
TAR ana terlle, hut uhcuitVdted ~ vega,
/ through the centre Of whicl mpuldered the
] crystal Nlo FRO, bNruCfSl mere ana there Win
! custer, OF post OAKS whose dense foliage
al orled cool and refreshing shade to the roam
ing cattle aud horses scattered over the plain.
ahd 'lso 10 any human uelhE VINO was uillucky
enough to be going that way. II Wa verl coal
on tuis plain the latter part of june, and un-
der my flannel smut and last winters e LAT 1
was comfortable. / WAS 50 charmed with the
suot that decided TO spend the morning there
and not 20 back t. the rancho until dinner
80, alter riding up the canon som1 i've OF six
miles came back aud stopped at farm, where
/ expected t. nnd the leiow | got my pony
from. | told that he ia tue Held
and fotded the river In tine direction pointed
out. found my man IN a corn field Of sixty
or seventy acres, most OF which was blossom q
out.
THE CENTENNIAL FOURTH.
suppose that the inhabitants win YOU ar.
having u gay aud glorious time, ringing bells
firing canons. etc. Here II Is more qHlet that
usual, and the only sound hear Is tue singing
OF tirds. In the little squllid frontier town
where six-shooters are worn 10y almost ever
one, ana where whiskey and gunpuwGer form
large part OF tile stock Ia trade OF stores, tns
the Centennial Fourth OF JAy, there Is not
, stgn Of display or celebration PERHAPS II tz IS
well that there IL not, for when tneN do get u
3 shooting here. they generaly shoot at sumo
thing, aud That somethlns Is a. iiNcly to "e No'
q as anything else. II was al the rancho OF Il
r camp, SHOULD spend the DAY hunting, out rs
is shal spend 1t wiling. Inc peoue anon
4 whom am now sojJurning are gong 90 nave
barrie cue, or picnic ana dance. ~ are lNNteu
| aud We nave been asked To he there, pti us
- have no clothes To wear. | sNall not 10. You AM
K perhaps other members 81 Tue FANNY my thlM
q tnut u vanity I'll & keeps me hWuy, but do 40
i judge too haishh. Here Ia ,own they manae
q 10 get up some style, ana tue tuel especial
+, dress well when the occasion demands,
" You are IA luxury COMP red WIN u Jus
take look at our room II IL sXli, walls re. II
ceiling, no ,rpet. a lot OF TRUNKS, etc. Oribnf
ing To other PERSONS IN the house t"o b,d-,tw
chuirs a box winch am writing upon, sinailt
box wnifh we use for a washstlnd. ana "a tHbl'
= Our washbowl consists OF a TN basin, oar Inict
. er "a " tier pail. Flr all this aud our boarC
whica latter Is as good, IL not tetter. than an
= IN Town, Ne pay - 80 each per wees.
We run somewhat IN ututi nara up Is n
ID II a. q a