Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-06-21
A Cattle Drive.


With the early starting of the grass in the
spring the cattle are on the trail. They have
the road brand by which the present owner is
known and are headed nOrthward for their new
and distant home. A thousand miles they will
travel before they reach their destination. and
in the windings of the road, and i'm the course
which many a hayward steer will take, no doubt,
much more. If all goes well, and no mishaps
occur, the end may be reached in three months
time, or about the middle of July. In the hands
of careful foreman they will come through
with but little loss in flesh and numbers
The word 'drive" is msnOmer as applied to
the trail. 1t is exactly this which should not be
done. Cattle once gathered. and headed In the
direction of their long Journey. should be al
lowed to "drift" rather than be urged. Walking
as they feed. they will accomplish their twelve
or fifteen miles day with but little exertiOn to
themselves, and with very much less care and
anxiety on the part of the herder. This remark is
especially applicable to the handling of beet herds
and to Through Texans" likewise, with the
qualification that there are "drags" to every
herd which need urging to keep them up to the
mark; and it is among these last that the losses if
any, occur. All excitement Ofthe animals Is to be
avoided. and the dangers of a stampede are
lessencd In proportion as the cattle are han
died with gentleness and discretion. When a
panic does arise it is then that the cowboy
himself must be equal to the situation. and ride
fearlessly to turn the flank of the flying beasts.
No fear of a charge of the long horns must then
affect him, but, putting his 'bronchO' on his
mettle, he must ride hard and ride long until
the column is headed and the herd once more
brought into line. A successful stampede within
hundred miles of the starting point may re-
suit in the return of the animals to their native
heather, farther on, to their being scattered
abroad upon the plains, not all to be found for
weeks If ever
There are several distinct trails across the
plains, and the pathways are as distinctly
marked as a road could be. pressed by the hOofs
of thousands for years past.
The essentials OF grass and water are to be con-
sidered in region none too well supplied with
these requisites, and the possibilities of fencing
and occupation in districts which are being
rapidly redeemed from their original state. The
raids of hostile Indians no longer enter into the
of the winters purchase will be safely delivered
on the range within few days'Of the expected
time. II this is not later than the first of
August, the new arrivals will have ample time
to become wOnted to their new home,
and to settle down in a peaceful frame
before the advent of the wintry blasts. The
count and the branding over. the cattle
are distributed upon the range. and told to SHIFT
for themselves. If the grass is well cured and
abundant, they will get in fine condition in three
months time, and be well able to stand the
severe cold to follow. If. on the other hand,
they do not reach their destination until late in
the fall, they are quite apt to be thin in flesh,
and If a severe winter comes on. much loss will
ensue. 1t is in such cases that the large per-
centage of loss Is reported in the returns after a
period of heavy storms. Ten per cent, or
even more, of loss may have to be charged
against a herd of Through cattle in this
condition, while two per cent will fully
cover the loss on well-located range occu-
pied by cattle which have been on the same
70 state
the expense of herding "bunch'' of cattle Is
one dollar per head annually which includes all
charges after they are turned loose upon the
range until they are delivered as "beeves" at
the nearest railroad shipping point. If the owner
is WISE he will not allow hoOf to be gathered
until it has been two years wintered. The temp
tation is great. when prices are high and cattle
are in good demand, to ship steers that have
been only one year upon the range. This is a
mistake. as the second year is the one that tells
both in the weight and quality of the beef; and
as to age, no steer reaches maturity until he is
four years old. High rates. however, have in
duced many shipments during the past two
years, and the gathering of beeves has been
much closer than formerly