Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-07-21
THE MEXICAN R0DEO.
ANNUAL ROUNDUP IN SOUTH
ERIN CALIFORNIA.
old spanish Customs Are RigldS va
hered 70 BY the Descendants OF firs'
settlers Indian and Mexican Naqner"s
In charge Of the branding

An old.tine Mexican rodeo' or
roundup, OF cattle Is still TO DO seen
in the distinctiyely Mexican settle.
ments of Southern CALIFORNIA; out' OF
course. ON not SO grand scale a. 10
the primitive days when the ranches
were much more extensive than they
are now. In those days Mexican ana
indian vaoueros were employed ~
great numbers and whose dairy oe-
cupation was merely 10 ride around
over the vast estates and Craze the
cattle. or rather To ke3p track OF
them so that they may not stray
upon another rancher's land But,
As a rancher usually had from one
To seven leagues Of land his cattle
had sufficient stamping ground,
The rOdeO is held in the spring 81
the year for the purpose Of branding
ana claiming the calves OF the sea,
son. selecting beef cattle for the
market and that each nelghborlng
rancher may select his own aud
drive him home The san Juan
Capistrano valley IS the most dis
tinetiyely Mexican settlement Ia
Southern California
The rodeo usually lasts week.
sometimes much longer. IL begins
ut IL stated ranch and is continued
throughout that cattle district until
each ranch has had It's rodeo the
word properly meaning tine place
whore cattle are gathered II i
sometimes on the style OF progress
siye cuchre party in its nomadIc
rounds For example the "Jueccs
del Campo decides that the rodcO
shall begin at the ranch Of senior
Ayila. and then he designates each
succeeding ranch in the district.
ending with that OF senior Arrillaga,
where the final fandango takes place
Zach ranch has corral. located on
4 plain from 100 70 2uJ feet square,
formed by driving timbers IN
the earth, standing closely together,
height. just beyond the jumping
powers OF the cattle 10 loss wooded
sections like tho san Juan valley
the corral is formed by stones. coy.
cred by cactus brush some are adobe
walls, surrounded with fence ~
cattle heads, retaining the horns set
upright. one upon another forming
yeritabie bulwark The yagueros,
who have been ont hcrding tho eat.
tic. drive them 10 the corral, whore
theg enter gate NJ ono corner. sind
when all have passed In the gate j.
closed, leaving only a small opening
for one to pass out at time III
order To induce tho cattle ~ cnter
one Of them has been lassOad ana
tied TO a stake ia tho center o, the
corral as II ho were 70 los OTrrsI No
as sacrifice. In short 'inu be-
begins 20 paw and below. and the
herd rush in 20 see what Is the mat
ter
When grown cattle are Co be
branded, they must first b, las.osd.
says the Philadelphia Times they
are stampeded; the herdsmeu start
in full chase yelling "a II chasing
Indians. One Of them throws the
lasso over the horns, others AZ tile
feea and at signal cry each stops
his horse short bractng himself
backward. and in moment tho loon
becomes taut and the animal q. en-
shared. II either misses hts aim he
is the SUBJECT OF ridicule The horses
( are specially trained to stand arm
on their hindmost feet, when the
I rider presses the Hank with his legs.
which be does at the moment af
\ throwing the loop This firm stand
i Of the horse brings tho bovine 10
with short turn aud sometimes
/ throws him head over heels or heels
/ over head The horses TANKS are
/ protected from the cattle by lcathsrn
arnor The herdsmcn have thick
wooden stirrups and leathcru armor
/ for the legs The lasso Is made firm
70 ring in the saddle gtrth and
after having thrown Il the rider has
4 only TO keep his seat and hold on 10
the pommcl Of the side, which 4.
made very high for that purpose
/ the horse docs the rest
After each vaqucro has "weeded''
out his cattle they are driven to that
particular ranch. and on the morrow
the same ceremony is gone through
with a. the next ranch. aud so ON
throughout the cattle circuit
At the conclusion Of each DAYS
rodeo and slaughter there Is a .,blp
feed \ long table runs the entire
length OF the adobe building. con
tanning the hottest Of Mexican dishes
tChili peppers being tho predominant.
ing llayor and variety Of native
wines. distilled on the premises and
mellowed BY age pure ~ the red
grape juice can make H. IL IL
| noticeable to Americunos that condi.
ments are not to be found on Mexi.
can tables. The dishes are seasoned
by the culinary artist, and it Is con.
sidcred reelection upon his ability
to add seasoning 10 dish But
these dishes are Invariably hot
enough for the Amcricanos.
These rodeos are usually feasta.
everyone in tho neighborhood az.
tending aud many Of them make the
circuit The senior Of the ranch en-.
tertains all who come, and Of course
without charge. There are twenty or
thirty hordsmen, each with three or
four horses, and the proprietor Of
each ranch In the district. with his
sons and DgrhHuq Ikafr f-ia,1 ,t,ts