Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-09
CATTLE ON A RANCH.
Some Of Their Peeullarltles, as Told
by o Colorado Man.
MOTHERS LOVE FoR THEIR YOUNG.
Ilsw 0 Young stsllisn Chooses the Many
Members Of His Harsm.
PROTECTING HIS PAMILYP FROM WOLVES

konothiiy, ~ tucy IcVettou W VIC Whu stoto
On the plains, and gradually recovered much
of the instinct lost when man took upon
himself their guardianship, found 1t an
entertaining occupation. He also found
that some ranchmen in that matter-of-fact
region were fully as superstitious as back
woods Pennsylvania Dutch farmer, believ-
ing that the moon Is the guardian goddess
Of all who believe in zodiacal lore and gives
success or DISAPPOINTMENT according a. peo-
pie follow the teachings of the old astrolo-
gists, in addition to her control Of the tides.
He tells of one practice that seems to be-
built equally on ascertained fact and super
stition: Calves at certain age are by some
ranchmen separated from their dams. The
mother usually frets for time, and some
cows are inconsolable for a long time, during
which they lose flesh, become melancholy
and hollow-eyed. and are liable to disease.
Unique, but Said to Be Effective.
The ranchmen have learned that scent
of the cows offspring consoles her maternal
solicitude, and that if the end of the calf's
tail be cut of; Just sufficiently to draw blood,
and put into her feeding rack where she can
snuff at it daily, she soon becomes reconciled
to the loss of her baby, and proceeds to do
her duty to her owner normally. Accord
ingly, the calls narrative is slightly abbrevi-
ated. But in order to make the operation q
complete success, in the estimation of many
cattle owners, a charm must be worked in
connection with the amputation. As soon
as the latter is performed the calf must be
caught by the tail and pulled backward
clear out of the stall In which the operation
is performed. No further incantation is re-
quired.
Some COWS are almost human in duration
of affection for their offspring, while others
are soon consoled for the loss OF it. A
specimen of the first class made small
fortune for q Colorado ranehman. As soon
as her calf was sent away from her and she
could NO longer get trace of 1t, she would
betake herself to the range, and before
evening she would succeed In stealing some
other cows calf. Now, it is law on the
cattle plains that all unbranded calves run
ming with cows belong to the owners Of the
latter, and as fast a. this cow could bring
home foundlings they were branded by her
owner and put into his separate enclosure,
none daring to attack his title.
ACow without Guilt.
The COW incurred no moral guilt, and the
went on until the cow was the foster mother
of large herd. She would mot have sold
in the market for more $13 but her owner
considered her worth at least $500.
When horses are sent out on the plains to
propagate they, even in the first year, re-
cover part of their aboriginal instinct, it
being developed by their sense of danger in
losing mans guardianship, and in few
years they adopt q regular military system
for mutual defense. The stsllions select
their female partners, and AZ among polyga-
and most courageous choose to suit them
selves, while the less spirited must put up
with the residue. In this way proprietors
are enabled to discover the best sires to in
sure hardy and spirited progeny. The most
powerful and courageous horses not only
have the pick Of the herd, but have the
largest harems, just as the mighty men of
old appropriated the finest Of the women
and finally founded rude arlstocraciea of
best blood.
Blood WIN Always Tell.
Blood tells in man or beast. When the
division 10 finally acquiesced in, either
otherwise, each leader conducts his harem
by ITSELF but the divisions iced contigu-
ously for the purpose Of mutual defense.
Each stallion Is absolute master Of his harem,
and each mare soon finds, If she be disposed |
to have will Of her own, that in equine
matrimony, as in polygamy the world over,
the weaker sex has no rights except those
allowed by the head of the family, and in
the case Of horses the tyranny seems to be
q necessity for the common good.
The stallion, though he be ever 50 gentle,
is born fighter and he holds himself re-
sponsible for the welfare of his charge.
While feeding he is ever wary. and at short
intervals directs his attention to all points
o. the compass in rapid succession. His
senses are more acute than those of tine
mare, and between sight and hearing 1t is
difficult for an enemy to steal Q march on
him. Ha mare chance to stray beyond
small distance from tho herd the stallion
stampshis foot impatiently at her and emits
low waring neigh.
How the Mares Are Controlled.
If she do not heed the admonition and get
back to the herd at once it is repeated, and
if this fail her lord and master gallops up TO
her and thumps and cuffs her soundly, and
with such effect that she is subsequently
tractable ana submissive for a considerable
time. And this guardianship is necessary,
as prowling wolves are ever hanging in the
outskirts OF the herd, too cowardiy to attack
it massed. and always respectful to the
stallion, whom they know from experience
to be fighter and a dangerous enemy, but
ever on the alert to attack mare il she be
isolated, and no matter how desperately she
may fight she is usually. if not rescued by
her guardian, hamstrung and rendered
powerless either to rejoin the herd or to
fight.
Then, when abandoned by the herd at
evening, the wolves put an end to her
speedily, and in a short time her bones are
clean enough to be strung on wire. Thus
the apparent savagery of the stallion is real
kindness not always appreciated as it should
be. Up to a certain age the colts stay with |
the family, and the father is not only proud |
of them, but very afectionate, though when |
in his unerring Judgment he concludes that |
they should 90 out into the world and de- |
velop character, he is not mincing in his |
commands.
Colts Left to Their Mothers.
While he is up to this stage. their pro-
tector. he leaves their education to their |
mothers. When be decides that they must !
leave the parental circle he allows no time |
for leave taking, tears or embraces. The |
make the best of it. and soon |
there is large mass meeting Of the offspring |
of the various harems. The young males
choose their partners as their sires did be-
fore them, and new colonies are founded.
This instructive arrangement prevents the
disastrous consequences resultant from in
among the crowned heads of
Europe, and there are but few cases of in
sanity among wild horses. That Il prevents
degeneration is proven BY the fact that the /
half-trained and diminutive horses brought
from Texan plains have all the spirit, with
the addition OF q pungent spice Of will, Of
their ancestors, the Spanish cavalry horses
that took TO the wilds centuries ago.
mi L. fnI ii ~~.f1