The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-07-16

shipped to Kentucky. Tennessee, Ohio,
and other Eastern States: but owning to
the stringent laws passed by these States
prohibiting the importation of Texas cat
Ito because of the fever they were sup
posed to bring, and the turmoil conse-
quent upon the outbreak of the civil war,
the cattle, compelled to seek a market
elsewhere. were driven across the Red
river and through the Indian Territory to
the stations along the Kansas Pacific and
the Union Pacific Railways. The first
drive to Kansas took place i'll 1860, when
twenty-five thousand beeves We're driven
through. During the war, when the
men were to Il great extent i'll the ranks
of the Confederacy, the drives were small
and the cattle accumulated to an i'm
mense number on the ranges. The
steers lived to be fifteen years old, grew
to the enormous weight of three thous-
and pounds, and We're as wild as deer. AS
much as one hundred pounds of tallow
could be taken from one steer. The wild
bulls herded together like buffalo on the
plains. Those were the pamy days of
the Mexican faqnero, and
In fancy's mirror ever near
| he saw himself riding through green
! plains covered as far as the eye could
reach with hundreds of thousands of
wild cattle.
These Mexican poems are the boldest
and most fearless riders in the world. 1t
does not matter whether it is wild bull
or a wild horse, the foquero will ride any
thing that is brought to him. 1t is wild
and striking picture they present, as the
writer had often seen them, seated around
their camp-tires at night. singing their
| Spanish love-songs, with the freight
glistening on their swarthy features and
casting into 4 deeper shadow the dark
outlines of their ponies. which they
never allow to wander far off
There is a peculiar fascination in this
wild life of the COW boys which tempts
ment, reared in the enjoyment of every
luxury in the East, but of adventurous
! dispositions, to come and live with these
rude spirits on the frontier. Often for
thrty-Six hours continuously in the sad
die, the hadships of their lot are apparent.
Cold black coffee. without sugar, drunk
whenever the opportunity offers. is the
sole luxury of the COW boy With
piece of bread in on hand and some jerk
ed beef in the other. he will ride around
4 stampeded herd, eating as he goes. and
as happy as king on his throne. When
night comes, provided his cattle are quiet
he will tie his horse to his leg, and, ''cov-
cred with his hat. with hu,nmock of
grass for his pillow, will sleep peacefully
on the broad prairie and dream of his
sweetheart far back in Goods country"
Perhaps his dreams will be rudely dis
turbed by the thunder of a thousand
hoots, as his cattle, becoming frightened
at some noise, have stampeded and the
grass fairly pops beheath their cloven
feet. Then it is he does his tallest riding
and, circling around his cows, brings
them back to Were they started. If
wild bull becomes obstreperous and I'M
ruly, a rider dashed past him, and seiz-
ing his tail as he goes by, gives it a twist
around the horn of his saddle and in a
thrice the bull is fairly slung heels over
head on his back. Two or three applica-
tons of this discipline will generally re-
duce the stiffening in a bulls tail to a
minimum and render him as docile as a
down. and tie up cow in. just one
minute from the time he rides up to her.
But man knows nothing of punching
the heifers who has not been through
on the trail " to Kansas. Going for
days together without eating, never out
of the saddle, mounting Il fresh horse as
one is broken down. the limit of endur-
ance is reached. and one who has stood
the test and can boast of having ''busted
the Indian Nation square open,' attains
respect in the cow boys eyes and is con-
sidered to have taken his degree.
In 1874, the largest drive to Kansas
ever recorded took place, when half a
million becves were driven through. The
trail was beaten into broad path mile
wide and extending fifteen hundred miles
in length. For miles and miles the string
of lowing herds stretched along, while
the keen riders darted hither and thither
keeping them we'll on the trail. At night
the voices Of the men singing to their
sleeping cattle, could be heard all alon.
the line, while the long string of camp
fires, throwing their lurid glare against
the black vault overhead. called back to
the minds of many gray-bearded cow
boys the stormy times when similar lines
of light glimmered along the Rappahan-
mock and pierced the murKy gloom of
some Virginia night. Sometimes the
music of violin. sounding strangely
shrill III the calm night air. would mingle
with the deep tones of voices singing
THE Maid of Monterey or Shamus
OBrien, the COW boys favorits tunes.
In passing through the Indian Nation
it is no uncommon thing for band of
ride down Oh n beef herd, and singing
ont the finest cattle in the bunch, COM
pei the white owners of the stock to cut
them out in a separate flock, when the
Indians will gather around them and run
them off. Some years ago, Il party of
Indians came riding down on herd that
was resting on the banks of small
creek. and demanded of the boss herds
man ten of the latest steers he had
The boss was bold man. and looking
around on his fifteen stalwart COW boys,
swore that no five Indians should take
his bceves from him. and using the rough
phraScology of the plains, told him to go
to place not SO cold as Greenland. The
batfied five retired into the forest, but
soon returned with an increased force of
fifty men, who charged down on the de-
faint man. who they beat nearly to death,
stampeded his cattle, and ran off two
hundred of them into the woods.
1t is wild. rough set of men that
camp around the herds after they have
been driven through the Nation and are
resting on the grassy plains of Kansas.
Clad in the Soiled and dusty leans of the
trail for weeks in succession no water