The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-27
4 CHORUS or STEERS.
Texns Cattle Trained to BELOW Hail
Coiumbia"--A CnIqno Concert.

Coiumbia"--A CnIquc Concert.
II was now about s o'clock and the sun
was rapidly approaching the horizon. The
bovine orchestra was To perform rs usual Mt
6, or about sunset, just before feeding time
Mr. Heminway led the way TO tho home
corral, n heavily timbered stockade just over
the crest of a hill and about n quarter Of a
milo from the house. The cowboy hand
which had ridden out To meet him accom-
panied the party on horsebatA. 1t was a
cool but calm April evening, the air balmy
with the fresh prairie air and the faint per-
fumes Of wild flowers. As they approached
the stockade meiodious belowings sounded
over the pale Within were just twenty Of
the most intelligent beasts in the whole herd
Of $1,000 Brawny. big boned, long horned
and muly some Of them-sDlootb limbs,
sleek coats and bright eyes marking them as
crack cattle They moved forward in n
lesurely, self contained way and stood look
ing at the COWBOYS. Six of the latter dis
mounted came inside with their trombone,
oornet. French horn, big horns and cymbals
Each cowboy took up a position by partc
. ular OK.
ST.. Of the cattle we're now separated from
Nbtii iCl4OhS l''i W MI i.o W ShNitbC'
stalls of light poles. constructed SO the beasts
faced in towards the center Of the Enclosure
and we're ranged on the soft grass side by
side, near enough to tone! the tips Of each
others horns. The cowboy with the coinet
stood Immediately in front Of light brindled
beifer that bad an exceedingly vivacions
aspect and was very quick on its feet The
trombone confronted an almost jet black
steer that proved TO have IA high voice OF
great revcrberatory power The cymbais
flanked "A red bull, while the other horns
were pointed at bright eyed COWS that re
garded the whole strange scene with an ex
perienced air and antcipatory delight.
The Iiemnway party stood slightly TO one
side, thu intoxicating cowboys, 10 the mum
Der of forty or more, in group near theta
Just as the sinking sun reached the horizon
and seemed TO linger for a moment before
saying good night, Mir. iieminway gave the
signal
The cowboys at once struck up Hail
Columbia" playing that fine old air with
much spirit and tolerablo correctness. With
the first note from each instrument the ami
nal in its front raised its neck, opened its
mouth to the widest capacity, and throwing
its head back gave prolonged and musical
utterauce to sonorous sounds which, if thcy
were not singing in the human sense, consti-
tutod something remarkably like it.
The accord between the instruments and
the vocal accompaniment Of the bovin"
chorus was perfect. There was one harmoni-
Gus volume of sound that echoed far and
wide with singular power and sweetness, car
rying through the charmed air strains Of the
western patriots favorlte song and mellow
ing in the distance to Il grand choral ode
But the most interesting part Of the unique
performance was yet 10 come When the
strains Of the horns died away the cowboy
performers withdrew aud joined the other
cowboys The bovine chorus was left to
itself Mr. Heninway drew revolver from
his pocket and fired n shot. As the smoke
curled up in the fading sunlight, the steers
opened their mouths, threw their heads back
and in perfect harmony went again through
the air they had Just finished The ring and
volume and sweetness Of their voices were
now distinctly apparent. They ehan,el all
solutely correctly and lacked only c.ticuln-
ton 10 be the champion sextet Of the vocal
world-John Paul Bocock in New York
World