The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-08-15


-
Swinging the Lasso.
| noticed variety of lariats with
roundup party nearly all of which were
made of the very best quality of hemp,
twisted so extremely tight that it was
almost impossible to untwist the strands.
Others were made of sinew cords, and
were braided neatly, the ends or lassong |
parts being creased so as to slip easily. |
Their lassos were about sixty or sixty
five feet long, one third of which forms
the moose, and when swinging it is grasp
ed a little above the loop, so as to pre-
vent the same from slipping until
launched through the air The lasso is
swung over the head and left shoulder
and back over the right shoulder, pc
culiar turn of the wrist as it begins to
return keeping the loop wide open.
When flying through the air the moose
takes Il slight oval form, but remains
open, and settles quietly around the
object aimed at Mctiaigan exhibited to
Inc the modus operandi of handling the
rope and some Of his feats performed in
my presence were not only executed
with marvellous precision, but were also
beautiful to look at. The model cowboy
is certainly an expert in his profession,
perhaps the best rider and lassoist in the
whole Northwest. What Slosson is to
billiards McCaigan is to his profession.
Ono afternoon while loaiing around
the campfire on the Musselshell, Mccall
gan and got talking about the skill he
had acquired in throwing cattle, and
had little diiliulty in persuading him to
let me into the secrets of his wonderful
deXtcrity and actually showing me some
of the fine points of the business.
Mounting our brOnchOs we rode off
through the sagebrush and out into the
open prairie, where numberlcss cattle
We're peacefully munching the luXriant
: buffalo grass. My friend had his best
lariat fastened to the pummcl Of the
saddle and first showed me many fancy
shots, throwing the lasso from or to any
point, over shoulder, behind or in front
He caught tremendous bull by the
horns, who looked up in surprise and
started off like a steam engine, but the
pony bestrode by the cowboy planted
his forcfeet firmly in the ground and
: checked Mr.. Bull in his mad career
? before the latter got well started
G The enraged steer went round ant
round in a circle at a 2;4O gait, the pony
acting as perfect pivot and turning
slowly around with him; but it was NJ
use the bull was a prisoner, and woult
have remained so had not McGaigal
: taken pity on him and passed the won
! derful ring down the line, upon which
!. the rope leaped from around the horn
= and fell to the ground.
McGaigan remarked that it was n
:. credit to catch bull by the horns, 70
he cannot be thrown by them, and i
simply held as prisoner, but the skill
=, of throwing lasso is to pitch the noos
:, Just in front of an animal when he
;, going at full gallOp, SO that at the mex
step he treads into it. He tried it o.
!, another bull while both of our ponie
T. were jumping along ON dead run. TIL
- old fellow was going about as fast as II,
= but the fatal loop shot through the air q
y tangent, and fell, wide open, just i
:, front Of him on the ground. The lie
- fyrnf,gt ,,1rnt,Il inI, l.. al,
y the rope was frightened with sudde
jerk, and the steer rolled over into til
= dust, as cleyerly caught aus anything
ever saw. The broncho, too, understou
-, his part of the business thoroughly, fc
- he bore at the right moment in the o.
;. posite direction, else he might have bee
, thrown instead of the bull, to which /
was much inferior in weight.
~ McGaigan also caught great big stec
~ galloping past at an angle by any leg
VI named. Not once was his judgement
~ fault. The moose whizzling through Il
81 air in every direction went as true to Il
mark as bullet shot from rifie-Fro
&C. Il Montana letter
~. r,.'Dr,|1r,",,arI,s@,.,Ss
AZ Confessed Himself Forgerer.
ry Charles +. Grant, young man givi
IN his residence as New York State formC
m. ly employed on the the farm of Septm
~ f. Niyin, landenberg, Pa, pleaded gull
DE to the charge of forgery in the Chest
county courts on Monday On the y
to of May, 1885, Grant called at the re
ro, dence Of Charles l.. Starr, and asked hi
to cash note for Sll9, payable at t
ms National Bank Of Newark, Delaware, a
he pnrporting to have been drawn by Jan
rt- Roach to the order of Charles +. GraI
~, The name of s. +. Nivin was on t
'"- back of this note Mr.. Starr hesitat
rec about cashing it, but was finally satisfi
that it was all right and gave him $50
nd cash, and a check for $50. The note aft
.a, wards proved to be forgery, and
~ stopped payment upon the check. T
cry prisoner admitted his guilt, but said Il
IDS, he was drunk at the time and want