Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-09-09
The Vaqueros OF Texas.
The INVASION OF the stock-raisipg di

telopc. into treeless, sterile region,
where herding will not be as profitable
in the future as it has been in the past.
Many acres Of grazing land, such as is
found on tie western borders of Texas,
will be required to support each long
horn. except in unusually good seasons
like that of the past year. The wise
stock raiser does not go West, but pur-
chases aud fences as large pasture as
his pnrse will permit, and, buying
good bulls, devotes himself to bettering
the quality of his cattle. In the south
ern portion Of this State this has been
the policy for many years. King, Ken.
nedy, and others, have under fence pas
lures of the. grazing lands. ranging in
extent from one hundred and fifty
thousand to two hundred thousand
acres. Pastures of from ten thousand
to twenty thousand acres are common
in mauy of the counties west of the,
Colorado river. There is even ;now a
great deal Of bitter feeling against the
.owners of these large tracts among
those who own small herds, who have
not the means to buy and fence land.
The range. they think, should be free
to all mankind, and no one should be
permitted to monopoliza the God.given
grass to their injury. Some of them do
not stop at grumbling, but destroy the
pasture fences when possibie-an easy
task where wire is used for fencing.
Sheep owners have generally been
compelled TO buy or lease the land
upon which they 9razs their focks, by
reason of the hostility of cattle owners.
The latter say that their cattle will not
Craze On q range over which sheep have
passed, but sheep have no objection to
eating after cattle; therefore sheep
should be confined to land controlled
by their owners. AS the sheep men
are in the minority, and it is an easy
matter for q few enemies to do great
damage to flock, they find it policy to
accept IA conclusive the arguments of
their opponents. During the drought
of 1870 the vicinity of water holes in
western counties was often strewn with
the carcasses of sheep, killed and hung
up by stock men as warning to shep.
herds, another favorite theory being
that cattle do not relish water where
sheeplhave drank.
do not write, however, with the in
tention of describing the condition of
the stock-raising interest in Texas, but
to give sketch of the characteristics
and mode of life OF that fast disappear
ing product of by gone days, the COW
boy or vaquero. Having spent good.
ly portion of my days as COW boy, 1
consider myself practically qualified to
write on the subject. The boyhood
sport of the COW boy is not with marbles
or balls OF tops, but with lariat or
rope or rawhide, with which he lassoes
the calves and everything, animate or
inanimate, over which loop can be
thrown. AT eeven years Of age he is
an expert horsemsn, aud able to do
services on the range in many ways.
Between this age and manhood he &C.
quires some knowledge of the "three
Rs" though seldom at school, and at
sixteen is usually as good horseman
aud as dexterous roper as any man in
the district.
He is never feshy or large-limbed, is
slightly bow-legged from constant
riding, is endowed with more than
average muscular strength, and is very
active and capable of great endurance.
He is sn unerring shot, and cool in time
of danger. He smokes cigarettes,
chews tobacco, drinks whisky, carries
six shooter, and is guilty of many vices
that wouli, If enumerated. shock the
embezz!er and stock gambler of civil
lied regions. He is not more quarrel
some than man in general, but, un-
fortunately, ,:his quarrels arelapt to result.
in homicide.
The property of the COW boy is wiry
pony, saddle. Snd a lariat. The pony
or plug" is of Spanish stock, active
and enduring. 1t is q stranger to the
touch of cnrrycomb and brush, and
don't know corn from beans. The sad.
die is ponderous affair of wood and
leather, weighing from ten to fifteen
pounds. 1t has pommel varying in
diameter from three to six inches.
Costly saddles sometimes have silver
stars plentifully besprinkled on avaiIa-
BILE parts of their surface. Two girths
or s;nches are necessary to hold the
saddle firmly in positioI-a forward
and fink airth. The ]ariat is about
forty feet long. and is composed of
eight pliable rawhide thongs plated
into rope about half an inch ia diane
ter. At one end is ring; at the other
loop to tit over the saddle pommel.
The wardrobe of the COW boy is
unique. He wears ad-brimmed
straw or wool hat. His Jacket is of
ducking, his shirt OF calico or hickory.
and his pantalooDs Of some stout stuff
over which are worn leather leggings.
Heavy boots with high heels to which
are attached pair of spurs with two
inch rowels, complete his outfit. When
the weather is threatening, he straps
behind his saddle a slicker of oiled
linen, which reaches from head to
heels.
Thus accoutred. the cow boy is
ready for business. He is employed
either to drive herd to Kansas or to
look after those on the range. The
spring is his harvest time. Then the
great herds are put up for the drive.
This is the season, too, when the annual
roundup occurs, for the purpose of ap-
portioning the unmarked calves and
yearlings among the owners of stock on
the range, that they may be branded
with the particular device adopted by
each as his Distinguishing mark, gen.
orally the initials of his name. The
law requires the brand to be recorded
in the County Clerks office, together
with ear marks, crops, half crops, up
per and under bits, upper and under
slopes, splits, swallow-forks. and jingle
bobs.
When cattle are sold the seller must
counterbrand them, and in case they
are driven from the State the buyer
must roadbrand them with device
different from his regular brand. This
brand must be recorded in each county
through which the herd passes. After
few transfers the animal is as we'll
marked as bulletin board, and space
cannot be found on his hide to place a
gook.sized brand. I have seen a we'll
known brand, "A.sP. B." which ex-
tended from the shoulder to the hip
bone, in letters foot long.
When convenient, the animal to be
branded is driven between two parallel
lines of fencing, called a chute, bars
placed before and behind him, and the