The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-08-17
CURIOUS CATTLE BRANDS.
,OUEER MARKS WHICH ADoRN THE
STOCK ON THE PRAlRlES.

~ general and valuable as those that dec
crate oueensware, pottery and editions de
lure. saws the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
These einblems are conceived with much
care. and violation OF the rights they
involve means death to the depredator.
They do not appear on paper, nor are they
modelled in earthenware or metal They
are traced in living flesh by red hot irons,
and are read by cowboys and ranch own
ers from the uplands OF Wyoming 70 the
river valleys of Texas. Yet few east OF
the Missouri River have ever seen
sample OF the designs or realize the COM
pleteness OF their system
The identification Of cattle upon the
great Western plains, where tens OF thou
sands OF long horned beasts roam
throughout the year unfenced and un-
herded, would present serious aspect
were il not for branding. Only by that
means is 1t possible, in a country where
stock raising Is carried on so extensively
that fencing the ranges is almost ont OF
the question, for owners to keep any
knowledge oil their possessions. No more
rigid system OF identification exists any
where, and the owner OF steer is almost
as certain OF his property when the ami
mai has strayed 100 miles away as II the
home ranch corral inclosed him It Is
not uncommon for a Western Kansas
cattleman TO receive notice from, friend
in Nebraska or Wyoming saying that one
OF his cattle has strayed from home and
is in his vicinity, the friend having looked
ND the animals brand in the herd book.
Branding is in sense cruel. To the
young stock it is en- experience that
drives them nearly frantic, and makes
the soft souled onlooker somewhat ner-
yous. The operation takes place at the
spring 'sround-up," when the cattle
from vast territory, after days OF riding
on the part OF the herders or cowboys,
have succeeded in gathering thousands
Of the range cattle into huge corrals. The
calves are still hanging around their
mothers, and 1t is easy to identify the
rancher's increase. A lasso thrown by an
expert horseman catches the little fellow
by the legs. In a moment he is thrown,
and while two cowboys hold him third
brings red hot branding iron from the
fire near by. The iron is rod three feet
long, with two prongs at one end. At
the extremity of these, and between
them, Is model of the letter or character
which the owner claims as his mark. II
may be letter, figure or fantastic de-
vice.
The hot iron Ii pressed against the flank
or shoulder Of the believing calf. There
il smell OF singed hair, q sizEie OF burned
flesh, n writhing of the captive and then
the attendants leap away, and OF races
the calf to his mother, very much fright
ened and bearing, scared into his flesh,
marks which cannot be obliterated until
he meets his fate in the lightning
process stock yards or packing house.
A. Al ko ~ md vSsfli ~ az
in sire and may be added to by supple
mentary marks as he changes owners, but
Il will never be wholly wiped out.
The brands are as devious in shape ii
She conjuring OF mans fancy can pro.
pose. Each owner chooses his own de.
vice, and there is a wide variety. OF lat'
years figures are being more used. Tht
cattle of the Earl of Freund have all the
sign 49," and on the ranges OF Wyom.
ing it is generally recognized. Senator
Carey, of Wyoming, has &C. Y" for hi
cattle, and many ranchmen use theil
initials. Occasionally a man puts hi
whole name on the stock, as Ford or Hall
and as the letters grow larger with thu
growth of the animals, the whole side Of thu
steer seems taken up at maturity. Their
is about this kind OF device the advan
tage that it can not be easily altered o
added to, thus preventing theft. Some
times the device is not made with brand
ing iron, but with red hot rod or poker
which seers the mark into the hide. Witt
these the "flying- letter" brand is oftel
used, it consisting OF lines ex
tending right and left from a letter +
prevent another from being put before o
after. The old-timers have mostly image
of trees, flags, etc, and the newcomer
must be careful and not duplicate an
that have been appropriated, making
almost as difficult to design new bran
as to select a good book title. 1t is essen
tial that the lines be open and not com
plicated, and, so far as possible, incapabl
'of being altered. The worst thieves tn
cattlemen have to fear are those who alte
the marks to one Of their own. 1t is re
lated OF man who, when he died fe'
years ago, left his widow one OF the rich
est estates in Denver, that he came Wei
with nothing but abundant nerve and
branding iron. Regulations were LEI
strict and organization less thorong
than now and he soon amassed mag
nificent herd Of cattle. 1t was only la.
year that it was found that the o Y Gait
were being changed TO toy stock
is not difficult to make out of Ill the d,
y sign HTor HI or III, and the man wi
chose the first was very sorry for j
Shovel and flat-iron brands spring I
every little while somewhere on Il
range, being the result OF some dazzlir
genius's mind which has conceived II
idea of mark W hich shall easily blot OF
all others. A red hot shovel slapped on
.steeFs side will come pretty near doir
this with any mark. Such genius
seldom live to very great age. The
understanding fails them some moo
light night, but a strong hempen cb
sustains their weight. Their bodies a
riddled with rife bullets and then t
necktie party rides away, leaving it's vi
tim alone. IL.
i. Among famous brands is that Of t
Sidney Dillon ranches, a rude mite
Judge Parmalee's is All. venting"
cancelling, brand consists in puttil
the original mark in reverse under t
first. This leaves the animal as if n
branded at all. a The worst brands g
Il. those of some Texas cattle, which ha