The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-05-18
A CattI0 Ranch.

Many pens have essayed the task of
describing a cattle ranch in the far
West yet the writer must confess to a
total and radical misapprehension of the
subject, corrected only when he himself
crossed the plains and saw with his own
eyes, The idea lisa difficult one for the
Eastern mind to fully grasp. Il is
required that all preconceived notions
of what should constitute well.regu.
lated stock farm must be abandoned and
a totally new set substituted. Fences,
green pastures, stables, the whistling
boy driving home the COWS from the
meadow when the sun is casting long
shadows, the stone mansion embowered
in stately trees upon the overlooking
hill-this picture of rural beauty that
graces ten thousand canvases through
out our land must be laid aside and
forgotten if we would contemplate a
Western cattle ranch, He who would
successfully follow the business of cattle.
raising upon the plains must keep ever
on the frontier, pushing farther on into
the wilderness as civilization follows in
his wake. If he is pressed too closely,
he must strike into a new country ''to
find range" His Judgment must be
exercised with regard to several partic-
ulers. The country no salects 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 further
assure himself as to the perennial
character of the stream or water holes
upon the range, upon which the cattle
are to depend for ore 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 bluffs or other
features IF broken country. With
feed. water and sheher assured, hefeels
that 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, cooling utensils, and
provisions to last perhaps a year. The
mounted herders drive the cattle with
many whoop and halloo, and the
procession strikes out for thA .naw
country, Ovar tL0 rolling plain, making
q wagon road as they go, fording un-
known streams, finding way across
deep ravines, often suffering for water,
and making many 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 gal
loping away in the darkness to check.
if possible, the wild stampede-thua for
it may be, the procession moves
on until the selected range is reached.
Here the cattle are turned loose to |
explore their new home, to eat, drink,
wander and rest at will, to forget the |
of the long drive and to
grow fat upon the nutritious grass.
Meantime the site for the ranch-house
is selected, few trees are felled and
logs cut, and q low, dirt-roofed log
cabin is quickly thrown together. |
Several small fenced Enclosures or |
corrals, and branding chute are soon
and the ranch may be
as established. No title to |
.he land is secured none is desired. |
The sovereign American citizen simply
5akes possession, fully persuaded that |
It is his privilege TO dedicate to useful
purposes the waste places of our great |
,ountry.-Lippi'ecOH.