The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-07-21
From Texas.

RoBrNsGNvILLE, Texas, July 10, 1877.
In this communication will present Tex
as a stock country. AS early as 1856, when
La Sale, brave Knight of Normandy, dis
covered Texas, stock of various kinds were
abundant, though in a wild state; and from
that year to this, they have existed in count
less herds from Red River 20 the Gulf, and
from the Sabine to the Rio Grande. Both wild
horses and wild cattle still exist in portions
| of Western Texas, though nothing in COM
parson to their numbers In the early history
ofthe country. These wild horses when
caught and tanned prove the most durable
tor hardships of any other breeds, and even
now the average Spanish horse that grows
without feed or attention on the prairie, is
noted for his great power of endurance. II
Is not uncommon to find men owning thous
ands of cattle that range over a dstric: OF
country embracing two or three counties
The only attention given is to collect them
In herds in the spring season ana mark or
brand the calves, that being the only way one
man can distinguish his stock from that OF
another. Texas COW boys, as we term them
get to be such experts at the business as IL
catch yearlng calf by the tail, throw and
brand it while on a full run. 1t used TO be Il
custom among stock raisers to brand all
calves falling into their hands after weaving
time; but that practice of late years has been
abandoned, as it became preteXt for bad
men to steal cattle.
On the coast and in Southwestern Texas
extensive pastures are inclosed to keep II
cattle; some of which are twenty TO thirty
miles in extent. These great enclosures pre-
vent the cattle from wandering over so much
territory, and this diminlshes the cost and
trouble of collecting. 1t would seem rather
rough to any one NOT accustomed to 1t, to see
lot of cow.drivers hunting cattle, They of
ten wear buckskin suits, a pistol buckled
around them, a stake rope 40 feet long, and q
pair of belcd spurs on their feet about com
plete their outfit When out on IN extensive
trip they pack their provisions on mule
or horse, which is driven with the herd. They
always camp out at night, whether wet OF
dry, riding their horses on the grass, on &C
count of which 1t requires from two TO fou
head apiece to do them. Texans are as lnveter
ate coffee drinkers as the Turks so that it i!
no wonder we see every drover prepared Il
make his own beverage, And we are 70
surprised at Mr.. HIS. opinion of Texas stocl
men, in his thoughts on the Shady Side of Tex
as, especially If they treated him as the hack
men did IN the Alamo city. But with al
their rough appearance, we find more men o
general intelligence and liberal views thar
in most any other class.
At the close of thewar and many years after
over a million head of cattle were driven an
nearly IA thousand miles, which required TIVE
: or three months to make the trip. \ great por
tOn Of the route lay through wild country
which exposes the driver 10 the merciles
savage. So with the perilous route, and th,
/, continued exposure TO heavy transforms
swimming treacherous streams, loss o. sleep
etc, Il was almost as great an undertaking e
, conduct herd of cattle from here TO Kansas
as TO take one across the plains when III,
gold fever first started in California. Bu
those days are over now, and instead of hold
ing an Infatuated herd amid untold dangers
the stock man has only TO charter train anC
ship his cattle TO any market he chooses, re
r curing only two or three days TO go.
; Many men coming here from other states
I particularly from the north, think they car
l improve the common stock by Impurtin!
p Durham, but they always fail after fair trial
much 10 their discomfort; as the climate i
too hot, the long warm summers completely
, exhausunc Durham cattle. They never seen
u thrive while on the grass, bat when kcp
T in the shade and fed well they flourish, an,
!. that does not suit Texas We have breed