Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-02-24
WORKING THE RANGES.
SYSTEM BY WHICH EACH HERD
OWNER RECEIVES HIS OWN.
A Company Of Cowboys in Each dis
tricf'-Representative In the Round-
Up Party-''Cutting Out" the
Beef Cattle-Brands.

So much has been written during the past
Few years upon ''round-ups,' 'roping, u
branding" and minor details Of range life
that our eastern friends must be reasonably
well informed upon the subject For that
reason L shall only allude casually to the ex.
tensiveness of this system In receiving,
say, 600 head of pilgrim cattle from the
states tof value not less than $25, OO), brand.
ing them at the stock yards with an X on
the left hip for instance, and turning them
loose upon the range, the owner either un-
derstands the methods of the business or has
an answering trust in providence A Dor
ton OF his herd may be seen occasionally
during the season by himself or his COWBOYS.
but other portions may drift away fifty or
lOO miles, some lines more, before the next
roundup" Even then it may he impossi-
BILE to find them all
HOW THE DISTRICTS" ARE WORKED.
The ranges are divided into districts. 4"
and each district Is worked by a separate
company Of cowboys, numbering any where
from twenty to sixty more occasionally, }
according to the Importance Of the district
All who have range cattle within the limits
OF that district are represented, either per
sonally or otherwise, in the round-u up party,
every member Of which exercises his
abilities for the mutual advantage of his
neighbors as well as for himself The dis
tict may BE- two miles long and fifty 70
seventy-five miles wide and the COWBOYS
move from six to tend miles each evening,
gather the cattle from the hills surrounding
the camp, the next morning divide the stock
into punches each bearing the brand Of q
separate outfit, brand the calves with the
marks borne by the mothers they follow.
and, in cases where the ownership of the
calves cannot be determined thew. in this
tel ritory, receive the brand Of the outfit
that holds the range upon which they are
found
Now, in the district where those aXn
cattle live the representatives OF the brand
will see, as far as possible, to the holding
and branding Of the stock belonging to their
outfit They will be on the alert, however.
to aid the work Of others whenever
necessary, and the others will do likewise for
them. Then the cattle that are disposed Of
viii be thrown into herds, according to the
locality of their ranges and driven toward
their regular grazing grounds Those that
belong in the vicinity Of the camp will b
left there, and the round up party moves
on.
CUTTING OUT" THE BEEF CATTLE
The above has special reference to the
spring round up, which takes from sixty to
ninety days In addition. at the fan
roundup" the beeves are .'cut-out'-sepa-
rated from the other stock-and driven by
members of their respective outfits 10 the
points of shipment Il is ar these ship
ping points that the value OF the stock in
spector is seen He examines the brands of
every animal shipped from his point, and
x some OF those X, cattle are being
shipped with the t'eeves Of some other party
be notes the fact, reports TO the secretary OF
the stock commission-the whole lot goes to
market, and in due course the owner OF the
* cattle receives the proceeds Of his
''ssrays' on the basis Of the price at which
the main body OF the shipment is sold
The number Of animals thus found ID
large 'Strays" that belong in Montana
have frequently been shipped from points
On the Union Pacific in wyom-
ing and vice versa On the North
ern Pacific II is NOT considered sur
prising for cattle to drift loo to $50 mi,e,
from their customary rsneN Tins are
range cattle locsed After, and though ii may
take years for the * outfit. OF any other.
10 secure all their stock, they are more than
likely to do 50 eventually, excepting vhe-v
h CRITTERS" are stolen. killsd BY VII ans
1,Als, or die on the range The iaPscsors
Ne thoroughly familiar with The brands Of
he northwest. watch closely Tor ssoasn stock,
10 much toward bringing ofsndsgs 70 tus-
Zoe. and are stationed at the principal stock
anding pcints The desecsivss are equally
in furthsring the succao q
his great system About 5000 diAwuns
.rands have already been Fscrdad In the
nice Of the territorial TREASURER ct Hessna.
Even the Indians have THAR hranda. and.
With the multiplicity Of devicss that ere
sd, under The acss Il 1884 70 disainxuisA
sock, Is b no easy task 10 ksep IN "a n
mind Niles City Cor. Chicago Tina