Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-07-17
THE GAUCHOS.
COWBOYS OF THE ARGENTINE
REPUBLIC, SOUTH AMERICA.
A Picturesque Combination OF Sav'
agery and Coul illness = The
Gaucho's Dress and Food
Cattle and Sheep Interests.

world, then Argentina must bear her full
share of government, for she has been
eating beef ever sinceshe has been eating
anything. Her plains and climate are
specially adapted to the easy and profit
able raising of cattle. There are no long
winters through which they must be
nursed. In many of the large States
they thrive better in winter than in sum.
mer.
The original cowboy is the production
of South America. He rides a horse as
/ if he and the animal were one. He comes
uear to realizing the old thought of the
Mexicans, when they first saw the Span
ish horsemen, that this mounted human
body was distinct order of beings. One
would not hunt on the pampas among
the gauchos for the millennium, nor for
higher order of beings, any quicker
than he would among the cowboys Of
Arizona. The gaucho is not unlike the
cowboy, except that he is every way
more SO. He is more of an Indian, fol-
he usually has quite per cent. Of
Indian blood, undeniably declared in his
high cheek bones, straight, coarse, black
hair, and copper or dark-tinged skin. He
rides wilder horses, and with either more
or less trappings, as necessity compels OF
fortune allows. He needs only short,
club handled, heavy-lashed whip, with
which he first tames his horse and then
bis herd. He is also greatly delighted
with saddle and bride heavily plated
with silver. He sleeps where night over
| takes him and feeds on the dried meat
which he carries; under more favorable
circumstances he has small Aoorless
cabin as headquarters.
Here he takes his breakfast on broiled
meat. He goes after the herd, leaving
his wife, whsn he has one, in the hut.
and he returns late at night to be fed on
meat. For months at time he never
tastes vegetables or bread. Sometimes
he has little pulverized farina, into
which he dips his meat His dress is,
like himself, compromise between the
Spaniard and the pampas Indian. There
is the broad-brimmed sombrero, Dor
rowed from Spain. Then he wears over
his shoulders his poncho. This is the
garment upon which he sets his heart. II
is like shawl, with slit in the middle,
through which he thrusts his head, and
allows the ends of the shawl to hang
down over his arms. When his arms are
! extended at full length the poncho looks
like shawl folded through the middle and
held up by the folded edge. This is Otter
embroidered most deliberately and orna-
mentally. When he comes to town wear.
ing this garment he sticks to it regardless
of the temperature. We have seen the
poor fellows on the steamers, with the
thermometer nearly 100 in the shade,
wrapped in one of these heavily EN-
broidered shawls, perspiring as if in
Turkish bath; but they would never
think of putting them aside.
Next he wears chirrepa. This non
descrlpt is worn where civilized mer
wear pantaloons. It looks like a squar,
or oblong piece of cloth, folded diagon
ally, one corner fastened to the wais:
and the opposite corner brought up be
tween the limbs and fastened to the belt
in front. The limbs seem to be loosely
enswathed with it. The chirrepa may
be very comfortable, but it is far from
trim. Under the chirrepa the gauchs
wears calconcillous, loose pair of whit,
cotton drawers. Thus got up, the
gaucho adds the Turk to the combina
ton of the spaniard and the Indian in
his composition. Mounted on his horse,
with his lariat hang to his saddle, he j,
distinct product of South America.
It 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
Go to this mans hut on the pampas,
push aside the Unframed bull's-hid,
which serves as o "portiere" at the door
way, greeting you with all the dignity
and ostentatious politeness of an ole
Castilian knight, he will offer you sea,
on the skull of an OK. Be careful and
bring to the front your best and courtly
manners, and exercise your most prudent
judgment in determining how much OF
his smooth Spanish speech is meant anc
how much is to be set down as pur,
Spanish compliment. rs
Ths gauchos are chiefly interested il
cattle. This industry has risen to won.
derful proportions. In 1854 there wer
10, 1854, 900 horned cattle in these coun
tries. In 1884 this number had increased
to 100000. The slaughter of cattl,
amounts to $500, 900 per annum. TIVE
millions of these are for home consump
ton. Each person in the republic con