San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-02-01
CATTLE RAISING.
How the Business Is Managed In Wyoming oad the
Profits In IL.

over the entire range for the purpose
of branding the calves. About 5000
cattle are driven together reach day and
coraled. The corral is large in
closure fenced in with pine logs put
together very strongly and capable of
resisting any commotion which may
arise among the cattle. Each ranch
man then brands the calf which is
following cow bearing his brand. 1t
is taken for granted that the calf is
his property, and if aycalf bearing an
other mans brand is found following
the COW the matter is remedied by the
owner of the brand handing over an
unbranded calf, which is thereupon
branded with the first mans brand,
and the matter is settled.
Each man consults his own fancy
as to his brand, and a large variety
may be seen, incudingletters, harness,
knives, cups, arrowheads, etc. Each
ranchman has also an ear mark, by
which he distinguishes his cattle when
their winter coat of hair renders the
brand indistinguishable. The same
variety is seen in earmarks as in
brands, some men Sitting each ear,
OF cutting off the tips, while the sew
ering of one ear close to the head is
not an uncommon mark. The bran
ding is done with a hot iron, general
ly placed well forward on the left
side, about six inches from the back
bone. In this way the whole range
is gone over until the branding is
finished, the men living in tents and
subsisting onbeef and what game
comes in their way.
The cattle are active and run rapid
ly. A stampede is curious occur
renee and apt to be serious, if not
properly managed. The stumbling
of a horse or any unusual noise may
cause it, and the cattle once started
will run until exhausted, turning
aside for nothing and demoishing
anything which happens to be in their
course. When a stampede occures,
the herdsman Immediately rides to
the side of the herd near the head
and turns the cattle gradually, even
tually bringing them to the point at
which they started, and keeps up the
process until the herd is exhausted
and stops. Even when turned in this
manner the cattle frequently run
from ten to twenty miles without
halting. The cattle are usually ship
ped to market in the fall, at which
time the roundup" occurs. In this,
as in the branding, all the ranchmen
Join, each furnishing his quota OF
herders. The proportion is about
one herder to 500 cattle. The latter
are gathered in immense herds and
the cattle destined for shipment picked
out. A man mounted on a trained
horse rides into the drove and picks
out a steer. The horse then follows
the animal, turning it to the right
or left and keeping it always headed
for the outside of the herd. When
the cattle for shipment are collected
they are driven in one large herd to
the railroad, and are guarded day
and night by mounted herdsmen.
About twenty are put in car, and
the freight is 81 per head. 1t costs
about 81 per head to feed them on
the way, and the trip consumes seven
days.
The use of dogs is forbidden by
law, and the herdsman relies entirely
upon himself and his horse to do the
work. The horses used are Indian
ponies, and are valuable in proportion
to their knowledge of the business
They are fast and hardy, frequently
travelling sixty and seventy miles in a
day. A large, fast, and wen-trained
pony is worth $3.50, and they range
in price from that amount down tc
$50. Each man has from four tc
six horses, and uses each on the aver,
age half day in two days. In the
roundup" a herder watches the
drove of horses night and day, and
drives them into camp every morning
at 4 o'clock, the herders being in the
saddle at sunrise. Many of the
ponies are "buckers, " and will unsea
the most skillful rider, a man who
) is able to stick on an adept QUICKER
being exceeding rare. A quicker
. Jumps up six feet or so into the air
landing stiff ON his fore feet, and re
peats the operation so rapidly that the
Jumps can hardly be counted, unit
the rider is unseated and flung head
long. The herders are paid from
500 to S25 per month, according t.
their skill with the lasso. 1t is of the
"lassoer" as it is of the poet-"nas