The sun., 1897-12-05
THE IMPROVED COWBOY.
LESS PICTUREsQUE IHAN or Old,
nor MORE BUsINESSL IKE.
Chnnsea on tho Great Cattle Ranges OF tho
soathwest by tho Introduction or nnSi-
noes Euethods-The Practice or DrhorninE
new way or Brn ndiuE- Expert Cowboys.

southwest by tho Introduction or nuSi'
noes Methods-The Practice or DrhorninE
New way or Brn ndiug- EApcrt Cowboys.
POMONA, Cal, Nov. cT.-Tho old.;imo activ'
ity on the great cattle ranges in the Southwest
Territories seems about 10 he revivod. Tho
yiso in the value OF sieors alone since May
has been worth moro than $2,20OO to Arizona
alone. A large number OF herds of 1000 and
5000 cattlo wore vainly offered for sale at
elO and Sl2 u head in the summer Of 1896
and have boon selling for $2l md S23 head
this season. The Navajo Cattle Company,
whose range Of $4,000 acres lies along the
Santa F6 Railroad in northeastern Arizona,
has paid IL per cent. dividend on its business
from Oct. 1, 1885, TO Oct. I, 1897. 1t levied
assessments varying from 4 to 8 per cent. on
fits stock each year iron, 1901 to 1896.
Tho visitor to tho cattle ranges In the Terri
tories nowadays, after an absence of ten years,
finds many changes. Some Rre surprising in.
novations. Tho economy and commercial pru.
donce that business men elsewhere have had
20 employ TO be successful In tho past few
years have been carefully exercised by tho
cattlemen. Many economical methods that
would have been thought contemplate in
managing herd and ranch dozen years ago
ere now practiccd on tho ranges. The day OF
prodigality on tho ranges and of the glory of
cattle kings and queens has gonc. Nowadays
the bodies OF dead cattle are saved and sold.
No one thinks of leaving tho pelt on AMI.
mal found dead on the range. Time was
when such pinching was left for tho poor half.
brced Indians Even the piles OF horns left
after dehorning operations are saved and made
q source of revenue. The fertilizer that went to
waste on tho ranges is sent at so much ton to
Horticultural districts in California and Colo.
sado for use In the orchards.
New methods are In vogue by viii ch time
and wear and tear on tho horses are saved.
half dozen horses and cowboys do twice as
much work and cover twice much territory
as formerly. The branding or the herd is done
by improved contrivances that save half tho
time. A dozen inventions have been made
Gince 1890 in cattle cars whereby the loss from
animals trampled to death while in transit to
market has been minimiZed, and by which
moro stock may be put in car and hauled to
market in better condition. EX.Gov. Wells
says that $4,000 will go far in cattle
1snching to-day as $4,000 used to do.
One Of the things that strikes person who
goes upon a Southwest range for the first time
In some ycnrs:is the general practice of dehorn-
ing. The long horned Texas steer, once favor
Ito with newspaper humorists, has almost passed
away. Twenty years, ago the cattleman's pride
on his cattle; The largest horned in the herd
were punched out as the select The stockmen
In the indian Territory came forward about
1880 with herds of short.horncd cattle: Their
Juicy. tender beef caught tho buyers fancy in
popularity of long horns diminished. Later
Western veterinarians found that long horns
not only were useless incumbrance, hut also
eapped strength that the animals needed. and
that the roots Of tho horns were the seat of dis
their herds We're less liable to- damage by nPrs pun
ping among trees and chaparral, and above all,
hornless animals could be placed more easily
end oomPactly in The railroad cars. Dehorn.
ing soon became popular, and the practice has
GeIllInnigh vel nigh become universal in the Territories
Dehorning of cattle hns added new instrri.
@ent MTG 70 the equipment OF cattle range It is
pnd is known as the dehorner 1t has two sharr;
enives one stationary and one moyabe, and it
handles are pinehed together the knives close,
and smooth A strong armed man a"cs can re-
move the toughest horns @ by quick, strong pres
have their own dehorning outfits, but there are
gangs each of five men that go about the South
west doing nothing but dehorning cattle at so
beaves his lariat about the critters hind leg as
by magic, and by the sudden backing OF his
pony, throws the animal down. There arc two
s'bulldoggers." They mold tho struggling, bel.
lowing animal down, one man grasping the tail
knee across the beasts neck. The man who
manipulTa,tes late, a. the dehorner is the fourth in the
gang. The nth man stands close at hand with
q pail Of pine tar and brush. The moment the
horns have been cut away and blood begins 10
epurt tho tar Is daubed over the wound. The
beast staggerI to its feet and runs madly away.
Once in Il, while a fractions, nervous COW will
die from loss of blood and shock. The time
ntes from the moment tho "bu!ldoggers" get
the crittcr in hand until they loose ii. gang
or outfit, as they known on the range, OF
( five men will dehorn $50 cattle in day. Car.
load lots Of cattle horns are shipped from New
an be ESS
buyers OF cattle horns The shippers pay the
cattlesmen ZEN from fro two TO two and one-half cents
Nowadays the branding on n welregulated
cattle ranch is done systematically. The pic.
furesIue scenes thnt formerly characterized
roundup and brand ing and were favorite themes
for artists and writer's have been supplanted
by. practical coptriyances for saving time and
doing neat job. Tho old.fnshioned way was
moro artistic, but II Is too expensive for this
Time. the odtme @ ot and sioeSG eSWGoys @
ranging, over hills and wales and through
cahOns In search of cattle. The cows steers and
calves were ieisurely punched, and finally on a
certain day day were re- driven in a herd into the
Foped the cattle one after another. and dexter.
pusly, held each while the brandcrs applied the
on With admiration. The cowboys on on a modern
s Tst NOW keep foIH rscf Of Their
twido range rs in former years, when land was
free and cattle men were fewer. Mono is al
where the mavericks may be branded and
claimed by a competing cattle man or company
Nowadays outfits of dozen or two men on
the larger ranges, and of a smaller number on
the Others keep moving over the range hall
tho year. They travel with extra horses
covered wagons, cook tents, a branding pen
and movable corral. There is a boss or cap
tain. His word is law in tho outfit One week
the outfit works in one part of the range, the
pext week It is in another part. Every day
bunches Of cattle are driven in from the range
and shut in the movable corral There 1,
seldom any roping and lariat throwing, as OF
old. That might injure "a calf or cow and
take away half its value. Men are hired now
adays to do nothing but operate tho branding
going and handle the branding irons.
One OF these busincsslike outfits was a
work recently on tho Aztec Cattle Com
pssnys range in Navajo county, Arizona
ing of the cowboys of n decade ago as th,
punches OF cattle were driven. Indeed, no
ono Of the cowboys wore tho regulation buck
skin suit or carried brace Of pistols at hi
waist. Hardly a person in the whole outf
spoke. 1t was all a mere business proposition
ior every man. The outfit boss rode slowl!
about like n Captain. seeing that no time wa
lost and no animals were misused. The COW
and calves were separated by the cowboys ol
hOrSeS. and driven infn liffernn c