Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-02-09
The Stamp Of the Bogus Cowboy
The Occupation Of Our Capt.
talists a Decade Ago.
written FOR the Gazette.
BY EDGAR RYE.


Joy life is concluded from our Monday
edition otFebruary ,,
THE ROUNDUP.
Free grass and one common pasture
made cattle-raising exceedingly profit
able in the days that have departed.
No boundary lines, real or imagina.
ry, marked the possessions of the "cat-
tie kings Of other days One broad,
vast eXpanse OF prairie country, COW
cred with the famous mesquite grass.
upon which the tens Of thousands OF |
cattle grBzsd az viii, bearing on their
sleek sides the peculiar monogram Of |
ownership representing the rights of |
properly After grass came |
up in the spring and cattle became |
strong TO be driven, |
series Of "round-upsn were instituted !
for the spring months.
Attending the "Tound-upsn are the |
the most important and interesting |
duties connected with the cowboys
8vocation. Important because 8t these
"round.upsn the owners expect 10 find
all the cattle that have stTayed from
their range during the winter months;
interesting, because ali the cowboys,
living within the radius Of 100 miles
meet al those "round-upsh for the pur-
pose of gathering and driving back
into their own range" all the cattle
belonging TO their respective employ
eIs.
Early on the day appointed for
roundup within certain range
the cowboys meet at an appointed
place, where they are apportioned off
into squads under the charge OF some
experienced hand. Each squad Is to
gather verything within "A certain
scope and drive them to a common
center called the roundup ground.
In this W y all the cattle within
twenty miles square are gathered to-
gether In one herd.
Imagine, If you can, some beautiful
valley, where the gentle slopiug bills
on all sides form a natural amphi-
theater, and the green carpet Of grass
dotted here and there with dwarf
looking mesquite trees, recedes until
its green seems to mix with the blue
sky, where here and there feathery
white cloud Is floating Off into azure
space. In the center OF this grand
picture, fresh from the hand OF nature,
can be seen great. dark, moving
mass, composed Of 1000 head Of cat
tie fenced In by men on horseback, 1t
is the first view Of the roundup
| Ride up on yonder knoll, where sou
can get good view of the grand scene.
! Listen 10 the chorus of believing mix
Ell with the shouts Of the cowboys and
| if there is one bit OF animation within
your body, you will soon become alive
! to the scene before you,
THE CUTTING OUT
Now begins the most. interesting
portion OF the days proceedings the
"cutting outn of cattle by the owners
of different brands and placing them
in small lunches separated from the
main herd. This process is an nc
knowledged right and is exercised 10y
each owner in turn, until the entire
herd has been "cutp and the cattle OI
the same brand separated from Other
brands.
TO perform this task one OF the ex
pert hands from each "outfit is Sc
iected. He IL generally well mounted
on trusty pony trained especially fol
this part Of the work. Mounted as de
scribed, he rides into the herd among
the cattle, selecting one that wears thi
brand that he represents. He viii
ride behind this animal, and by deX
ferrous movements Of his pony vii
crowd IL through the herd 20 the QUITE
edge. then nv quick movement hl
will start the animal into run, whicl
will be kept up until IL Is thirty or fur
ty yards away from the main herd
When another cowboy will ride up ant
drive IL oil TO the place where the cat
tie of this brand are held unde
guard.
The expert hand will again ride int
the herd and return with another ami
NAL, and this will be kept up until al
the cattle In that brand will be Ecu
outu frem the herd. While this pro
cess is going on. there will be a cordol
of cowboys formed around the herd
One "outfitn after another will cut
from the herd, until all the cattle hav
been separated into small herds, eae
, nerd representing the cattle owned Il
a certain "range.n One or more OF th
] hands in each ''outltp carries a lon
I whjp with short handle, which II
> nuires considerable practice to ust
= These whips are often used by the e1
pert hands in cutting out, but II
D principal use Is during the drive, VINE
0 a stray breaks from the herd an
4 Is "rounded-inn 10y the drover. Aitf
: the cattle have all been 'cut OUT an
T placed under herd by the proper OWL
ers, each bunch is driven oil IN the q
! rection Of the range or raucn iioi
. whence it sirayed, and is driven mi
d the branding pen, where all the csly'
land unbranded animals will reeei
the mark and brand that designa'
u them
AS PERSONAL PROPERTY,
9 One glance back over the scene
L we start on our journey homeyai
d will repay us for ali the fatigue OF u
o day. The natural grandeur OF HE 81
II nation makes q fasting impression
10 ON the mind Of the spectator Towarl
J. all points OF the compass can
e seen tile small herds vending the
i way over the prairie, while now al
h then the distant shout Of the cowb'
4 urging the cattle onward adds apim
Il i'm to the scene Who can desert
y Inc sensation that swells up within ,
10 hosom. az he contemplate the VI
,,icture with no habitatl0n in sight,
es ,,ast,nbroktn prairie almost weird