Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-05-20
A CLERKS STORY.

Learning that there had arrived from
the far west Saturday midnight young
man who in that section followed the
occupation of cowboy a reporter
called upon him and had a pleasant
chat. His name is +. ID. Woolworth,
and his parents reside ut No. POP Halsey
street. According to the popular idea,
something with high-top boots, slouch
hat, and revolver was expected, but
were it not for bronzed face and the
absence of the conventional "biled''
shirt, no essential point of difference
existed between him and an ordinary
individual. Mr.. Woolworth stated that
on account of the firm in New York city
with whom he was employed as clerk
reducing his salary from motives of
economy he did not think that it paid
him to work at the lower figure, and
therefore determined to try his fortune
in the west. Fourteen months ago he
left Brooklyn for Omaha, Neb., where,
two or three days after his arrival, he OBJ
tanned situation in the office of the
Burlington and Pacific railroad. That
occupation being too combining for his
health, which, he said, was also injured
by drinking the muddy water of the Mis-
souri,, by the advice of his uncle, Mr. c.
ID. Woolworth, who owns the Loup
stock ranch, Nance county, Nebraska,
he left the railroad office and began his
new life. The ranch is the largest in
tnat section, being fifteen miles around,
and stocked with one thousand head of
cattle at present, not including calves.
"The first days experience of ten
derfoot' on ranch" said Mr.. Wool
worth, ''is not calculated to make him
well contented with the new life, and
especially if he be tender clerkling,
the change from well-worn office stool
to a less certain seat upon the back of
bucking pony for twelve hours day is
apt to make him homesick. But when
you get used to it it's splendid; and /
think any average city young man
would say as do if he went there with
win to work. The work is hard and
rough, truly, but it is the making of
ones health. When / left Brooklyn /
weighed 126 pounds, and now | tilt the
beam at 40.
THE COWBOYS are rough class, but
make good friends. and, so far as my
experience goes, not so violent and law
less as they are thought to be. In our
section" he continued. "they are not so
rough as they are in parts of Texas and
Kansas. There is very little drinking,
and none on the ranch, and though
they are somewhat disposed to attempt
alarming practical jokes on the tender
foot. they are fairly peaccable.
"How do you pass the day?" the re-
porter asked.
I'VE get up in the morning at 8
o'clock. Each man feeds and cleans his
pony, and then we sail in to break
fast BY the way, the rations are excel
lent. In cold weather we get all the
best beef we can eat and plenty of white
bread, milk, and coffee. There are
plenty of wild geese and prairie-chickens
on the plains, and last year there were
some antelope. The duties of the day
consist in supervising the cattle gen
orally, seeing that the gates are shut,
and branding and cutting out steers
for the market The two latter occupa-
tons are pretty lively. The cattle have
also to be protected from thieves, and to
this end each cowboy carries revolver.
Almost all day is spent in the saddle,
as our work does not cease until dark.
BY that time you can judge we are
pretty well tired out and glad to get to
bed. The first day upon the saddle is
very trying to new hand.
ut is not so easy for a green hand to
get employment as has been made out"
continued the young man. "A young
tenderfoot is worth $40 or $50 a month
until he is broken in After a years
experience he can get $40 or $50
month. This, of course, includes his
rations. OF those who go out west,
many return disguised; buckskin pants,
flannel shirts, SLOUGH hat, and a
twenty-foot lash not being sufficient to
compensate them for the loss of dude
overcoat and a crutch cane. The
climate is splendid; mornings and even
ings are, however, very cool, and even
in summer blankets are necessity.
The houses are built of Nebraska brick
or dug OUT which consists of sods a
foot square laid one upon the top of the
other. The sun hardens them, and they
make a stanch and comfortable dwell
ing, though somewhat hot in summer.
No rain falls in the winter, and there is
never enough snow for sleighing, owing
10 the high winds blowing it away as
quick as it falls. Lung diseases are UNI
known and colds in the head are an ex-
ception. In short" continued the gem
tlemanly cowboy. Il would not return
to city life and put my nose to the grind
stone of office drudgery; no. stree, not
Tor pension. "-Brooklyn Union.