The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1897-08-06
PUNcHINa coWs AWfIEEL.
Science Getting in Her work on Il

1870 ~ 49, {
Science Getting in Her Work on tbs
the Festive BrOnsh.
The cattlsmsa Of South Dakota are mounting /
their e0Ebogs On bicycles, and tbs saddle horses
are astng their heads of IN their owners corral /
-NsssItsn.
Now you VINO know q lzriat rope from /
q wagon tongue or you who have ever /
rode prairie on a wheel, stretch your
imaginatiOns to the bitter end, purge /
your minds Of reason and go with the
ind de steele coWpuncher on one days
ride for the L A " outfit on the Cen
tuFy river roundup.
The sun is Just lighting up the east
eFn horizon as the cook calls the riders
Of the L A VS. to breakfast. Tom
SprOcketts, the crack rider Of the
outfit, and the wagon boss, tumblssI
briskiy out of bis blankets and srouses
the sluggaFds, for he knows there is a
hard days ride ahead Of them.
While the men are eating breakfast
the wrangIsr has brought up the wheels
and in a few minutes the men are out
with their ropes catching such Of their
machines as are known to be good for
q long circle. Camp is broken, and, tie
ingitheir FOpestO the steering heads and
their sliekers to the saddles, the riders
put spurs 10 their steeds and are of,
They leave the valley; crossing 8
creek with mud to the handle bars they
strike the second bench and go Gid
ing along over the buffalo grass TO the
Cacti beds at the foot Of the mesa. Up
an arroyo for several miles they spin
and then climb the pine-clad breaks
until they reach the top Of the mesa
where a halt is made and the tires
are pumped up.
Across a sand plain, with jack oaks
and mesquite as thick as aeas on q
spaniel in August. they wheel away uns
til the turn is made. Here the work
begins.
Distributing his men, spFoCketts
turns down toward the head waters of
pneumatic creek and crosses a canyon
where a goat would fear to tread, blow
his whistle in the meantime and ring
ing his bell to brighten the dogies out
of the pockets. He reaches the creek
atlast and goes gliding along over rocks
and COW trails in thsFear Of the sourry,
ing cattle, and at 10 o'clock his dFiFe
is in the roundup. The GyelOmeter on
Toms Whesl showed an increase of 43
miles.
Alighter and higher-geaFsd wheel is
brought sprocketts and the cutting out
begins. Dodging in and out, back and
forth among the milling, frenzied cattle
Tom guides his steed, intent only on
making his work thorough. at last the
cut-oqt holds all the unbranded calves
belonging to his employers that WeFl
caught on that days drive, and Wills
Tom goes to camp to get his Foping
wheel his men drive the calves and
their anxious dams to the branding
fires.
When Tom arrives the irons are hot
and be boldly rides out for the first
victim. Throwing the rope about the
hind Ieges of a kicking, buoking, bawl-
ing calf, he bends low over his handle
bars and quickly drags his captive to
the fire where it is properly decorated.
This performance is repeated oyer and
over again until the last calf has re-
oeiyed the necessary attention.
| The days work Is now finished aud
with the exception Of a two hours drill
at night about the gathered cattle, our
end of the century cowboy is at liberty
to gamble, sleep or follow other pleas
ures more to his liking, until the work
Of the following day commences.
Bicycles for eoWbOysf Mil Not while
the time tried hrOnchO continues to de-
business at the old stand.