Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-10-16
BREWERS AND BOTLERS OF BEER AND MANUFACTURERS OF

roundups, the sign riders had been put
out. That Is, camps had been estab-
lished, or renewed, at certain intervals
all around the range proper, called
sign camps, where two men were
posted. Every morning the two men
rode out along the line in opposite di-
rections till eich met the man from the
adjoining camp riding toward him,
looking for sign Of cattle going out OF
the range, aud following and turning
thom back. In this manner all sum
mer the sign riders held the cattle
within the range which the range men
gathered andworked.
Here my friend, the ex-cattleman,
remarked thai all this was the theory
of sign-camps and just what the sign
riders were supposed TO do; but that
what they often did, in fact was TO get
together, A lot Of them, at the fellows
place thtt had the best camp, race
their ponies. swsp lies, play seven up,
mumbley-peg and pitch
Whei the summers work was over
on the range and the very last trail
terd sont north to market, things
we're put in winter trim, Up here In
the Panhandle proper the sign camps
we're abandoned, there was general
urning loose Ok the cattle on the range
md we depended entirely on the
ioating outfits TO keep the cattle
from straying of irrecoyerably. Now
down below the Panhandle, those old
Pease river s-shorthorns- kept
out sign camps and herded and worked
the cattle the year round. Why il
they didn't see EN- and count EN- and
chase 'em around every day they
thought they hadn't any cattle. But
We just turn ours loose, we'd have 25,-
600 or 10000 cdtle, representing prob
ably half q million dollars, running
from the PEGS TO the head OF the
Bnzos- Theywere let TO profit by
their own instincts, choose their own
pasture, not Worried by herding and
driving, only turned aud drifted back
toward the rage easily and gradually,
,bp the tloatingDutfits, and we thought
I'VE were abouEattlemen enough to get
hem all right n the spring.
Now, In the ate fall, when the beeves
wro all gathered, and sign camps
caled In, tho working force was re-
dued more TIM one.half, superAuous
me being discharged. The men thus
dlsRnscd viii each fall would nat
uralY be the last capable, reliable and
Trustworthy oltho force; aud the ma
lorlty OF thm went promptly to the
nearet town D blow In their money.
Themes drlftig out 20 the various
rancho TO boone loaters, or in ranch
vernae'ar sweaters,n till spring
broughNnothr job.
OF themoneft not more than two or
three void Imain regularly at head
| quarterswhee also fifteen or twenty
horses wee lpt and fed grain. Tho
man oooyot ne horses were put out in
some nice Rrully chosen spot, where
they llkedlo ln--horses are more fas-
tlulous thal otle--a range free from
loco, covered tn nice crisp grass, and
with water a, good shelter conye-
nlent' Here % or three men re-
mained In Thor camp coming in to
headquarters ocjonally through tho
winter, one at time, Tor mail, pro-
visions, etc.
FLoA1G OUTFITS.
ABOUT the miqS OF November the
hoating outhtsFere started out A
Heating outfit csisted Of a wagon
Win four good sag mules or horses,
and fitted up VII abundant bedding
provisions and eh; six to ten men
one oil whom was IS, one cook and
the others rider They only tool,
about two good h,es apiece. beosnse
they fed them Ain, and II was moi
necessary for taC man TO lave \
string" us Nhe they depended ON
the grass. Tie usiness of tbesa
floating outfits Vas pick up and drift
uuSN toward Ne luge cattle that
had WANDERED NJ away. ana
they would re "hoati as far
southwest as thd'es river and Fort
sumner, lgoiug em'ely across tbe
/ Staked Plain, hic. In midwin,aw
was no light nq'iang, as far south
! east az Canon 5lalo, on the head Of
: me brazos riYemndouth to Yellow
House and thghea of tina Corntn
Z nown there We Puld loat about in the
, sand nus betwa fenw House canon
/ and the Pecos, hioh Ind hara,efnya
been thought genuine desert M
where we foundaier aot very nier os'
70 De sure, but II obtanahlo 81 tbnsd
who know wheso look and a sbei,.n
ca country IN meh cattle liked 10
winter, and grdat. Tie Comanches
, secuted al erid over the eountry