Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-02-09

cured in the branding pen, all the ami
mails that have been previously
marked and branded are turned out,
leaving none but the calves and I'M
branded yearlings. a fire Is then built
in one corner Of the pen and branding
irons placed IN the fire TO heat. Each
branding.irou represents a letter or
character, made with an iron rod at
tached, u be used as handle. When
everything has been prepared, one Of
the boys steps out into thu middle OF
the pen with his lasso. Grasping the
coil in his left hand, he swings the
loon over his head with his right,
He then approaches the bunch of cattle
aud starts them around the pen on q
run, and while they are running he
selects one, throws his lasso with u pre-
cision and skill equal to a COmapche
Indian. The loop Is thrown in such n
manner that il will open and describe
"a circle, which rarely ever misses fall
ing over
THE HEAD or THE ANIMAL,
AS soon as the rope becomes fastened
on the animals head the other end Is
wrapped twice around large post IN
the branding pen; another boy APP
proaches aud throws a lassO over the
animals hind feet and two more push
it over on it's side, one grRsping the
head and placing his knees upon 1t A
third boy then approaches and burns
the letters upon tue side of the animal
with the bTanding-iTon. In this way
from two to three hundred cattle are
bra ded each day. The markiug pro-
cess consists in cutting their ears 10
represent the mark OF the owner, After
ali the animals In the pen have been
marked and branded they are turned
out on their accustomed range and the
cowboys prepare to start on another
hunt.
Branding cattle is laborious work
and sometimes dangerous, by reason OF
the wild nature of the animals some
of them being almost as wild as the
nntamed herds in the valleys OF the
| Amazon.
on THETRAIb.
Over the great cattle trail that winds
| lite way through the rich valleys and
across. the broad prairies OF Texas, are
! driven each year, from 200 O0O to 800,
| 600 cattle 10 market. Beginning about
| the middle Of April and continuing
! through the month Of May, ana some-
! times as late as the middle OF June,
one eau see this great mass OF moving
cattle, winding their way across the
country, towards the Indian nation
! The herds are composed OF about 2OOO
or 5000 cattle each, and average
from one 10 three miles apart, They
are driven from eight 10 ten miles each
day and eubsist alone upon the grasses
near the line OF the trail. Each herd
has its "sutdt,n Consisting OF from Six
y. AffaaV a fFarnwfW uQInIN
Ihorses and a grub (proYlsiOn) wagon
The cattle are generally moved from
Tile background between $3.50 u
lie o'clock In the morning and
are driven until or o'clock In the
leyenlng, when they are turned IRON
THE trail and loose herded" until
morning
The scene along the lire OF the trai
during the day Is Interesting in theeX
IRENE. Clouds Of dust set in motor
lbv tile thousands Of hoohs hover DER
, like some dense fog along a rive
COURSE. aud mark distinctly the diree
ton from whence the cattle came o.
either side Of the herd near the from
. liride two COW boys, called tn
, "pOinters,n who keep the cattle on thi
, l|trsil aud shape the course Of the herd
IThe reat OF the boys are occupied u
. l'lIeeping up the 'siragglers" and cut
! Iting out the "strhys,' except two. VIII
are detailed 10 cook and take charge o
the saddle-hOrses. The 'grub" lpTo
Z vision) wagon follows behind the her
} like the baggage wagon Of an army
! 1.-THE cattle are formed IN long column
: l|not unlike an army corps on IN
march. aud the cowboys riding ~
and down the line like 20 many OH
J GERS presents a novel sight 10 those un
familiar with such scenes. Ia III
. WAY large bodies OF cattle are drlYel