River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-03-19
TRUE HEARTS oF TEXAS.
Glympses of Real Cowboy Life, Which is
Neither Wicked Nor Necessarily Rude.
Texas Letter in the Cincinnati Commercial

Gazette,
There was miniature forest of long horns
and the young steers were playful There
were some little old Texas cows that were as
light stepping as deer They were of the
wild breed from the South, hardy and prolific.
The cowman said that the boys rarely MIXED,
because the cows were so Wild but he should
ask his visitor to Try some of the milk Of
full-blooded ,ong born. 1t was, he said the
sweetest milk in the world The cattle began
to move of to the elevations in the distance,
lowing as they went Soon the western rim
OF the prairie blazed with sunset that
seemed like distant fire, and all was as
still as death, except the creak of the windmill
and the bleadng of young calves 'Now sling
yourselves together" This was the salutation
of the cowboy who acted as cook. He attended
to his duty with his spurs ON. The table was
bare, the plates and cups were of tim, and the
coffee was in a pot so black that night seemed
day besideit The meat was in a stewpau and
the milk was in tin pail The tomatoes were
fresh from can and the biscuits were fresh
from the oven Delmonico never served
meal that was better reished. The cowboys
have q way of putting sweatbreads, liver bit
of tenderloin, marrow and some calves brains
in dish that would do honor TO the Manhattan
Clubs chef
Here were several genuine cowboys and
more came Looping into camp later. They were
used to rough life, and this was quiet
night when there was no storm to make the
cattle drift over the boundary, they ranged
Themselves on bench before q cook stove,
where the mesquite roots were cracking into
a hot blaze, and without swagger or bluster,
horse play or boisterousness, chatted quietly
and good -humoredlY about their rides over
their ranches. They had killed pahthers and
grizzlies, antelopes and wildcats and rattle
snakes, but they did not talk about them. One
of them accidentally referred to a recent ex-
perience when camping near sheep herd. He
was sleeping out Of doors with his boots on,
and was awakened by wildcat that had a
sheep by the throat He leaped mp and started to
ward the cat when il made spring for his
throat He had nothing to fight with except
his hands and feet, and couldn't run. BY way
of apology for relating the story, he said that
he just had to fight-that thore was all there
was about il. He knocked the wildcat off, and
it leaped back He jumped away, and as the
animal fell he gave 1t a kick. This knocked it
over, and quick as thought he jumped uponits
head II got free, though stunned, and started
for him once more He knocked it again with
effect, and getting it under his feet stamped 1t
to death. II was never so glad to see anything
die in my life he added as he rolled Mexi-
can cigarette.
The cowboys are good friends They love
conversation, for it is what they are most de-
privad Of One sheep herder said that he was
for three months in a canyon in Northern Tex
as without hearing a human voice, and that
the only thing that frightened him during his
stay was a man who suddenly came upon him
one day. He used to talk aloud To keep him
self company There was an educated cowboy
in the ranch He was handsome young man,
with broad shoulders and full blonde beard
His checks were rosy and his eyes were bright
Educated in Baltimore to be a physician, he
suddenly left the haunts of men to go To the far
West He was the picture of health and SEEM
ed to enjoy his life. II was limited that one of
the brunette beauties Of Baltimore could, il
she would, tell why he turned his back on all