Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-04-15

are thousands of head of unbranded |
cattle wandering on the range, If there |
was any way TO trace the ownership of |
these strays it would be found that |
nearly all of them belonged to poor
people. There are hundreds of people
going from the Eastern States to the
far West every year. Many travel in
wagons, and others have money enough
to charter cars for their household
effects and their stock. Every family
takes with it from five to ten cows. The
emigrants find a locality that suits him,
and stakes out his homestead. He
doesn't brand his cattle, for the reason
that unbranded they are worth two
dollars more per head on account of
the hide. They increase, and In year
or so the settler has quite herd of un-
branded cattle. There are hundreds
more just like him. The first thing he
knows they have wandered off. He
can't trace them, and he couldn't claim
them if he found them in any ones
possession, because they bear no brand,
consequently his little herd become
wanderers, and are finally taken up by
the cowboys. Formerly all unbranded
strays belonged to the party of cow
boys who found them. They were
joined with the herd on the trail, and
driven in with the rancher's cattle.
The rancher paid the cowboys the mar
ket price for the strays, and branded
them as his property. The money was
divided pro rata among the party.
Nowadays this is all changed. All I'M
branded cattle taken up are sold, and
the money received for them is placed
in the treasury of the Ranchers' So
ciety. The amount raised in that way
pays the entire expense of running the
society.
sit is surprising what trifling thing
will start stampede that may cost
many lives and the loss of hundreds Of
cattle before it can be controlled. l
was coming up the Texas trail once
with party of cowboys. We had four
thousand cattle in the bunch. One Of
the boys opened his tobacco pouch to
get chew. The wind blew shred or
two of the fine-cut out of his fingers.
The tobacco foated away and lodged
in steers eye. In moment the eye
began to smart, and the steer got wild.
Its antics started others, and in ten sec
onds the whole herd was surging and
dashing about, out of all control. 1t
was two days before we got the herd
working quietly again. Two of our
best boys were trampled to death and
four hundred cattle were lost A
"Hail-storms are greatly dreaded by
cowboys on the trail, especially if they
come at night when the cattle are sleep
ing. If Maidstone happens to strike a
steer in the eye stampede is sure to
follow. He springs to his feet, and in
thrashing around tramps on the tails
of others. They jump up in pain. The
herd is alarmed, and before any thing
can be done the whole lot are off like a
flash. The bark of a coyote, when
every thing is still at night, is sufficient
to stampede herd. A blade of grass,
blown along by the wind, frequently
strikes a steer in the eye. The pain
that follows will set him wild, and he
can soon have the herd on the run
across the country at a twenty-mile-an.
hour gait. \ a - psN8
at is during stampedes that the
cowboy has work to do. His one great
object is to keep the flying herd to-
gether. He urges his mustang dead
against the advancing column Of fran
tic cattle at the constant risk of his life
and works the cattle gradually in {
circle. The cowboys all ride to thu
right around stampeding herd. L
they can get the cattle to running in .
circle, the first important step in con
trolling them is accomplished. | have
been with a party in q stampede wher
we were obliged to ride around here
for distance of over two hundred
miles before we gotlit under control
; and then it was only twenty-five mile
from where the stampede started. Ii
all that time not one of us took a mo
ment's rest or a bite to eat. Sucl
things can't be thought of during
stampede.
"Next 10 stampede, the cowbo,
breads the taking of herd of cattl
across stream. The cattle are takel
across in punches of twenty-five o
thirty. The cowboy strips all his cloth
, ing off, and swims his horse along witt
, the cattle. Sometimes the bunch ma,
, be taken across and landed on tn
other side without any trouble, but tn
cowboy is always expecting to have
! case of milling on his hands before h
gets the bunch across. | have befor
, now brought a bunch of cattle safel
, to almost within reach Of the opposit
! shore, when the sudden appearance O
, a jack rabbit on the bank would scar
, a steer, and back he would turn. In
] moment the whole bunch would b
! swimming wildly. round and round, i
: the middle of the stream. This
called milling, and it is the work @
hours to break up the mill and get tn
cattle started for the shore again. /
, doing this it is often necessary for tn
! cowboy to plunge from his horse an
: swim about among the cattle, ofte
! getting on their horns or astride q
r them. The water is generally file
: with running ice. but the sun is scorcf
: ing hot. The bunch drifts down strear
! sometimes for miles before the millin
!, is broken. The cottonwood trees alon
= these stream are usually loaded wit
1 hornets nests. The moment horne
!. sees the cattle floating down the streal
, under the trees be drops down on then
: followed by numbers of his fellow co
= onists, and they plant their singer
!. wherever they drop. have been S
/, badly stung while fighting a mill tn,
my head would swell so that l coul
!, not wear. my hat A raid of hornet
\ generally breaks up the milling of til
!, cattle attacked, for the animals can
:, stand the stings and they make fl
!, shore. Many good cowboy has bee
: drowned in trying to break up a mi
:, in mid-stream. 1t is not uncommo
. for party to spend three weeks or
y month in getting herd of four tho,
= sand cattle across stream.