West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-04-11
THE COWBOYS OUTFIT.

n FEAtbhE OF FRONTIER LIFE FAST
DISAPPEARING.
People all over western Kansas and No
Mans Laud are full of stories AID rem
iniscences of cowboy life. In fact. a
plenty of the citizens OF these Western
villages served rs COWBOYS at one time
and another before they became mer-
chants, professional men, etc, in some
favorite location for town site. One
hears on every hand expressions that
were technical IN the cowboys' camp.
Landlord Osgood calls his guests TO
breakfast IN the morning with the song
that the cowboy sings While riding
around his cattle Mt night TO keep them
from getting frightened and stamped
ing, thus:
Hay ay-a-aa-a-Yo-o-o-o- Hay.a-aa-Yoo.
oo-Breakfast
When anything is tied up it is said to
bc ioi ed, from the term which the cow
boy applied TO the use of the lasso.
mans household goods are termed an
Quilt So IS his KIT of tools, il a me-
chanic, his library and appliances, il a
surgeon or lawyer; his safe, desks, etc.
i banker. SO, too, is the CLIQUE he
associates with socially. He belongs to
poker outfit If he plays cards with
regularity, or to pious outfit if he goes
10 church.
People in the East have often read of
the cowboy when on spree shooting
up in the town" or lynching a horse
thief, but not very many know ANYTHING
about the real life of the cowboy. aud
OF what his OUTFIT is composed or what
il costs.
The most important article in the cow
boys outfit is the chuck wagon. or the
wagon over which the cook presides. 1t
is common prairie schooner, with hoops
over II 10 stretch a tanvas roof on. so
that such perishable goods as salt, sugar
and flour can be protected from the
weather. At the back is a cupboard.
where such thing "a baking powder
pepper, co ee. dishes, ETC., are kent
lheri arc pots aud frying pans plenty,
and the laTder is always well supplied
Bacon is generally preferred to salt pork.
and fresh beef is kept constantly on hand
by killing steer from the herd as oc-
casion requires. The owners of the herd
supply the food, and sach tools as
shovels, axes, etc.
The shovel, it is interesting to know,
IS generally of much more use than the
axe When taking a wagon across the
streamsit 1t is very often necessary to cut
down the banks on either side to form
an inclined plane, for perpendicular
banks three and four feet high are com
mon. Then. too, the tieams very often
run under ground The bed OF a creek
may be covered with sand and gravel
burning hot, but by digging two or
three feet sometimes rs much as six or
eight-pure, sweet water may be had in
abundance.
Timber for fuel may be had in some
parts of range and not in Others. but
when 1T is abundant the cowboys cook
generally prefers the ancient buffalo
chlps, which he calls Kansas or prairie
coal.
Next to the chuck wagon among the
e. Is OF the cowboy is his pony. The
Texas pony is marvel to an Eastern
man. IL weighs from 500 to 600 pounds
only, but it cantcrs away for forty or
fifty miles with a we'll grown man. saw
from 100 TO 10 pounds weight. on its
BACK, and then rustles for ITS feed and
comes up fresh for another canter Of the
same length next day. The COWBOYS
tell OF much greater feats OF strength
and endurance than this, but the S
reporter saw this much done.
Zach cowboy, however is supplied
with six ponies by the owner. because
while pony can stand several davs of
hard riding in succession. IL is more
economical to have several on hand and
give each chance TO rest between rides.
The ponies are worth only from S2O 10
$50 each. They are a vicious lot and
buck ecsiatically e,ery time they arc
mounted.
The cowman supplies the cowboy
with four blankets, saddle. bride. and
lasso. as we'll as ponies, but the cowb
who has any style about him scorns both
the Saddle aud the lasso furnished by
the company. The company's saddle
is simply a substantial skeleton co,tino
not more than SO. The cowbov buve
his own, and il costs $50 at least. II 'is
made Of stamped and embroidered
leather, and everything about IL Is OF
the very best quality. One firm I'm
Wich tn, Kansas, has made great
fortune by first making the very best
saddle that can be made by human
skill, and then charging these prices for
II. The cowboy pays the price because
he Is sure Of getting the best saddle
made.
The company lasso is made Of raw.
hide. II cost so. IL does very we'll in
fine weather In a rainstorm it is sGn
and awkward TO handle. The cowboy
leaves il with the outfit. aud takes his
own. This Is made Of horsohar, and IS
always as flexible az a bit Of cotton
twino and strong enough to hold an
elephant 10 has a range i'm the hands
# q man Of skill Of sixty foet-the
moose can be dropped over a steers horns
at that distance. It's costs the cowboy
from $50 20 i5. To learn TO use the
lasso requires constant rract Tor from
four weeks TO six months. according TO
the individual Of course some men
never become experts, while others seem
10 DO ''bOrn with ropes in their hands
other essentials Of the cowboy outfit
are The repeating rife and the SIX shooter.
A good ri q costs f25 and a good six
shooter but little less. The cowboy must
have ivory or other fancy handles. and
the mounings must be Of gold aad
silver But this weapon, although fancy,
Is deady in the right hands. The Fast.
ern man comes here expecting 70 find
every cowboy on expert With The re-.