The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1878-01-18
AN ODE To A BULL TEAM.
Letter from John StoutenburQ.
Hoppins' Sh-epherder, TO a
Friend i'm the East.

FEAcnu hn tnO East
What we call bull team is fourteen Texas
steers,
Armed with horns on their heads like mules
are armed with ears;
Their hind eads are protected by heels instead
of horns,
And woe unto fellow whea he steps upon
Their corns.
I've watcht d them througha feldglass, their
bodies are Ing anu tank,
And, minus their dinners, are no thicker than
a plank.
They stsnd on lie 8, like beanpoles of spider.
shape. and queer,
And their horns, vow, would shame an elk,
they're eight feet IN the clear.
Times are kind of lively when these critters
take rum
There's no use in tr! ing to catch them, for
the timing cannot be done;
The heettst Spanish mustangs are left far in
the rear,
And lightning can't run crooked enough to
eaten texas steer.
When steer gets his back up he's right dead
ON tAe hgnt.
They oitel pitch a man or two up higher
than kIte;
They show "a man no quarter, and never give
him bail;
And you ought to see a fellow hop when one
gets On his trail.
THEY'LL keep a dozen good.sized boys sus-
pended Ia the AIR
woman, too, with all her traps-a pull. back
and false hair;
And If tue steer is in good fix and neither
blind Eor lame,
He'll have salclent time to spare to hunt for
smaller game.
Had the south thouand of these steers at the
battle Of Bull hun,
They never would glyeup the chase till they
took Washington
And when they placed their banners DER the
ruins and the dead,
Would have painted there a Texas steer be-
side Lopperhead.
man who drives abull team must be pretty
smart,
And must do heap of cussing before he
makes them start;
He must tend the b. axe before and aft sopae-
times ON the off side
With "Get up, Buck; stand up there, Ben;
together, turk and Tige."
1t is heavy on those drivers who believe in
church aud PRAYER.
For they cannot make bull team pull unless
they curse and swear,
And before they drive the steers q month
they all fully agree
That you cannot WORK ball team by the
Double kule of Three.
You Garnet use blacksnake in driving of
these steers,
For the lash Will tangle 'mongst their horus
and lap around the ears;
It's sure TO work into knot you never can
un' lie,
And if Teller a'int a fool he'll surely
never try.
They drive them with a kind of spear. or
rather a harpoon,
And the main point IN driving is to give them
plenty rom;
But for minor items, / never stopped
to see
For fear the critters might break loose and
then take after me.
always get on top the house when a bull
team is in sight,
Armed with a Henry rifle when they turn
them loose at night,
Then, you bet. that 1 feel tickled to think
how safe be,
/ or steer cannot climb house, though he
can elm a tree.
driver that is married. and has a pretty
wife,
She VIII generally convince him that he d
best insure his life,
When steer then takes no ion to kinder
lay him by;
She nrst thing draws the money, then takes
listle cry.
l wouldn't drive a bull team on the Silver
City road
For all the bullion taken from the mammoth
Comstoek lode,
And take the desperate chances when the
drouth is at its wus-,
Enveloped ever in clead Of alkali and
dust.
Now, you may think I'm joking, and my
veracity may doubt,
Rut II it's not certain fact my names not
Johnny stout,
And if you think it's somewhat mixed twill
still all your fears
When you have seen bull team of full bred
Texas steers;