The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-14
HERDINH CATTLE.
Some Of the Dangers and Difficulties of
Oattle-tending in Texas.
[Cor. Springfield Republican,

The time Is sunset of an April day; the |
place, corral In the hills In one Of the from
tier counties OF Texas. Men, who were max |
ing up q herd OF cattle to drive to Kansas, !
have given notice that on this day they would
receive ut this corral. All day long the cattle
have been coming in--all kinds of cattle. gen
tie mich COWS and yearDgs worn-out oxen
and beeves, and ''scalawags" who have run
wild all their lives until now, and would
sooner fight than not. AS they came they
were driven into q pen which tapered toward
one end where there were gates; these gate5
were thrown open and the cattle were crowd
cd toward them, the rear ones pushing ahead
aud forcing the front ones to enter into
smaller pen which was only wide enough for
two head abreast. Then the gates are shut
and the inspector looks over the beeves,
making q list Of them all with their
brands afterward the road brand is put on
there may be 500 different brands In /. herd,
but all must have the same road brand put on
the ribs, just below the backbone. The cattle
are then put into the herd. This had been
going on all day, until there were some 1000
head In the herd. They had been driven,
beaten, punched and burned and put In with
strange cattle, and were thoroughly fright
ened, and at sunset they were put In the cor
raj for the night, and the "cow-boys' come -
to supper, which consists Of bread, bacon. eof-
fee and molasses- bread toerably good,
the coffee black and without sugar OF milk,
| the bacon fried and then poured, grease and
| ALL into o large dish, the nolasses In tin
II
| food is served up on a sack, and the boys SIT
down on the ground around 1t; each takes his
| bread, dips 1t into the grease and then into
| the molasses, takes q bite and repeats 1t, all
dip In the same dish. 5
After supper, fires are lighted around the
corral and the men take their places on horse
back all around the outside. The corral is
made OF logs and brush. Soon low tramp
| ID heard, which increase to a roar accompanied
by cloud of dust; the cattle have perhaps
seen.a rabbit and stampeded; If they strike
the fence they will carry 1t before them. 10
avert this the men gallop around the outside
| calling to them, not yell which would make
them worse but soothing "Baby Mine"
strain; the cattle turn and walk around ~
| the centre for @ time, when all become quiet
for about ten minutes; then comes another
stampede, more galloping, and another chorus
with soto voice remarks best quoted by
dashes. These stampedes are not unaceom-
panied by danger, as the cattle rush over any
thing with tremendous force. In one case
corral, when the cattle stampeded. 1t was
supposed that they tried to reach tree about
a foot In diameter that stood close by. at
any rate they were found some distance
away, almost cut to pieces by the hoof5 OF the
cattle. This herd we are dealing with, how
ever, always turned before striking the fence;
the night was dark and there would be nc
moon before o'clock; the cattle were STAN
peding every few minutes, lantern was
sent for and man rode through The herd
! with it, but with no effect. BY 10 o'clock two
head had broken legs. AS they were down
and their struggles frightened the other cat
tie, they were killed. BY midnight the boss
sent to town for sack Of salt; this was taken
in and scattered around on the ground. The
effect was soon visible; the stampedes came
! farther and farther apart until they were
pretty quiet, and when the moon arose they
! aid down. Then half the men came in tc
sleep few hours, the horses are left saddied
and bridled ready for an emergency, and the
men lay their blankets on the ground, use
their extra clothes or log for pillow, rol
up and soon are asleep. In the morning the
herd Is headed toward Kansas and enters or
4 a new phase of existence.