Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-06-21
Cattle Ranching in South America.


The native rancheros of South Amer.
lea are, as rule, an amiable and quiet
race, whether creole or half.breed;
their wants are few, their tastes simple,
and their vices insignificant. They
breed vast families of children and are
indulgent, though somewhat whimsical
parents and masters. However rich
they may be in their iocks, they are
generally poor in purse, for they kill
or sell their stock only to meet their
needs. A man on the South Ameri-
can plains is said to be worth not so
much money but so many head of cat
tie, and it is his pride to add to the
count.
He keeps regular census of his
herds by perforated boards into which
pegs are stuck. Some ranches have
their walls almost covered with these
boards, and the master will keep peg.
ging them up as if he was engaged in
game of cribbage with nature, and
constantly winning. As a rule each
peg represents single animal. We
only found one rancho where the count
was kept with pegs for the thousands,
the hundreds, and the single heads.
This ranchero had spent some years in
Trinidad in his youth, and was regard
ed by all who knew him as an excep'
tionally advanced and brilliant man
yet he could only write his name il
printed letters, and could not read
written letters at all. EN-, ...u
There are, of course, upon the plains
men who breed cattle with some intel
ligence and energy. These are educa'
ted natives or foreigners. With then
the business is scientifically pursued
they have their regular slaughtering
seasons and make all they can by the
trade. Their houses, though construc
ted on the general plan of all tropica
or sub>tropical dwellings, are paveC
and foored, kept clearly and filled
with comforts. Their owners live OF
the best they can raise and buy, and
keep their motley armies of follower
as proftably busy as they can be kept
In short, intelligence and the energ,
born of intelligence, raise the standard
of this class of cattle ranching to tn
best level of which it is capable. Blu
men who form this class are exception
to the great rule. For one man VIII,
keeps books there are hundreds VIII
use the numbering boards; for on
man who tries to breed his cattle a
their best, to utilize their products il
every form and to enjoy their uses al
ter fashions of civilization, there ar
thousands who have no aspiration
above that CT living with as little wor
possible, and using their wealth onl
to satisfy the rudest demands whic
nature makes on them.
Beside the house is always found a
extensive corral, or pen, walled in wit
strong posts. Here the cattle to b
slaughtered and those kept in til
neighborhood of the rancho are cor
fined. In front of the corral is tn
slaughtering place. This is simply
couple of posts to which the doome
bovine is hauled up by the hinder Les
to have its throat cut. You can seer
a slaughtering place before you see
rancho. At killing time you can flu
Their distinguish it at distance by tt
buzzards lowering overhead. The blu
yards dispute with the dogs for the off
of the hatchery, and they always mal
rousing fights over it between them.
At slaughterting seasons, sort
mushroom growth of fimsy frame
constructed out of poles, tied togeth
with thongs Of rawhide, rises arour
the rancho. 1t is here that the be
is dried or ''jerked." After the al
NAL has been slaughtered, the hide
pegged out on the grass to dry, a WOO
edpeg being driven through each corn
of the hide to keep it from shrinkin
The meat is then cut into strips; IS
is well rubbed into it and it is throw