The National tribune., 1894-08-02

So far as I know, there are but two WAYS OF
performing the branding operation: first, bv
rOping and tying down, or holding down. the
animal while the cow-puncRer applies the hot
branding-iron; second, by forcing the cattle
which are to be branded slowly through chute.
80 narrow that it will admit but one animal at
q time. cow-puncher thrusting the branding
iron through the bars of the chute against the
side or hip of each animal as it is in turn, pre.
scented to him.
This latter method, while it is very quick and
easy compared with the other way, with all the
time and manuyers involved in roping. throw
ing. tying, holding, is only practicable where
nothing is TO be done but put single brand on
tie animal, as In the case of rebranding road
branding, or some such special mark, which is
added subsequently to the regular brand and
ear-mark that man puts on all his calves
Brands are put on in two ways. First there
is the regular brand. where the design is printed
upon the animal by single pressure of hot
iron formed in the shape of the design and
attached to q long iron rod.
This sort Of brand is usually small. neat
device. Where so large and struggling a mark
is used that it would be impossible to have
every part OF the design come in contact with
the irregular surface of an animals BODY at
once, it is simply drawn or run upon the hide.
using long sharp pointed, hot iron rod for a
pencil; and those so made are called running
brands.
One would not expect to find humor on the
subject Of cattle brands, but, in point of fact.
quite large proportion of them are of an
svowedly joeular character; and those origin
ally altogether serious are continually parodied,
bUrlesqued and TESTED upon.
The monogram brand p u becomes. in the
vernacular. Pup; the ranch is universally al
luded TO as the Pup ranch; and the tenderfoot
vino fails TO ask, in his innocence, what sort of
Gogs they raise there, is felt by his entertain
ers 10 be a disappointment.
Jokes on brand like the II Ell Down
Below are obvious and staple Punning
brands like punning coats-ol-arms, are fire.
queut.
Cattle-brand designs have been largely the
products OF exuberant and untutored genius,
and they would be as difficult to roundup,
corral, rope, aud tie down to known rules and
ciassifcations as the free and noble wearer
himself Still, il may be said in a general
way, that brands are most commonly rough
representations of familiar objects monogram.
OF Te0us- with variations and combinations of
these forms.
Old Dad Morrison, who used 10 have his
headquarters on Buck Creek, Briscoe County,
in the Texas Panhandle, found how unproft-
able it is TO be superior to ones associates; he
suffered the discomfort and tasted the pains
that wait on originality.
The brand which his triumphant fancy had
eSA4SfSd was d shaChilIlS, TuOlDentary human
figure, such as infancy draws upon its slate at
school above the fond legend This is a man. I"
The boys welcomed and loved il. They
ehristeBed it the Dollbaby brand and its pro-
prietor thereafter rejoiced in the soJriq,,et OF
Dollbaby Morrison.
1t was running brand, and old Dad was
apt, IN the storm and stress of sketching il
with rec-Iot iron upon an unconsenting and
recosant yearlng, TO draw the open circle
which represented head more like hori-
zonial oval. From this cranial iTregularity OF
the miserable Dollbaby. the cowboys came to
refer TO the Morrison cattle as old Dollbaby' s
Flatheads."
When leisure and opportunity served, they
would rope aud tie down FIathead or two,
aud dispose themselves for an afternoons
artistic employment and recreation. The
blank outline circle of a head would receive a
Set OF rude features, wearing an expression OF
the utmost horror and despair. Wildly pro-
testing limbs would be added TO the simple
psralielogram Of a torso. the arms thrust franti-
caiiy up, the legs on dead run. And then,
when the old man came upon his Flatheads SO
improved" he would, IN cowboy vernacular,
just beef"
Then there were the fluctuations of old Pud
Beeler, which have, as il were, entwined about
them the song and story" Of west Texas.
Old Pud had more cattle than culture. His
brand, lazy b, on the left hip was borne by
rlght hip, and old Pud (who had never thor
oughly mastered the science Of dferentiating
his right hand from his left was in continual
and imminent danger of branding his own
cattle, with his own brand, SO that they might
be claimed by his neighbor.
Such state Of affairs appealed to and stimu-
lated the imaginations Of the cowboy Tdcoateurs
who find in it the framework Of half dozen
good stories. j have been told, yariously. that
old Pud got some person in whom he had faith
TO cut facsimile of his brand upon his left
spur-leather; that so equipped he would rope
and throw the calf lie down beside il in ex-
actly its position, see whether the cut stirrup-
leather came uppermost, and brand accord
hgiy.
Another saga declares that later, for some
Season, he lost faith in the s,irrup-lcal her
mark, and had his wife, whenever he left the
tsach-house with branding intentions. tie q