Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-05-01
vAcauERos AND COWBOYS.
Two Glasses of Picturesque Westerners
that Are Sometimes Confounded.

that Are Sometimes Confounded.
A great many people even in the
West confound vacqueros with cow
boys some even supposing that the only
difference between thr men known bv
these names is that Of locality Of the
country in which they work; i'm other
words, that a man working with range
cattle is a cowboy in the North and a
yacquero in the South. Such a mis-
take. however, Is only made by people
unacquainted with range work, because
as "a matter of fact there is a vast differ
enee between the occupations in which
these men are engaged. IL is true
every vacquero may become a cowboy;
but every cowboy can not possibly be-
come yacquero.
The name and the occupation ii de-
notes are both of Spanish origin It is
q matter of history that the first horses
| brought to America were from SPAN.
and the cow-ponies used in Texas AL
Oh and New Mexico are to-day riou-
grel descendants from the pure-bred
barbs landed on the shores of the Gulf
Of Mexico over a century since. The
same is true Of the vacquero, for be is
4 invariably a Mexican. sometimes the
descendant from pure CastiIian fami-
| ly; but more often a "Greasern or half
breed having the blood of the Castilian
and Indian mixed in his veins. His
occupation is handling and breaking
wild horses, and while he inherits the
hot-temperd impetuous disposition of
his Spanish ancestry, he has also coupled
with it the cunning and treachery of
his Indian forefathers, in as noted a
degree as the wild descendants of those
pure-bred Spanish palfreys have in
herited their high spirits, speed and
endurance.
In his dress the vacquero gives the
strongest outward evidence of his an
cestry and occupation. The heavy
broad-brimmcd sombrero, ornamented
with gold or silver braid and cord; the
! fancifully decorated and embroidered
yelyeteen jacket and trousers, with
buekskin shirt and gally-colored sash,
| long-legged boots and big spurs, form
! invariably the dress adopted by him, no
matter how poor he may be or how old
and worn his garments.
In choosing bis outfit, his saddle and
bride, be Is more careful than the
ordinary cowboy,and gives less thought
/ to the expenses especially so is this the
case with regard to the trappings ii his
saddle. which aG ofte fastened in
place with slyer-headed riyets, the
I heads being frequently as large as a
crOWu-pieCe and engraved with mono
| grams or brands, or any other device
/ which may catch his fancy. His bride
is usually of his own manufacture Of
I plated horse-hair of different colors
SO combined as to give evidence Of his
natural artistic taste 1t differs from
the ordinary bride I'm being so con-
/ structed as to be adapted for use with
or without bits, and when used in the
/ latter shape is called "a "hackamoor. %
1t is in thus shape the vacquero iuyari-
/ ably USES it the first time he saddles
and mounts 4 wild horse, because then
/ the bits are useless, ami only irritUte
| the auimal;,hc first lesson the yacquero
4 desires TO teach it being 10 90 ahead
/ without any regard 10 djrec,.0a the
| hair-cord which passed around the nose
and Jaws being sufficiently strong to
! stop its wild race. ii such course il
necessary. The lasso or ariat used
/ by the yacquero is like the COW boy $,
made from plated raw hide or horse
hair, about thirty feet in length and so
! heavy that none but "A very strong
wind is able TO alter the course OF the
moose when thrown at a fleeing animal
/ This outfit entire is often worth hun.
/ dreds OF dollars, and represents the
/ yacquero's stock in trade, being as I'M
/ dispcusablp rs lawyers or physicians
] ". b.gf lfI
outfit girthed,or 'siuched' as they say,
! on "A horse not worth many more cents
! than the outfit was dollars. The
| yacquero takes more pride ia the com.
! pletcue.s and quality of his outfit than
the ordinary cowboy
/ Rarely do yoU ever see the yacquerC
/ change his occupation; he is apparent.
/ y born iu the saddle.reated IN the sad.
die, and not uufrequently falls dead
| FROM the saddle, He is more accom-
/ pi-hed with the lass0 han the cowboy,
and ~, ylcquero is considered "a thor
/ oughlv competent lasso-thrower, or
roper, unless he can catch q horse rum
ming az its utmost speed by any one of
It's -four Get, or It's two front or hind
| feet. Merely to Doe able to throw
asso over the horses head is no quaIi-
! licatiou for vdcquerO. Then, too, au
efficient yacquerO understands thor
oughly The art of hraiding horse-haIr
or raw hide and making theretrom
/ brides. riding whips or "querts. and
lassos or ,ariuts. Every portion OF his
large and Ueavily-rigged saddle has lbs
proper Spanish name which is uu-
known 10 the ordinary cowboy of the