Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-30


there is often trouble ard bloodshed, for
cow-punchers are not angels by any means
though they are far from being the .'melo-
uIa-ragic denominations represented by
'hs "rters or flash literature
The Size of ,he Party
The size OF each party depends upon the
ground 1t has to cover. Sometimes there
Will be twenty or thirty, and often a hun
dred. and in the whole business there will
be over a thousand men employed Each
COW puncher has at least seven ponies in his
string" and IL the country over which he
Is to ride is particularly rough he has nine
He rides at least three Of these in a day
saving the best ones for night work or
course, this makes quite a herd of ponies to
care for and somebody has to ride herd
on them all the time night and day. The
creatures who do this are dubbed 'hoss
hustlers' or 'wranglers." The work Is as
hard on the ponies as on the men.
A roundup begins at the south end of
the domain to be ridden over because Il is
a singular fact that cattle always drift
south. They will sometimes drift north he
fore storm. but they do not stay there
and always feed toward the south. Then
the fierce ''northers" tend TO drive them in
southerly direction anyhow. They DO not
stray very wide III the range east or west
either The roundup parties are strung
out on the southern line OF the range reach
Ing over nearly 40 miles of territory some
times, and all start north at a certain hour
on a certain day. OF course they take I'm
everything ''on hoofs'' on the drive and
some very odd experiences have been re-
lated OF the conglomeration OF creatures
that a roundup would discover at the end
OF days drive. Wild animals OF every
description. buffalo, antelope deer wild
horsesmeverything was grist that came 10
the mill i'm these drives.
Night Scene fn Cow Camp.
A night scene an COW camp is roughly
picturesque, and not uncomfortable, Il there
are no billiards or storms TO stampede the
cattle gathered during the day, and which
are held wherevec night finds them. This
Is generally a spot selected in advance by
one OF the bosses, who rides ahead to find
a place with grass and water-both essential
as II Is not possible to carry enough OF
food or water for the animals belonging to
the outfit. even to say nothing of the thous-
ands Of critters" added to the bunch in a
Gay urNe Inc chuck wagon follows
the drive closely. and soon as a halt is
made begins the preparation of the even
Ing meal short horse is soon curried
ana by the time the punchers are ready for
chuck IL Is ready for them. 1t consists of
bears. nearly always; black coffee thar
blisters with its bitter strength: bread of
some kind-sometmes IL is biscuit-often
only nap-jacks. and some kind of salt
meat, generally bacon. Canned truck
Is used by the wagon load. tomatoes corn
and baked beans being a staple diet There
Is no tablecloth. except II be wet or muddy
everywhere. and then a horse blanket IS
spread out for the mess to Jay the tin dishes
on The dishes are tin pie plates and tin
cups. with a few deep pans and the cooking
utensils are simplicity itself-two or more
big. black Iron kettles. skillet or two and
SON etimes a sort of a bake oven of iron,
and II the mess Is particularly affiuent on
starting, it supplies the cook with a sheet
iron anair. called by courtesy a cook stove
Ii Is all primitive enough. but hunger
makes IN excellent sauce, and excuses
many dclfnQuencies. In the fiickering Iight
OF the fire. sometimes made Of dead tree
limbs. but oftener of"cow chips. the prairie
coal of tn: poor pioneer, the cowboy lies
nat on his back on the ground and smokes
his pipe. swapping roundup stories TIL he
Is sleepy; then he simply rolls over into
his blanket, pulls IL UP around his Shout
ders. puts his head on his boots or HIS
saddle. and in two minutes has forgotten
the periis. pains or pleasures OF the day
II the night shows any sign of storm each
man has his might horse" which is usual
ly the best in his string. iariatei to hts
saddle horn. and everything ready so that
he can mount in a hurry II there Is a STAN
pede. The other ponies all in the hands
Of the 'wrangier who has to ride might
herd"
The Cattle Bedded Down.
The cattle which were rounded up dur
ing the day are beided down not far from
the camp. and are carefully guarded by
several herders. the watch being divided
into three watches. During the day the
cattle have been accumulated from every
direction. brought in in lunches Of ave TO
fifty. and held by men detailed for that
purpose. They are slowly tolled along. 50
as to keep up with the northward march
toward some central point. where they are
to be branded and turned loose again The
bedding down process is an odd feature OF
cowboy life. Every dainty mother In the
land has probably put her weanling to
sleep With 20. hush thee my baby" or one
OF the kindred songs. but would look ayhast
at the idea OF putting Texas cattle to slaep
the same way, To be sure. the puncher
doesn't sit down IN n rocking chair and
wrestle with the bovines individually. bat
after the cowboys have. by gentle persua-
sion. got the hoofed and horned creatures
on the spot where it is desired they shall
be held during the night they move slowly
around the outside of the herd closing IL
In as much as possible. singing sometimes
at the top OF their voices and sometimes
waiting a dirge-iike tune that fairly makes
ones blood creep. IT would brighten a
child into spasrns, but the cattle seem to
like il and gradually lie down. one after
another, till silence reigns in the COW camp.
No unusual noise or Drawing is permitted.
as il might stampede the uneasy animals:
indeed. the punchers do not care to run he
risk themselves. for a stampede makes
work for all and is sometimes very disas-
trous.
Many Kinds Of Brands.
In the general roundup there will he
gathered cattle which bear a half dozen
brands each. and In the distribution the
"critter" goes to the owner of the freshest
brand. There will be found also forty diff
ferent brands OF cattle in the days drive.
These brands are all registered, IL legiti-
mate. and OF the fifty passed in succession
before any one OF the COW punchers he
win locate every aoof and horn by the
brand. 1t is a puzzle to a tenderfoot how
the property of each ranchman can be so
accurately picked out. but TO a cowman Il
Is like saying his letters-there are some Of
them who could say the brand with more
nuency, doubtless. The ownership of the
calves Is settled by the mother of the AMI
NAL: 1t takes her brand. II a stray calf is
found-one that IL not mothered by any cow
In the herd--lt is given to the stockman
that has the largest female herd in that vi
cinity.
When the owners OF stock begin to seek
out their own. the cutting out" process is
decidedly Interesting and the ponies are a
great factor In IL. A COW pony is born, not
made Some are good to rope on, and al
most worthless elsewhere on the range
Roping cattle IL q fine art. and the man
who can do II without getting pitched over
his ponys head once in a while is the rare
exception. A pony that Is good at cutting
out" Is valuable. When his rider starts
into the bunch after a particular animal
the good COW pony seems to catch the scent
almost az \ dog does ANYHOW he will nav