Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-03-07
+ CHATdED MAN.

Il UiWuyS lScl bOIly lOT INC hAtlh VIM
has never been on the west side Of the
Missouri river The atmosphere on
the west side causes queer sensation,
sort of six months-go-as-you-please-
neutrality-suspicious. feeling that a
person never experiences on the east
side.
1t has been remarked by persons of
limited observation that whisky was the
prime factor in the case. | myself have
had large, wide, and variagated eX-
perience in the west, and | can truth
fully say, without twinge OF con-
science, that the whisky on the west
side is no better than the whisky on the
east side, but find it Is more prolific.
A man in Council Bluffs will black his
boots, brush his hat, and stand before
the glass TO smooth his hair before 60
ing out on the street. Let him go over
TO Omaha, and he will shove his pants
into his boots, slap wide-rimmed white
hat on his head, pull his hair over his
eyes, and 60 out on the street with II
look on his face that would make Il
lamp.post want TO dodge into an alley.
Move him up TO Ogallala, and he will
buy n revolver, u belt, q pony, and a
saddle with all the latest improve
ments.
Did you ever see full-sizcd and
fully furnished cowboy saddle? 1t
weighs all man can lift. When it is
on the pony it's the same size as the
pony. The reason the saddle is not
larger is because it would be larger
than the pony, and that would not look
right. They are made principally of
leather, some raw hide. little wood,
and considerable brass tacks. They
have two wide bands called "sinches, "
which are about a foot wide, and fast
ened to the saddle with trapcze rings.
One goes just back of the front legs,
and the other front of the back legs.
A good healthy man can "sinch" up a
saddle so tight that pony won't touch
Il foot of the ground-at least not Of
ten. This would seem cruel to persons
unaccustomed to use this species of
horse and saddle. But it is necessary
in order TO keep the saddle and pony
on the same range. A wel-built pony
can put his head between E,- front legs,
jump ton feet into space, iight on his
front legs, and before you can get your
mouth fixed to use some words OF earn
est reproof, tho pony is in one place
and the saddle in another
But ! have got little off my subject.
To resume. There are straps for your
bed. holster for revolver, rope,
picket-pin, and a siX-hOle range. Now
the cowboy is ready to move up the
country, When he gets to Cheyenne
he buys another revolver. At Laramie
City he tries TO ride over school chill
dren, and at Rawlins he gets blind
drunk, sells his horse and saddle for
what he can get, pawns his revolvers
for some more, and at last walks out
of town dead-broke.
Anxious for job he strikes the first
cowman he meets, commences life anew
and is known as belonging TO the fra
ternity of wild and woody cowboys.
Now comes the question-What pro-
duces the change? He may have drank
whisky all his life, been drunk hundreds
OF times, and not spent half the money
in his pocket. 1t is not because OF his
association with COWS; for have known
good, steady men, who had been raised
with cows and never were drunk in
AitlI llNtSs W COlllC NtSb, anu All ltSS
than two days make the whole town
tired" To further demonstrate, take
the brute creation. Who ever Jaw a
horse raised east of the river who was
regular bucker? On the other hand,
who ever saw one raised on the west
side that would not hump his back and
try to kill youe
Did you ever get on to regular
doublG~ender-sure-death if you-don't-
stay-therc-bucking broncho? If you
never did there is an expert
eGco before you that you can
look forward to with feelings akin
to those Of person being led out TO at
tend his OWE funeral. Talk about sea-
sickness, yellow fever, Asiatic cholera
they are pastimc compared to it.
When the pony gets his head between
his legs, and goes up into the air like u
rock with a stick of giant powder eX-
ploded under it, returns TO earth and
strikes stili-legged, and goes upward
again before you have time to catch
your breath-for, mind you, when he
strikes ground all the wind in you goes
and when you look down in front OF
you the only thing you can see is the
horn of the saddle, green grass and
bowlders-wheny your experience makes
you take in all these things at once, it
makes you want TO get off and walk.
Yes, TO be on the ground would be
one of the greatest blessings that could
be conferred on you; and yet, how easy
e. get there. But the idea of dismount-
ing SO ungracefully, not having time to
use any sang frotd, or anything else in
particular! You make up your mind
you want to ride. 1t is nerve-wrench-
ing business. Every time the pony
strikes the ground you strike u new
place on the saddle. AT last you do not
strike it at ALL the air goes humming
by, and you fancy you are going through
it like young blizzard that has just
attained its full strength. You think
of home, kindred. your girl, and the
first pair of boots you ever had with red
tops. At last you stop hard! Then it
seems as though YOU hear a voice, but