The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-11-09
THE MONTANA RULL TRAIN.
Done MP I'm Rhyme by Correspondents
of ahe s.EsiYer zsress.s'

Done mp I'm Rhyme by q Correspondent
of sEe '.Hsayer Press
The bull team is al institution In Montana.
In fact il has since time immemorial been
one Of mans most important helpers. We
have it from divine history that the patriarchs
whacked bulls, and all the way along the
track Of the centuries since that time we
find the bull team valuable assistant 20 the
human family. In these latter days the bull
team is q precursor Of civilization. " IS
chiefly useful apart from railroads and nayl-
gable streams and it has taken an important
part in opening up the Willis Of the Great
West: In short, man ewes debt.of gratitude
to the bull team and is rather slow about pay
ing it. The poet has sung the praises of the
locomotive, the steamboat, the horse and
even the mule-but that most patient and
useful of all the common carriers the
bull team, has rarely been made the subject
Of his verse Our correspond ent, recogniz
ing this neglect, seeks to do justice to the
broncho steers Of Montana il the subjoined
staDZas:
full-sized Montana bull team is eighteen broncho
steers,
They're armed with horns upon thelr neds IKE nu1es
are armed with ears;
Their hind ends are protected by heels instead Of
borns,s
And woe unto the driver when he steps upon their
corns.
I've watched them through field d-glass-the bodys,
long and lank,
And minus their dinner are no thicker than plank.
They stand on legs like bean poles, of spider shape
and queer,
And their horns, Q Lord! would shame an elk-bout
eight feet in the clear.
Times are kind of lively when these critters take
run;
be done;
Our best whiteeyed cayuses left far in the
For lgatning can't run crooked and catch broncho
steer.
When steer once gets his back up he's right dead on
the fight;
They often pitch the driver up higher than kite;
They show quarter, and never give him bail
And you ought to feller hop when one gets on
his trail
They will keep dozen good-sized boys suspended in
the air:
woman, too, with all her traps her pin-back and
false hair;
And if the steer is in good fix, and neither blind
lame
Wen have Just lots Of time to spare to hunt up small
| game.
Had the South thousand Of thcee steers help them
at Bull Run,
They'd never given up the chase till they took Wash
! ington;
And when they placed their banners Ger the ruins
| and the dead,
They'd have painted there broncho steer beside the
| copperhead.
The man who drives bull team he must be pre- tty
smart
And he does heap of cussing before he makes them
| start
He must tend the brake be fore and aft, sometimes
! on the off side
With ssGet up, Buck! Stand up there, Ben! Tegeth-
] er Turk and Tiga!"
It's hard those pilgrims who believe il church and
| prayer,
For you can't make q bull team pull unless you cuss
/ and swear;
And before they drive bulls month they all Of them
/ &gree
That you cannot work bull team by the double rule
Of three.
They do not use lash whip driving of these steers
For the lash would tangle 'mongst their horns and
| lap around their ears;
It's sure to work into knot you neverscan unite,
L
| try.
They drive them with goad stick like the handle OF
The main thing see in driving is to give EN- plenty
room;
But for the smaller items, never stopped to see,
For the critters might break loose and then take
1 after me.
4 Get On top the cabin when bull train is n sights
/ Armed with Winchester rifle when they turn them
/ loose at night;
Then you bet that feel tcked to think how safe be-
For d steer he cannot climb house, though he can
climb tree
! wouldn't drive a bull team the Helena and Ben
ton road
For all the bullion taken from tie mammoth Com
stock lode,
Nor take the desperate chances while the drouh is a
1 its worst,
Enyeloped ever in cloud of alkali and dust.
Yon may think that I've been Joking, my Veraeity may
1 Z doubt,
But II t's not an honest tact my names not Johnny
4 stout;
And ii you think it somewhat mixed twill settle a
\ your fears
II ~ FrfI~ ~nfn n1n nH