The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-07-08
: |-------
ARGENTINA'S COWBOY.
BISHOP FOWLER TELLS oF*THE CEN
TAUR OF SOUTH AMERICA.
Persuhal Appearance and characteristics
of the Gaucho of the Pampas-Simp1s
Food and Picturesque Garnents-span-
ish Speech and Compliment.

Oh lne UauCho Va eAS
Food and Picturesque Garments-span-
ish Speech and Compliment.
The original cowboy is the product OF
South America He rides horse as II ne
and the animal was one. He comes near
to realizing the old thought OF the MeNl-
cans. when they first saw the Spanish
horsemen, that this mounted human BODY
was distinct order of beings One would
not hunt on the pampas among the
eauchos for the millennium, nor for
higher order Of beings, any quicker
than he would among the cowboys OF
Texas or Arizona The gsucho is not un-
like the cowboy, except that he is every
way more so. He is more of an Indian,
for he usually has. quite a per cent, OF
Indian blood, undeniably declared IN his
high cheekbones, straight, course, black
hair, and copper or dark-ting skin. He
rides wilder horses, and wit either more
or less trappings, as necessity compeis or
fortune allows. He needs only q short'
club-handled, heavy-lashed whip, WIN
which he first tames his horse and Then
his herd. He is also greatly delighted
with saddle and bride heavily plated with
silver. He sleeps where night oversakes
him and feeds OF the dried meat which ne
carries; under more favorable clrcun-
stances he has q small floorless cabin as
headquarters.
FOOD AND CLOTHING.
Here he takes his breakfast on broled
meat He goes after the herd, leaving MS
.ife, when ne has one, in the hut, and he
,s,.I,t i,. Gn1n m
For months at time he never tastes OK
vegetables OF bread. Sometimes he mas q
little pulverizcd fariua, into which ne
dips his meat His dress is, like himself,
q compromise between the Spaniard and
the pamras Indian. There is Il. broad
brimmed sombrero, borrowed irS.n spain.
Then he wears over his S!UU! i::5 his
poncho. This is tie garment ilp|.! Wnlcn
he sets hts heart Il is Ike 4 :a.'i. with
a slit in the middle, t:.rong.! .'' he
thrusts mis- head. and allows t. - of
the shawl to hang Gown over H. .'"!ns.
When MS arms are extended III ia. ':l TN.
the poncho looks like Il shaw! t'.ied
through the middle and held up ny the
folded edge This is often embroidered
most elaborately and ornamentally.
When he comes to town wearing this gar
ment he sticks to it regardless OF the tenl-
perature. We have seen the poor fellows
on the steamers, with the thermometer
nearly 100 in the shade, wrapped in one OF
these heavily embroidered shawls, per-
spring as if in q Turkish bath, but
they would never think OF putting them
aside.
Next he wears a chirrepa This monde
script is worn where civilized men wear
pantaloons. 1t looks like square or OBJ
long piece of cloth, folded diagonaly, one
corner fastened to the waist and the op-
posite corner brought up between the
limbs and fastened to the belt in front.
The limbs seem to be loosely enswathed
with it. The chirrepa may be very com
Portable, but it is far from trim. 1t looks,
when they stand still, like very loose
drawers, but when they step it shows the
garment to be one piece, loosely foldeu
and wrapped about the limb, with the bias
fold hanging between their feet. Under
the chirrepa the gaucho wears calconciilos,
q pair of loose white cotton drawers. mus
got up, the gaucho adds the Turk to the
combination Of the Spaniard and the In
dian in his composition. Mounted on his
horse, with his lariat hanging to his saddle,
he is distinct product Of South America.
DIGNITY AND PoLITEEESs,
, 1t is not well to regard him as savage.
Though he feeds on meat, and enjoys both
dangers and hardships, he has in his veins
some of the best blood of Europe. 60 to
this mans hut on the pampas, push aside
the untanned bull's-hide which serves as
g "portiere" at the doorway, greeting you
with all the dignity and ostentatlous
politeness of IN old Castilian knight, ne
will offer you II seat on the skull OF an OK.
Be careful to bring to the front your best
and most courtley manners, and exercise
your most prudent Judgment in detcrmln-
ing how much Of his smooth Spanish
speech is meant and how much is to be
set down as pure Spanish compliment. IL
is good manners in Spaniard to say my
house is thiae"-but it is Saxon boorish-
ness to accept his offer.
The gauchos have had their representa-
tives on all the fields where liberty was
the stake, and they have also had their
term in the place Of power The tyrant
Rosas was gaucho. Few men ever eXer-
ciseG more power in their fields than did
he in his The assassination of rivals and
enemies IS q phenomenon prouuccu ny
weak and strong despotism alike, but to
order the color of ones family to be worn
by all the families of q state indicates
great confidence in ones executive abili-
ties No wcalling could, for instance, sur
round the churches with soldiers on Il fine
Sabbath morning, capture all the women,
rich and poor, and stick with pitch Il red
rosette upon the hair Of each one. But
Rosas, who did this, could dare anything.
He could mount wild horsc-never even
halterel-and, armed with heavy whip,
run him down, tame him to be guided by
the motion of his hand, and thcl. knock
the animal down for his own convenience
il tlisn,ounting, and III this be only
gaucho. wild Spaniard, bred into the
fierce blood Of the pa:npds Indian. But TO
capture, paste and subdue all the women
Of his dominion he must need be al eNecu-
tive Of neutrality-suspicious. Bishop Fow-
lcr's letter in Chicago News.
One of !irgen:ina's pnbli" Works.
Part of the great plan for widening the
holt lf s9fcty is known as AlSina' ditch.