The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-12-02
A "RoUND.tp' OF CATTL E
A PEcUxIAR{rALL CEREMONY ON
wEsTtRN RANCHES.

=
TYHRoUGh the months Of octo.
Der svember peculiar
ceremonyy Going on at the
a, hundreds T. Mile ranches OF
the Northwest. Itisthe iall ssround.up,"
when the stock is driven to the ''home
ranch" or headquarters for "cutting
out" the marketable steers and branding
any animals that may have escaped the
iron in their days of calfhood. Long
days of riding on the part of the ranch
assistants precedei the gathering, and
when the thousand or more head of cat
tie that have been feeding all summer on
the plains are collected 10 the big corral
|. it is splendid sight.
On the hip oil every grown animal
there is series of scars, showing their
healed surfaces through the sleek hair.
1t is the trademark of the praries. By
its perfect system the cattle can be iden-
tilted as if by name, and the buyer in
Chicago, Omaha or Kansas City knows
ex;ctly as he sends a mixed carload off
to the packing houses from whica ranch
each came.
Branding requires one or two men
with lariats and one man with the brand
ing iron. With skillful hands the
lassos arc thrown, catching the steer or
cow by horns and hind foot. Perhaps
the victim is tunblcd on its back, per-
haps not. At any rate, In a moment the
assistant has run from the fire with the
red-hot iron in his hand, pressed it
moment on tho shrinking flank: there is
NtrH Nf urvSN Ntrn Nf h,,rt,
ing flesh, aud beneath is mark that
will remain until the creatures death.
1t seems cruel, but it is a necessary plan
of Identification.
Hard as it is to capture and hold the
animal it is almost equally difficult to let
go. At the instant the ropes are loosened
The frightened beast, never before touched
by human hands, leaps to his feet eager
for an object upon which to wreck ven
geance. For man on horseback the
,teer has the utmost respect, but for
man or horse separately absolutely no
tear. Either is helpless in herd of
Texas steers.
The marking system is based upon
registration Of brands. Every man who
owns stock on the great prairiss where
fences are unknown must select brand
letter, figure, fanciful design or com.
bination - aud register it with the
county aad State officers as we'll as with
cattle associations. His brand must be
distinct from all others, hence the steer
that has strayed during the summer
from Southern Wyoming over into Ne
braska or Northern Kansas is quickly
ilont;Eo1 at ho animal ronpl ma Tn
spectors are stationed at the shipping
points to intercept and seize for the ben
eft of the cattle associations any animal
not described in the bill of sale.
The old-time brands are motel for
their intricacy and fancifulness. Some
of them almost cover the flank of the
cattle and make the hide worthless.
Letter brands are common, many stock
men using their own initials. The diff
Guilty of securing brand not previously
nssa has led sS nass ezsE sd sSeas ass
similar devices. Flyina letters are
written with red hot pokei{ aud continue
the letter proper into long, Struggling
flourishes. OF late yeafs the figure
brands have become the faYortes. Out
lines of axes, shears, boots, ,{eggs, arrows,
ETC., are likely to be found on the stock
of small owners, though the brand of
the Sidney Dillon ranches is rude nit.
ten. The thousands of cattle owned BY
the Earl of Freund are marked "76,"
and the brand is almost as familiar in
Europe among cattle owners as on the
ranges of Nebraska and Wyoming. Sen
ator Carey brands his herds &C. Y"
The Oelrich ranches have the "bar H."
or this, "a" Occasionally man
with short name will put it in full on
his stock, but it is needless cruelty.
A few years ago 1T was not uncommon
for poor, but energetic, young men to
start in life on the pla:as with no capital
fixed in the worlds goods. BY patiently
lassooing one unmarked animal after
another and leaving a trademark on its
flank, respectable herd was soon ac-
quired. A violent attack Of hemp fever
was also acquired if the "rustler' was
caught.
Changing brands was also q favorite
pursuit with the rustler. Adding let.
ter, figure or device, or by some means
obliterating the mark already on was
common. The story is still told in Ne
braska of the Napoleon Of Cattledom,
who invented the spade brand, formed
by heating spade red hot and slspping
it on the creatures fauks, obliterating
all previous brands. He was invited to
a necktie party and never returned.
Changing o G cattle into B o O
was reported by the papers last year, and
the Three Ones Rancho found that its
brand "1lI' was being transformed by
some unknown depredator into "H L."
The only method by whshrs brand eau
be legally wiped out is by "venting" 1t,
which means placing the original brand
upside down under the one first burned.
A steer that has changed hands several
times thus often comes to present crazy
patchwork appearance.
At the fall roundup there are found
many cattle withouta mark. They were
missed when calves or were born ate,
the spring branding aud are termed
"mavericks." The word is one peculiar
to the West and has come to mean any
lonesome individusl owned by nobody