Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-27
COWBOYS OF TEXAS.
4 Business Mans Description
Hopes for the Future.
From the N-eao York Tribune.

From the Neao York Tribune.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 22.-In CONVERSE
ton today, man who has large business
interests in the Southwest which require
him to travel extensively in Texas, Arl-
iona and New Mexico, and Ia the north
ern States of Mexico, gave an interesting
description OF the border population on
both sides of the boundary line between
the United States and Mexico. Among
other things he said:
1.-The great difficulty in the Cutting
matter is that the Secretary of State and
the people of the United States generally
have not the remotest conception of the
true state of affairs along the border.
Even the people of Eastern Texas have a
very incorrect idea OF the condition of
things in Western Texas. All the west
ern part of Texas, New Mexico and Ari-
iona, and all the northern part of Mexico
are dry country. 1t is what is called
the 'arid region The rainfall is not more
than one-fOurth what it is in Washing
ton. In all that region it isimpossible
to raise any of the ordinary agricultural
products of the country without jrriga-
ton, and the possibilities of that are limi-
ted. But nature abhors both a vacuum
and desert. SO she has planted in the
arid region a variety of highly nutritious
grasses. There, too, are found shrubs and
small trees bearing nutritious leaves. and
hence vast and exceedingly valuable
pastoral region, upon which are fed mil
lions of horses, cattle and sheep. SO you
see that this border country between
Mexico and the United States is what we
sometimes call cowboy country" The
whole range cattle business had its orr
gin in Mexico. The current phrases and
the manners and methods OF the
business have beena copied all over
the United states where live stock is
raised on the range. But the fact is the
man with the spurs and the lariat gives
character to this entire area, for, as said,
the herding business is the basis of all
trade and the original source OF all the
comforts of life. Everything in business
depends upon it. Everybody is more or
less cowboy, the lawyer, the doctor, the
shoemaker, the tailor, the merchant and
even the editor. Cutting is sort of cow
boy newspaper man. Many of the real
cattle men are as fine, generous and kind
hearted men as you ever saw, but there
is also on both sides of the river large
number OF rough men-regular despera-
does.
"Cattle stealing, Indian fights and
fights among themselves appear to con-
stitute the principal charm of life with
them. So, take the entire border country,
and you have population which is not
at all characteristic of the people of the
United States nor of Mexico. A Chihua-
hua cowboy is as peculiar a citizen of
Mexico as Texas cowboy is of the
United States. When we in the United
States regard all MeXicans on a level
with all the people along the border, we
are as much mistaken as the cultivated
people of the City of Mexico would be in
assuming, as presume some of them do,
that the people of Boston and New
York and Washington are on
the same level, morally and So
cially, with the wboys of Texas. Now
wouldn't it be outrageous for two adjOin-
ing countries to become embrolled in war
on account of the antics of this wild
border population? OF course we must
maintain the dignity of our government
and protect American citizens abroad.
but | think the best way to regulate the
border is for Mexico to punish our rascals
when she catches them in her territory
and for us to punish her rascals " hen we
catch them in the United States. l think
and I'd be in favor of putting it in
treaty."
In reply to an inquiry as to whether
any Improvement is visible in the border
population the Texan said:
"Oh, yes; great improvements since the
railroads were built. Everybody sees it,
and | am inclined to believe that twenty
years hence we shall have as little trouble
along our Texan border as we now have
along the Canadian border"