Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-10-13
through the grass, it matters not what,
the result is the same, and the herders as
we'll hear it and know
THAT IT MEANS WORK FOR THEM.

the result is the same. and the herders al
well hear it and know r.
THAT IT MEANS WORK FOR THEM.
The herd is on it's feet and running before
the note of alarm ceases to sound, and be-
fore the herders can lift the bride rein
These frightened animals may run hun
dred yards or they may run ten miles be-
fore they can be stopped. These vaqueros
(herders) are generally a bad set of men,
and are considered the lowest class, and are
reckless, unprincipled and even blood.
thirsty. They ride furiously, they course
wolves, they hunt panthers, they ride uE
and down the cattle trails, and follow this
wild life until they are reckless enough to
do anything that comes into their heads
can shoot out cigar in comrades mouth,
can throw down steer by twisting his tail,
and can whistle to be heard mile.
BUYING AND SHIPPING
these Mexican cattle North as far as Kan
sas, and even still further seems to pay, as
stockman from Kansas is now doing
On his last trip he bought herd of two
year-old at eight and ten dollars; paid
thirty-six cents a head to get them ovel
into Texas shipped them by railroad -tc
Wichita Falls, then drove them to rancho
on Red river, in Wilbarger county he
then crossed over the Red river into Greer
county and Indian territory, and up the
north fork of Red river, fine country fol
the trail, with plenty of grass and water
He followed up this river to its head, then
crossed over few miles
TO THE CANADIAN.
Here again he found lots of fine grass and
water, where he stoppsd couple of weeks
to rest and refresh his stock. Then he
drove over the Antelope hills to the north
Canadian, which is only about dozen
miles from where he rested. The reader
looking on the map will see that this North
Canadian runs through the whole length OF
this strip of land, forty miles in width, ly.
ing between Kansas and Texas, known as
the "Neutral territory" and it affords
splendid grazing all the way. He followed
up this river to Las Animas county, Colo
RADIO, SO you see he did not touch single
foot of quarantined country, which he was
endeavoriDg to avoid. He kept this herd
of three thousand nearly year; then
shipped them to Chicago and sold the en-
tire bunch, netting little over four dollars
head, and is now down here in this coun-
try for another bunch, expecting on &C.
count of the dry summer to buy his next
bunch much lower, and as freight is lower
than two years ago, and help cheaper, and
beef higher in Chicago, he expects to dc
much better, though it would seem il
these hard times such figures and prices
ought to satisfy any reasonable ''gringo."
1t certainly would common "greaser.'
THE OLD RANCHMEN-
are peculiar, and seem to be Jealous of their
knowledge, seldom impart what they know,
and exhibit perplexing elements of charac-
ter. They dress plainly, though neatly,
while their herders put everything they
make in dress, and saddles, and bridles.-
They seem to take pride in uncut felt hats
of gay colors, adorned with silver embroid-
cry, costing from five to fifty dollars. I'm
agine common farm hand in Virginia
with hat costing fifty dollars. and the bal
ance of his dress about FIVE They often
have saddles and brides costing from one
hundred to five hundred dollars, adorning a
pony worth seven or eight, and sometimes
you can see herder with silver buttons
dewn the outside of his pants leg, worth
twenty-five or thirty dollars, and maybe a
gold-headed quirt, worth half hundred
A quirt is short hand-whip, in the shape
of what our Virginia farmers would call ga
blacksnake. and generally made out of a
single piece of raw-hide. about eighteen
inches long, the head generally loaded with
lead or some heavy substance.
'sTHE CALLING STONE"
On glade of the vale of Mexical, behind
the mountain of La Laguuilla, is situated a
stone used by the ranchmen of that locality
to call their herds to the sailing, and the
animals come hurrying at the summons, to
which they are quite accustomed. This
stone appears to be hewn, and is spherical
in shape, and is about yard in diameter
and weighs about one thousand pounds. In
the center of the upper part it has hole,
which runs into the heart Of the stone form
ing spiral. On fitting to this hole a
mouth-piece and blowing, the sound of a
horn is produced, somewhat melancholy in
tone, and so loud that it can be heard at a
great distance, much farther than the sound
made from the common dog horn.
THERE is A TRADITION
about this stone resembling one which AL
fredo Chavero tells in his 'Historia An
tiqua de Mexico" concerning the rock OF
hacienda of Santa Clara destroyed the
boundary marks and carried the stone away,
hiding it on the rancho of Cuatepec. where
1T was fastened by chains in cellar. But
the stone disappeared from where they had
placed it, and made its way back to its for
mer position. To this tenacity of purpose
in remaining in its wonted situation the
ranchmen in the neighborhood attribute its
rpSlgt1naa tO the nnUQrfll Uach nf tho
mountain torrents which rush down the
glen without stirring it; even a waterspout,
which burst and wrought great havoc there,
had NO effect upon ''the calling stene.'-
Like the killarney Stone" of the Emerald
Isle," many other stories are told about it,
and by the inhabitants is also greatly rev.
erenced. A proposition is made to test its
powers of resistance to the appliance o
modern engineering in accomplishing its
removal to Cuernavaca, the capital of No
relos, where it would serve as the nucleus
of a museum. Respectfully,
G. L. G.