The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-07

as may be required. Standing face to
face, the two men begin braiding and
work both ways. When several feet have
been completed the RATA Is fastened to
a peg, and the work is on in earnest.
Each man manipulates his four balls OF
strand pulling them out couple of feet
as often as he braids up the slack. Braid
ing is the hardest work of all. Each
strand, as IL is worked into place, is
drawn as tightly as. possible some men
leaning back their whole weight each time
a strand Is brought under and over. Care
must be taken that the same tension be
applied each time, else the rope viii not
be of the same size throughout. Willis
rawhide cannot be worked together even
ly II too wet it should not be allowed to-
get too dry but should be kept damp
enough to be pliable without stretching.
When at last teh long lengths OF steer
cuticle have been firmly bound together
a "hondoo" or eyelet Is made after a COM
plicated process on set Of little blocks
The hondoo Is also made of rawhide and
Is generally about two inches wide and
three inches long. II Is fastened TO one
end Of the RATA in such a manner that
when the other end is passed through it.
the sipnose Is formed.
After hours of stretching and greasing
and rubbing and rolling, the RATA be-
comes pliable enough for ordinary use; but
II is never considered as having receiv-
ed the finishing touches until IL has been
stretched by full-grown bull, and twang-
cd like fiddle string at each surge the
brute made for liberty. Having passed
through one such trial, the glue is thor
oughly broken, and the coils never after
ward become stiff, IL only little taliow
is Applied at odd times.h
In describing the process of making these
Instruments Of the range, / have given only
the methods employed by the best makers.
There are many men who do not pretend
to remove the hair before cutting the
strands, but scrape It off after they have
been stretched along a fence and become
dry. These gentlemen seldom go to the
trouble of taking out the backbone strip:
and instead Of beginning on the outside
to cut they make a start in the center OF
the whole hide, cutting around and around
and carrying only one strand at a time.
The objection to this manner of procedure
is that the first strands cut take up the
best of the hide, while the last is all flank
and neck. Besides, the RATA will be ma
teriaily weakened as a result of cutting
across the backbone, and will only last
half as long as one properly made. Again,
I've known men who went to the other ex-
IRENE, and, after disposing of the hair, al
ways quartered, hide with great care,
obtaining one strand from each quarter:
but no one could question the texture OF
their work.
Most of the rope In use are four-braid;
six-braid are seen occasionally but eighr
very seldom. Inc last named, though, a
beautiful rope, is too expensive for gem
eral use. IT requires twice the time and
care to make one of them; and in case a
strand should be cut upon the rocks II
Is impossible to successfully repair the
damage. Another thing An eight-braid
Is made around a center piece. which IL
not put in just right is liable to break
at the first hard strain, because Il Is
straight and cannot stretch fast enough
to keep pace with its COMPANIONS
which form a network of surrounding spi-
rails, extending and contracting with ease
The strongest riattas are made in Sec
lions where grass and good water abound
In unlimited supply. Beasts brought up
on poor feed produce poor hide matter
Even though the grass cover the range in
abundance at all time OF the year IL the
water be strongly impregnated with al
kali the crop OF hides suffers TO a remark
able degree, and seems to begin rotting
as soon as they are dry. In Arizona the
rlattas, though beautifully made, have no
visible "life" In them, and will not stand
a sudden strain. Possibly this may ac-
count for a vaquero OF that section never
tieing his rope to the horn, but rather
taking a turn and allowing 1t to play back
ward and forward with the surging of
the animal in the embrace OF the loop.