Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1879-06-21
TEXAS LONG.HORNS.

TEXAS LONG-HORNS.
| The Cattle Trade of Texas-The Cow MAJ
and the Cow.boy-On the Trail.
correspondence New York Herald.l
The cattle business, which has alwayl
been q most important interest of thu
State, suffered considerable depression
last year. Previous to the decliLe in
prices last summer almost every one in
terested in cattle realized some profit
The cattle raisers have not always made
the largest profits, but they have alway.
had the advantage of incurring the
smallest risk. With them it has been 6
question of greater or lesser profits
but profits always. With the shipper;
it has been a matter into which specula
tion entered largely, the daily move
ments of the market being of vital inn.
poftance to them. The great stocks OF
cattle have been held hitherto in South
ern and some in Eastern Texas, both
the hottest and the latter the most un.
healthy part of tee State. To these Sec
tions new rivI is springing up in the
northwest. There the stocks are stead
|
prophecy to foresee that in short time
immense herds will range over the i'm
measurable acres of the extreme West.
There are not in the Northwest, how
ever, exactly the same natural barriers
between the =" COW man" and advanc-
ing civilization that exist in the original
strongholds of the long-ho The for
ests and marshes of the East, and the
unfitness for profitable cultivation of
great reaches of the southern prairies,
shut out the granger, while in the west
all he waits for is the extension of the
railroad. There the rich valleys
and fertile prairies are already
enticing the farmer westward,
and, indeed, l have seen as fine
corn fields 200 miles west of the railroad
terminus at this point as any portion of
this country could boast. The railroad
in Northwest Texas generally hurts the
stock man, for it brings the farmer.
This is because the stock man hereto
fore usually has had no land or only
verv little of his own, and fences were
fences the stock man has had to move
on. If he remained his cattle would
break into the farmers fields and de-
stroy his crops. This would bring the
farmers dogs and not unfrequently
his gun into action, to the invariable
damage of the depredating stock. Pre-
vious conflicts of this kind have shown
those largely interested in cattle raising
the advantage of owning large pastures:
The low prices of good pasture land
have been an inducement to purchase,
and now am credibly informed some
| To- ok ,fo Ia fIxy
west of this point have lately become
extensive land owners. This they will
find wise course, for besides the ad-
vantage of being independent of the
march of the granger the land will be
sure to repay them with good interest.
But it is not every stock man who can
aHord to pursue this course. Many, In.
deed the majority of "cow men," as
they are commonly called here, have so
large proportion of their capital in
vested in their stocks that they have
nothing left with which to make exten
Z sive purchases of land.
THE cow MAN.
The cattle men of Texas are not al
the same. Some bought or earned theil
stock; others accumulated" them
When the war ended some who ha6
large herds returned home from the
conflict to find their stock scattered il
all directions. Others started in aftel
the " "onpleasantness," and by industry
and unscrupulousness progressed from
small beginnipgs-often only brand
ing iron and a pony-to the proprietor
ship of big herds. Had they been driv
en- to accumulate their wealth" in an.
other and honester channel it is safe tt
say they would never have made yer,
rapid advances. This sort of COW maj
is no more remarkable for intelligence,
than integrity. Often he passes for ,
"good fellow" in his immediate neigh
borhood; but I think this is because h
never stole much around home. Be
sides, that term "good fellow" is on
of many meanings. Such cow men ar
generally COW boys grown old, with al
, their earlier vices we'll fedged and thor
, oughly developed. Their most joyou
recollections are of the good days, nov
, fortunately passing away, when the
would with impunity blotch brand o
seize q maverick" Outside his circl
of immediate friends this kind of GOV
man Is generally very reserves
and evasive in his answers, regarding
all strangers, especially inquiring trav
elers, with suspicion. When asked
1 question he does not wish to answer ii
= a straightforward manner he assumes
. puzzled air and congresses all his pre-
tended confusion into an interrogativ
= = which," Then if your question b
too plain to admit of misconstruction
aud he still desires to evade you, hi
drawing reply will be "Dogged ct
: know" while you are convinced fror
his manner that he does know a
about it.
t There is distinction and difference
q too, between the stock man and til
q COW man. Many of the better class c
+ stock men are recent arrivals in tn
g State, having been attracted thither b
; the great extent of free pasturage an
:, the comparatively mild winters, whic
latter advantageoit has been though
renders it unnecessary to put up an
fodder. Experience shows the advar
= tage of some preparation, however, fo
II a short spell of severe cold. But
J. would be next to impossible to provid
for the big herds as they are now di
O posed. OF late some advance has bee
/. made in the handling of the great hero
l. that are scattered over the State. Fro
an era of pure Indifference an approac
! has been made to some sort of system
g Formerly they were permitted to roal
l. at will, and were only looked after
the branding season, and when Il
q beeves were cut out" along in Il
:; summer. Now the cattle men
Northwest Texas employ range her,
= ers, and hold their stocks within limi
ed areas.
ON YHE TRAIL.
'r About this time of the year the trail
l, fairly alive with herds of thousands
n cattle driving northward to Kansas, n
q braska, Wyoming, etc. Over 75,O'
head of young cattle have passed Fo