Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-06-28
THROwING Cattle
After the Fashion In Vogue on
the Ranches of western
Texas.

and as high as 1000 by others. The
exact number is not material, but
the gathering was motley one In the
extreme. They behaved very nicely,
though noisily, and the dozen or dozen
and halt of ladies intersperssd were
treated beconingly, and had nothing
to complain OF. Indeed, one was
heard to say she received the full
worth of the money she expended.
Others, however. expressed themselves
In different way.
The hand bills hung in the street
cars previous to the show said: The
people are everywhere hungry to
witness our feats, and Ohey further
stated, I'VE issue no flaming posters
done up in red ink and fiery colers
to herald our exploits, but we come
modestly and unassumingly, 10 give
you the greatest and most novel exhi-
bition ever exhibited" The foregoing
may not be the exact words as they
are printed on the bills, but they are
the sense. And the exhibition was
truly novel one.
lt had been expected that COW
catching and bull fighting after the
most approved style of the perform
ance as rendered out 10 Mexico, Cuba,
Spain and elsewhere, would form q
part Of the entertainment. Finding
it out doubtless through the street car
hand bills, for he is never seen to read
the newspapers, Cruelty Inspector
Lane made his way to the spot and
paid his mony to get in if he didn't
to get out. The inspector deals money
out as free as water when he suspects
cruelty to dumb beasts, even to vag.
rant dogs, and as before remarked,
he was there. The only torture
he could discover, was that expert.
enced by the spectators in gazing at
the sports, which were tame in the
extreme, even for Lane to look at.
The opening chorus was played
about five in the afternoon, and the
olio performance followed, the whole
lasting about two hours. A lively old
tame cow borrowed from butcher
FOltz's pens, was the first brute
turned loose in the arena. The Texas
cowboys, mounted on mustangs, took
after the COW, and finally got her into
a trot, and then, after several misses
in Ainging the lasso, the COW was
caught on the off horn and
tripped over on her side. The
mustang next showed his skill by
quickly galloping around the COW and
winding her up with the lasso. Then
the cowboys tied one end Of rope to
her horns, ran the other end back
under her tail, took a hitch or tied
knot in the same to make it hold,
loosened the lasso around the cows
limbs, let her rise, bounced astrsddle
of her back and the fore and after rope
and rode her around the arena at
gallop, digging the rowels Of his spurs
into her sides now and then to keep
her moving. Enthusiastic applause.
This cowboy and his aids were all
CARRIED in the regulation cowboy uni
form.
The foregoing was repeated with
variations, and the sport soon palled
upon the mass of spectators, for lack
of proper spirit among the cattle from
the stock pens. Had they been wild
ones from the plains it would perhaps
have been more exciting. 1t is said
the party we're obliged to sell their
wild steers, at Meridian, Miss, to pay
hotel expenses where the receipts were |
too sparse for the purpose.
AS remarked, the interest began to |
flag after bit and lot OF boys went
over into the base ball ground to play |
ball. An uproar was caused by one Of |
the COWS or steers breaking out of
the regular path and dashing |
through the base ball park |
Then the fun became &C.
tive. The ball playing boys scat.
tered, the cowboys followed the COW
and the people fairly howled, they |
were 81 tHll If glss. Rgt for the |
tameness Of the cattle boy might |
have been tossed, and then the joy |
would, doubtless, have been bound
less.
The sports were kept up for full |
two hours, and the low catching aud |
riding features, varied bY the inFo>
dsction Of long horned, sleepy look |
ing steer, to make a bull fight with. |
Several Mexican greaseTs, garbed in |
brilliant costumes very similar to
those worn by the Toreador, |
in the opera of Carmen" danced |
around the steer and tried to make |
him mad. They succeeded we'll, and
then the bull fighters ran and Weat
oyer the tsRse ike saufrtels. The
bull fight was as insipid a performance
to look at as the COW catching had
been stale, fat and Improbable.
A better show can be seen any after |
noon from the edge Of the Hnsst.om. !
house bluff by Watching the rousters
on the steamers taking mules and |
cattle aboard IS freight foy points up |
and down Tho rivef!n A tspeotacle
like that is useful, interesting and
fully as exhilarating, barring the
bright uniforms, as are the Mexican
bull fighters and the cowboys spec
tsG!s. Some Of the boys say che method
OF catching oattls was little novel to
those Who have never seen such per
formances, but the performance as a
whole was 2 irst,class frsgd, except
10 financial sense. The Texas cow
boys aud Mexican bull fighters have
gone to St. Louis, and Inspector Lane
i let the entire crowd escape him with
out single capture on his part.