Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-03-05
ABOUT THE TEXAS FAUNA
THE BURRO, THE STEER AND
THE COWBOY.
:. WOnan'S View OF SOE1e OF the Peculiar Deni.
zens OF the Range Country-A Number
Of Old Jokes in . Bright Nev
Story. Teller's Dress.

The fauna of west Texas is charac-
terized by Il universal evasiveness. and
is as hard to catch onto rs the fora is
easy. writes Alice MCGOWAN. a breezy
newspaper correspondent, on her first
visit to the western part OF the Lone
Star commonwealth.
The burro is an animal that will re-
pay study. He is undoubtedly Il phi
losopher, and regards with passive,
stole contempt the master against
whom he connot openly contend. He
can be broken, subdued, made to
drudge, but to go beyond his accus-
toned pace, to descend to undigniiied
haste for any mans pleasure, he will
not; and his revenge upon his taskmas-
ter is to travel along in saturnine en-
joyment. and at snail-lilse gait, while
the tyrant wastes his breath in execra-
tions that are as incense to the burro's
nostrils, and blows that are sweet
tribute to his powers of aggravation.
He is Familiarity known as the mocking
bird, and is famous. not for his beauty
but for his voice. He might more
properly be called nightingale, for
he loves to sing in the sweet dusk of
summer nights. When the heart is
too full OF the mournful music of his
cadenzas to bear more, steal out and
attach u stone to the warbler's tail, and
he will MARBLE no more till it is re-
moved. To him. as to more dulcet
singers in more civilized chimes, the
attitude of the vocalist is more impor-
tant than the music; and his chosen
posture. when he would pour forth his
soul in song, is with head and tail ele-
waited, one outrageous ear dropping
pensively forward on his thoughtful
visage. and one thrown back over his
shoulder. In a desage and careless
manner, as Frederick Paulding used to
wear his cloak in the palmy days when
he played Hamlet.
The strictly accurate mind hesitates,
in mentioning the largest aud most
conspicuous thing about the burro, be-
tween his bray and his ears. Tue lat
tor are shaped something like snow
shoe and are about that size. They
tell tale out here-but do not be-
lieve it and only introduce it here be-
cause it has been considered by good
judges to De mildly amusing of Hol-
lander who camo to West Texas and
was conveyed out by mis- host to view
the landscape DER. The house stood
on rolling plain, and just over
little rise were several burros, OF whom,
however, nothing could be seen but
their ears. "He's nize und tladt, undt,"
his dull eye Frightening as it lit on
the burros' ears. Il see you got Wind
mills too"
The Texas steer. though irreclaima-
bly, uncivilized himself, makes valua-
BILE contributions to civilization, sup
plying beef, leather and unlimited | it.
erary material. The ranchman. like
misfortune, early marks him for his
own. Though sharp. he is often roped
in. Still he is never subdued, and
goes believing and protesting on HE
wild and devious way, till he reaches
the destination OF all Texas steers
Chicago; where his last act, as an in
dividual. is often to furnish material
for stirring paragraph.
Perhaps the most curious and inter-
esting ANNA! OF West Texas fauna is
the cowboy. Closely allied to man he
yet has traits that are peculiar to him
self alone. He is a pleasing and at
tracive species. extremely gentle and
tractable when properly approached.
He is the only genus of the entire
West Texas fauna that will. stand long
enough to be properly studied and
classified. He is mild and gregarious
in disposition. easily tanned and do
mesticated. The impression so long
obtaining in the east that he is dam
gerous animal, subsisting chiefly on
tire-water and exceedingly destructive
to human life. is entirely erroneous.
Closely associated with tho cowboy,
and. indeed, species OF the same
family. is the bronco-b buster. with his
attendant figure. the bronco. These
two the discriminating naturalist will
bracket together. somewhat in the
mHnner Of the buffalo and the buffalo
bird. But at any moment the bronco.
buster is liable to reverse his position
and become the bronco busted.
The above are extracts from nv
forthcoming work. Tho Flora and
Fauna OF West Texas" and when a
respectable gentleman with thin.
pale face and fat. red book rings your
door bell and invites your attention to
the work. do not rail Mt him nor drive
him away. 1t will be my book. and it
will be a good book, as these few brief
extracts have shown you.