The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-11-10
A CATTLE Rancho.

Many pens have essayed the task Of
describing cattle rancho in the far West;
yet the writer must confess to total and
radical misapprehension of the subject,
corrected only when he himself crossed
the plains and saw with his own eyes.
The idea is difficult one for the Eastern
mind to fully grasp. 1t is required that
all preconceived notions of what should
constitute a. well-regulated stock farm
must be abandoned and totally new set
substituted. Fences, green pastures, sta
bles, 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 over
looking hill-this picture of rural beauty
that graces ten thousand canvases
throughout our land must be laid aside
and forgotten if we would contemplate a
Western cattle rancho. He who would
successfully follow the business of cattle
! raising upon the plains must keep ever
on the frontier, pushing father on into
the wilderness as civilization follows in
his wake. If he is pressed too closely,
he must strike new country to find a
range. His Judgment must be exercised
with regard to several particulars The
country he selects must be fairly covered
with 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 of wa
ter-holes upon the range, upon which the
cattle are to depend for one essential elc-
ment. And, lastly, he should also see to
it that the country affords good shelter
from the winter winds and storms, secur-
ed by clumps of trees, bluffs or other fet-
lures of a broken country. With feed,
water and shelter assured, he feels that
suitable range has been found, and re-
turns to drive thither his herd. Into a
heavy freight wagon is loaded the whole
ranch equipment, including tent, bed
ding, cooking utensils, and provisions to
last perhaps year. The mounted herd
ers drive the cattle with many whoop
and halloo, and the procession strikes out
for the new country. Over the rolling
plain, making wagon road as they 90,
fording unknown 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 galloping
away in the darkness to check, if posi-
BILE, the wild stampede-thus for months.
it may be, the procession moves on until
the selected range is reached. Here the
cattle are turned loose to explore their
rev home, to eat, drink, wander and rest
at will, to forget the hardships of the
long drive and TO grow fat upon the nu-
tritious grass. Meantime the site for the
rancho house is selected, few trees are
telled and logs cut, and low dirt-rooted
log cabin is quickly thrown together.
Several small fenced Enclosures, or cor
rails, and branding chute, are soon COM
pleted, and the rancho may be considered
as established. No title to the land is
secured more is desired. The sovereign
American citizen simply takes possession,
fully persuaded that it is his privilege to
dedicate to useful purposes the waste
places of our great country.
H"gaziHr.