Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-12-17
IIFRALDRY ON 1.-THE PLAINS.
Thc Social Bearing of Cattle branding in
the Western states.

Thc Social Bearing of Cattle-Branding in
the Western States.
Alice MacGowen in McClure's
Magazine: The subject of the brand
dis overs itself sooner or later in one
way or another, in most of the affairs
of cattle-country life. The unac-
companied children OF lonely and
remote ranches play at ropng and
branding each other. The wife of
the kindly, liberal-hearted cattle man
will early be given her own brand;
often his little girls as well.
These brands may begin in little
bunch of cows or few brood mares;
but with no demands upon the ''in-
crease" theY suon grow to very re-
spectacle herds of cattle or punches
OF horses.
1t 50 lnds wonderfully picturesque
and Western TO hear a dainty little
ninctH-pound woman, speaking of
some temlne or artistic luxury re-
mark: "Well, / can have it if | can
sell oil some beef this fall" or to
have IL bright girl, discussing the
relative desirabilIty of a course at an
art school or an Eastern pleasure
trip assure YOU that she can easily
meet the expense OF whichever she
decides upon by selling her 1890 crop
OF colts, which are now / years old
and lust broken.
You would not suppose that the
small, blind, insulliciently-clad deity
OF the bow and culver would ever
neglect his classic weapon to concern
himself with SO gross and barbarous
utcns!l as Il branding iron. Yet such
things have been.
| have heard the tale how that,
away back in the'70's, there appeai cd
(along with the rest of her family,
in one of the far-out plain counties
of the Texas cattle country, Il fair
one by the romantic and me lilouS
name OF LilybcI Plunkett.
For the caprlCiCus and uncertain
favor OF this, the only marriagcable
young lady in the district all the
susceptible and unattached cowboys
cot winch class the population almost
wholly cOnSiSted) Strove together
eagerly and without ceasing, maver-
licking right and left everything they
could lay their hands on, with run.
ning brand l.. l. l.. until, when the
tcndcrIoot she had all along been en-.
gagged to came out and married her,
she brought him great herds of l., |.
l.. cattle with which they guyly set
up u ranch beneath the noses OF the
torlorn celibatc community.
Also, there was Buck Redmond,
who when lie had quarreled with his
sweetheart (oid brakes daughter,
known facetlously rs 1.-THE duck"l,
proceeded to SINCE upon the hide of
an Incidental maverick his burning
resentment of the scorns, gibes, and
indjgnlties she had heaped upon him
in The heat of her anger and the i'm
munity of her sex.
1t was a delicate example of cow
boy repartec, the retort bucolic, to
catch up this un ortunate third
party brand it al over its helpless
bovine side in great sprawling let.
tccs, d L G X, and turn the Ipering
hon mot loose where it could not fail
Of meeting the eyes OF the uel fair
one.
The performance served its purpose
of deadly afTront, the Drake boys
holding for some time that the obli-
gatiOn was upon them to kill some
body about it, as no lluid less cxpen-
sive than hearts blood could properly
wash out such an insult And |
think they did shoot to death-be-
fore anything like reconciliation
could be brought about-thc calf.