Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-06-14

An old.time Mexican rodeo, or
roundup, of cattle Is still to be seen
in the distinctively Mexican settle
ments OF Southern California. but, OF
course. on not so grand a scale as in
the primitive days when the ranches
were much more extensive than they
are now. In those days Mexican and
Indian vaqueros were employed in
great numbers and whose daily oc-
cupation was merely to ride around
over the vast estates and Craze the
cattle. or rather to keop track OF
them SO that they may not stray
upon another rancher's land. But,
as q rancher usually had from one
to seven leagues OF land, his cattle
had sufficient stamping ground.
The rodeo is held in the spring of
the year for the purpose OF branding
and claiming the calves OF the sea.
son. selecting beef cattle for the
market and that each neighboring
rancher may select his own and
drive him home. The San Juan
Capistrano valley is the most dis
tinctively Mexican settlement in
Southern California
The rodeo usually lasts a week.
sometimes much longer 1t begins
at u stated ranch and is continued
throughout that cattle district until
each ranch has had its rodeo-the
word properly meaning "the place
where cattle are gathered 1t is
sometimes on the style OF progress
sive euchre party in its nomadic
rounds For example, the "Jueces
del Campo" decides that tho rodeo
shall begin at the ranch of Senior
Avila. and then he designates each
succeeding ranch in the district.
ending with that OF Scnor Arrillaga,
where the final fandango takes place.
Each ranch has corral, located on
formed by driving timbers In
the earth, standing closely together.
leaving them six or eight feet in
height. just beyond the jumping
powers Of the cattle. In less wooded
sections, like the San Juan valley,
the corral is formed by stones, COW
cred by cactus brush; some are adobe
walls, surmounted with a fence of
cattle heads. retaining tho horns set
upright. .one upon another. forming
veritable bulwark. The vaqueros,
who have been out herding the cat
tie, drive them to the corral, whore
they enter gate at one corner, and
when all have passed in tho gate is
closed, leaving only a small opening
for one to pass out at u time. In
order to induce the cattle to enter
one of them has been lassoed and
tied to stake in the center OF the
corral, as il he were to be offered up
as a sacrifice. In short time he
begins TO paw and below, and the
herd rush in to see wnnt is the mat
ter.
When grown cattle are to be
branded, they must first be lassoed.
says the Philadelphia Times. They
are stampeded; the herdsmen start
in full chase. yelling as If chasing
Indians. One OF them throws the
lasso over the horns, others at the
feet, and at a signal cry each stops
his horse short. bracing himself
backward, and in a moment the loop
becomes taut and the animal is en-
shared. II either misses his aim he
is the SUBJECT OF ridicule. The horses
are specially trained to stand firm
on their hindmost feet, when the
rider presses the flank with his legs,
which he does at the moment OF
throwing the loop. This firm stand
of tho horse brings the bovine up
with short turn and sometimes
throws him head over heels, or heels
over head. The horses fanks are
protected from the cattle by leathern
armor. The herdsmen have thick
wooden stirrups and leathern armor
for the legs. The lasso is made firm
to ring in the saddle girth and
after having thrown it the rider has
only to keep his seat and hold on to
the pommel of the side, which is
made very high for that purpose
the horse does the rest
After each vaquero 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, and SO on
throughout the cattle circuit.
At the conclusion OF each days
rodeo and slaughter there is '.big
feed" A long table runs the entire
length of the adobe building. con-
tanning the hottest of Mexican dishes
Chill peppers being the predominat