The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-08-08
REAL LIVE COWBOYS.
On the Drive, in the Camp and at
the Roundup.
Men Who Daily Risk Life and Limb IN
the Performance of Duty-Cowboys
Graduates Of Colleges-some
Mistakes Corrected.

MISTAKES Corrected.
do 1 know the cowboysp Youn,
man. l think l do. When you hav
worked with them, camped with them
ana been emong them for years on tn,
drive. on the plains. and on and of
duty. you might say you know them.r
Inc speaker was Henry Exall. =
Texas cattleman, who has been spend.
ing several days in the city at the
Seventh Avenue Hotel.
Inc Texas cowboy" he continued.
rs the most thoroughly misunderstood
man. outside of the localities where he
Is known, on the face of the earth. I
know him in all his alleged terrors. and
as a class there are no nobler-bearted
or honorable men in the world. Brave
10 rashness and generous to a fanlt II
you should be thrown among them Won
would lind them ever ready 10 share
heir last crust with you, or lie down Of
night with you on the same blanket
why, young man. see here and
tne Texas man twitched his chair
around until he could put his foot mon
window sill. Say that have 10 0Oo
cattle which / am about to send oyar
iandfrom Texas into Montana to fstton
Tor the market. Those cattle will be on
.ne ariVe from the LIST of April until the |
; in,auie OF september. They are divided
INTO three herds, with dozen or sixteen
men with each herd. l entrust tbosa |
cattle IN the hands of gang of cow
boys: For six months know absolutely
nothing OF my stock. trust their hon.
ssiy 70 the extent of many thousands of
!, without a contract, without q
pohd. with no earthly hold upon them
iegaily or morally beyond the fact that
am paying them S35 or $40 a month
- protect my interests. And these arc
'se men pictured in the East as outcasts .
oi CIVILIZATION. trust absolutalv - T.
lneir Judgment in getting those cattio
wild and unbroken conntrv :
loss or injury. trust as ahso
utely to their bravery and enJnran
n the face Of dangerh An' '
''Dangerp"
Danger! Yes, indeed. Ar
%. = COWBOY must be brave man. For n
stance we are on drive. These !,
long-horned- Texas cattle are "
? wiz as deers naturally, and. BEING n
! an unknown country, are as nerrons a. a.
M n; as trmid as sheep. The sligbtess :.
oise may startie them into a stamnade :.
g nave been on the drive an day and =, 20
gnt Is coming on. It is cold and as
,,nng we have reached the point tu
nere we intend to round up for tba az
ght The men Commence ~ r ;de D Dn
ouna the drove, singing. shont;n@ 90 90
"a whistling to encourage the an;n,a9s "a
: the sounds they are fam;,;ns WI
I'm; and to drown any noise of an ma u.s. u.s.
uai character which might nrovol ~
impede. Round and round the oat,, q an an
" ride until the whole drove il ts VIZ
ng IN circle. Slowly the cowho
oil, ~ On Them, still shouting and ne,
eng. until finally the cattle become n NC,
les ana after a time lie down and th -"
nmence chewing their cuds with anu . od,
-, 1nt contentment. A stampede r. !; a !;
ne IS terrible thing to the cowhovs ~.
may De brought on by the n,ost %
ia' cause. The slightest noise ~ an
'saal nature, the barking of a covnta IL
snap OF pistol. the cracklino ~ I;aI
VIII bring some widowed s}aar - ao s
ieet IN terror. Another instart you
wnole drove are painting and haI us. uss
ing IN the widest fear. They are me
" 70 follow the lead Of any animal S %.i.
makes break. Then the nnni uriv
ana self-possession of the cowI anu
.l,ea leo, INTO play. They still contipus f ,ne
Wild gallop around the friohtsnaS n ,or
., endeavoring to reassure them ;,e !.
quiet them once more No. H. ae
VIII succeed after an hour or two s"t =,
d sne animals will again be at rest CO.. -
lne chances are that they can not eI he t Sorn
'eu so easily. A break Is made ~ o ruq'
direction: Here comes the here sor r,s
!. me cowboy. These cattle are IS o u :
a and unreasoning in their fright as and and =
OF runaway horses. They Of ~
no danger but from behind az u. IN
~ aid they could not ston % 90. sne 9
urging sea of maddened P .yr cowo
rear. A rocky gorge or = daan ana
anon may cause the loss Of baIf uay
number. Those in the rear oan g Moule
: .ne danger, and the leaders can th ney .
,op Tor those behind, and srs S Se} :
on 70 their death. A precipice imn n :
Q In their way over which tbar -
70 destruction. 1t matters not rem ZEN
cowboy. If the stampede Is ro mey
q lne Captain OF the drove and bis other "
- 40 ftfss i3sl a..