Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-05-22
NUMBER II.
Cow Boys"

A correspondent of the Germantown
Telegraph has been spending some time
among the cattle ranches of the West,
and among other things gives us
glimpse of the life OF a cowboy. He
says:
The cowboy is a feature of the cattle
business which deserves a word or two.
He is generally bred in the saddle. He
wears huge spurs and leather "schapps, I"
with belt around his waist filed with
cartridges, and on either side navy
revolver: broad-rimmed white felt
hat, fancy silk neck kerchief, and blue
shirt. Put these all on a young man
and give him certain dandied look
and you have cowboy. But there is
no real badness in him; it is all put on
for effect. He is good for nothing else
under the canopy but to handle cattle.
He delights to ride through a town
shooting his revolver off in every di-
rection, and occasionally, by way Of
variety, will ride into a saloon ar
clean it out. He can chew more tob
co and smoke a greater numbc
cigarettes in a given time thu,
other man this side of-well, an
He is in his full glory when on
that Is, when he is helping to eef
steers to market. l once with
drive few days while pas .ough
the Yellowstone country.
AT night men were told 20 night
herd-about half the outfit generally -
while the other half slept that night
and herded the next. One night we
camped on small stream tributary
to the Yellowstone. 1t was beautiful
starlit night, and when we rolled into
our blankets we remarked how still the
herd was, for we could see the black
mass at little distance from our
campfire all lying down and the night
herders riding slowly around them
We turned in and had been asleep but
a short time whan We were awakened
by terrible noise impossible to de-
scribe. You can Judge. The herd of
5000 had stampeded, and each one
was believing as they rushed madly
away. "A stampede!" yelled the boss.
Saddle, boys, quick!" Picket ropes
were cut and saddles thrown on the
horses in an instant almost, and away
we rode hard after the cloud of dust,
which we could see far down the valley.
In about half an hour We were up with
the tail end of the herd, and the boss
ordered us all to ride ON to the leaders
and gradually turn them to the left.
i followed and saw the immense herd
Of maddened brutes turn from the
shouts and yelps of the cowboys, and
still turn hour after hour until the lead
ers were turned all the way round to
the tail end, forming complete circle,
and, joining in, continued their mad
gallop. An hours time passed, and
with lolling tongues they sti1 tore on,
and the cowboys sat on their horses in
an outer circle surrounding them.
They had stopped believing, and no
sound could be heard except the thun-
der of their tramping and labored
breathing. 1t was weird as well as
curious sight to see that huge mass
moving in circle and the silent, mo-
tionless horsemen guarding them. 1t
was what in stock lingo is called a
mill" As we sat there watching they
stopped, not slowly, but abruptly, as if
at word of command, and in ten min
utes they were all lying down again.
1 looked over the ground in the morn
ing and saw the great show ring which
they had made, and counted the dead
that had been trampled to death; I
think about eighty head.
We found that we were abouu twenty
miles from our camp, which was any
thing but satisfactory, as it was along
about 10 o'clock. | think no one but a
trained cowboy could have saved that
herd that night. The night herders
said that they started as suddenly as
they stopped, and without any APP
parent caTSe