The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-03-13
STOCK CONVENTION.
NORTHWEST TEXAS CATTLE MEN.
Tho Jacksboro Convention What Has
neen Attained by the Associations
New systems - A Contracting
Committee for shipping.

Wnlrh " tOhcbHliHlru many HlllllpHh W wv
lars of wealth, and has hundreds Of tho mos
substantial citizens Of tho State engaged In II
conduct and development, cattle raising j
Ia details Ia less known TO tho general gubll'
than any other, But few people outside O
those directly interested In the trade hay,
any accurate dea Of how things connected
with aloolrralsing aTo conducted, or The
character Of tho men engaged In H. For Tho
purpose Of afordlng enlightenment 10 tht
public, n HERALD reporter yesterday called
ON Col, o, q. Slaughter who had Justrolurnod
from attendance on the annual convention Of
tho Northwest Texas Cattle Growers Rsao'
citation, which WINS In session nj JacksbOr0,
Inst Monday and Tuesday, characterization
was organized two years ng0, for tho purpose
Of protecting the mutual interests Of cattle
men, and 10 syatOmntizo and simplify mat
ters connected with their business. In some
respects complete revolution for the better
has taken place during tho short existence
of this association and cattle
mon to-day nre moro better
known 10 one another, and on more friendly
and intimate terms than has over before been
the case with this whole-soulod, ontcrprisins
and honorable class Of men,
The convention Inst Monday WINS called 10
order by t President, Colonel q, l.. Garter,
of Palo Pinto. Nearly full membership OF
tho association were present, there being
between i've hundred and SIX hundred stock
raisers In attendance. The first day was de-
voted TO receiving tho reports Of standing
and special committees, which reports were
adopted and the committees discharged and
now ones for the ensHing year appointed.
The territory of the Northwest association Ia
divided up into fifteen roundup districts
uncluding the five districts in the Buffalo
Gap association, which, Mt It's recent
meeting, attached itself rs nm aux.
Hilary TO the Jacksboro asssooiation,) Ground
up" committees, consisting of three members
each, were appointed for the ten districts
outside of tho Buffalo Gap auxiliary. The
district "round up committees all form
what Is known rs the general committee.
The establishment OF these ''round up" COM
mittees is what has, 10 great extent, brought
about the better order Of things In hcrding
cattle. The duty of these committees is to
set the time and place TO commence the
hunting up, collecting and distributing OF
cattle belonging to each herd, selecting out
of each herd Ill the cattle not belonging Ia
it, and turning into the general herd all cattle
not belonging TO the herd rounded up
These committees set the time for beginning
the seasons drive at some particular rancho
and denote the rancho or ranches that they
shall 90 TO from time TO time us the drive
progresses, keeping the location of each herd
in view ut all times 50 that communication
Herewith can be had ut any time. These
Ground up" committees elect superinten-
dents for their respective districts, TO serve
during tho year. These superintendent are
really The active, responsible officers of the
association utter election md entering on
their duties. Thoy have control of all the
hands employed in the different herds, who
gather up the cattle that have strayed during
the winter season while loose on the range,
The superintendent are obliged to be at the
Ground ups" of their respective districts and
to notify the owners of herds when the su.
perintendent and the hands under HIM will
be at his place, thus giving him an opportu-
nifty of rounding up" in ad-
vance by his own force the
cattle in his herd and range, and if he fails
so to do, the superintendent sees to it that
the cattle in his range are properly rounded
up" taking out all that do not belong to
him and carrying them along for distribution,
The owner OF the herd has the right to select
out all of his unbranded calves and beef
cattle before the superintendent can go into
the herd to select strayes. The superintend-
ent designates the number of men that
shall enter q herd at time. Before this
association was formed there was a
lack of system. One cattle owner would send
a man to another's herd to get his estrayed
cattle, and another, and another would dc
the same, and often there would be two OF
three hundred men among herd of cattle vi
one time,no one to take charge, each endeavor-
ing to get what he was sent for, and the
owner Of the herd trying to keep his own in
order. Everything was confusion, cattle
were injured, horses run down, men fighting,
and sometime the entire herd stampeded, and
the men return without getting anywhere near
the number sent for, the owner of the herd
visited swearing they should never "round'
his herd again. Of.imes fatal encounters result,
ted from the ill-feeling engendered at these
unsystematic ''roundngs up" and many q
cattleman has gotten the name of being d
cattle thief, and not rarely has an innocent
man been suspended from limb, and all be-
cause lack of organization and identity
and mutually of interests. Now all this i
obviatei by the Superintendent system
Every body has fair chance to get his cattle,
and if two men claim the same animal, the
Superintendent decides to the best of his
Judgment who shall have it, and his decision
is final.
Then when the seasons drive is over all
unclaimed cattle in each district is put in q
herd and all other districts notified, and strays
exchanged. If any strays remain, the calves
are marked and branded the same as theil
mothers and turned loose. All are therefore
fully protected in their rights by the associ
alton.
When beef cattle are ready for the mar
ket, before herd can be driven the owner
must notify three of his neighbors and the
county inspector of his intention of driving
SO that other cattle besides his own will
not be driven away. After inspection,
he is given a receipt by the county inspector,
and he can then proceed and drive till he is
ready to leave the State or to ship, when the
inspector of the county he is in compares
his receipt with his herd, and if any animal
is found not corresponding with those desg-
mated in the first inspectors receipt, the