The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-06-22
A Cattle Ranch.

Many pens have essayed the task Of
| describing cattle ranch in the far
| West, yet the writer must confess TO a
total and radical misap. rehension Of the
subject, corrected only when he himself
crossed the plains and saw with his own
eyes. The idea is q difficult one for
the Eastern mind to fully grasp. 1t is
required that all preconceiyed notions of
what should constitute a wellregulatcd
stock farm must be abandoned and a
totally new set substituted. Fences,
green pastures, stables, the whistlng
boy driving home the cows from the
meadow when the sun is casting long
shadows, the stone mansion embowcrcd
in stately trees upon the overlooking hill
this picture Of rural beauty that graces
ten thousand canvases throughout our
land, must be laid aside and forgotten if
we would contemplate Western cattle
ranch He who would successfully fol-
low the business of cattle raising upon
the plains must keep ever on the frontier,
pushing farther on into the wilderness
rs civilization follows in his wake. lf
he is pressed too closely, he must strike
into a new country "to find range"
His judgment must be exercised with
regard to several particulars. The coun-
try he selects must be fairly covered
with the natural grasses, with here and
there patches Of grease wood, white sage
or other browse, to serve as food in case
the grass is covered by fall OF snow.
He must futther assure himself ~ to the
perennial character Of the stream or "a
ter-holes upon the range, upon aHhich
tho cattle arc to depend for one essential
element. And, lastly, he should also
see to it that the country affords good
shelter from the winter winds and storms !;
secured by clumps Of trees, bluff, or
other features of broken country.
With feed, water and shelter assured, he
f4ela .I:G: !: suitable range has been found,
and returns to drive thither his herd.
Into heavy freight wagon is loaded the
whole ranch equipment, including tent,
bedding cooking utensils, and provisions
to last perhaps year. The mounted
herders drive the cattle with many n
whoop and holloo, and the procession
strikes out for the new country. Over
the rolling plain, making wagon road
as they go, fording unknown streams,
finding way across deep ravincs, often
suffering for water and making many a
dry camp, riding all day long under the
scorching sun, with alkali dust, stirred
up by ten thousand hoofs, blown into
mouth and nostrils, riding all night long
| around the PROSTATE herd, and sometimes
gallopiDg away in the darkness to check,
if possible, the wild mpedo-thus for
months, it may be, the procession moves
on until the selected range is reached.
| Here the cattle Are turned loose to cx.
plore their new home, to eat, drink, wan
der and rest at will, to forget the hard.
ships of the long drive, and to grow fat
upon the nutritious grass. Meantime
the site for the ranch house is selected,
a few trees arc felled and logs out, and a
low, dirt-roofed log cabin is quickly
thrown together. Several sn all fenced
Enclosures or corrals, and branding
chuto arc soon completed. and the ranch
may be considered as established. Nc
title to tho land is secured: none is de
sired. The sovereign American citizen
simply takes possession, fully persuaded
that it is his privilege to dedicate to use
ful purposes the waste places Of our grea,
country. .-LippincoH.