Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-07-10
The STORY Teller.
THE BIG BLUE STEER.
His Curious Connection With the
State House In Texas.

The talk around the campfire turned
upon the decadence of the range cattle
business. Various theories had been
broached, writes G. B. Durham in The
Argonaut, but Robert, the oracle, dis
sented from them all, and gave the
following explanation
"What ail's cow-punching nowadays
amt the low price of cattle, for the
best times we ever had on the range
was 10 years before steers went sky
rocketing up to $75. And it is not
settlers nor wire fences, though both
are bad enough, and ought to be for
bid by law. But this is the fellow that
is responsible for everything;" and
Robert held up in the freight tobac,
co package showing the figure of a
Durham bull.
"When stockmen began to grade up
their herds" he continued, "they be.
gan to take the wind all out of the
business, and the 'short-horned, short
limbed, short.winded cattle that are
raised now can't outrun three.l legged
bronco, nor 90 through three wire
fence. When I first came on to the
range, the stock was all Texas and
Mexican, and their wind was as long
as their horns. You could calculate
that every thunderstorm would start a
stampede, and I've known 'em to run
40 miles without letting up.
"No, SIR" he retorted, to my ex-
preston of mild doubt; 81 couldn't
possible do it for less. Why, boy, you
don't know anything about real live
cattle. Any schoolgirl can handle
stock now. Ask Scotty."
fright you are" said Scotty, taking
up the word "you should have been
with us down in the Panhandle Is
years ago. 1t used to take granted
horse to get near enough cow to see
her brand. Those were the days! Did
ever tell you about the big blue steer ?
He was daisy, and cost the outfit
more than a $1,000.
"About the first year worked down
there, we noticed him on the beefgath-
er, fat and fine, and we took him in.
He stayed in the herd quietly enough b
for several days but one morning, at.
ter a dark night, he was missing, and
we did not see him again until we
rounded up the same range for beef
again III the following year.
"That time we got him halfway to
the railroad, when he led stampede
that scattered the herd, and cost US
near a week of hard work to gather
them.
"Every year for five years we found
that steer on the same range, and'start'
ed him out. After his bad character
was established, each time that he got
away the foreman would say, Shoot
him on sight; but we never did see
him again until the following season
and then we would not have another
try at him.
ION those days we had trail to the
railroad which crossed corner of the
Indian reservation. 1t was against
the regulations, but by giving them Q
fat cow occasionally we were allowed
to use it, and saved a long drive around
the reserve and forty-eight hours to
the stockyards. One year some galoot
went through with an infected herd,
and several head died on the reserva-
ton. If the Indians had known it in
time, I suppose they would have
scalped the outfit. Anyhow, we hap
pened to be the next party through,
and they opened fire on US, and scat
tered our stock. The. big blue got
back to his old hillside as usual. After
that we drove to the railroad on the
long trail. The Indians were pretty
mean for few years, and claimed every
hoof of stock found over the line
Some of the boys would want to take
pop at the rascals, but the foreman
would always say, We're in the stock
business exclusively. The Indian
business is good thing, but the two
won't go together. You let them
alone
"About the sixth year that we found
the big blue and started him out, we
got caught in bad storm when within
twenty miles of the railroad. re.
member that night mighty we'll. We
had lively time, and the whole force
was out all night, but we got through
safely, and did not lose steer. Next
day we laid over. The trail was soft
from the heavy rain, and we were
short-handed on account OF sending
three men to help out Ranger Jones,
who was just ahead on the trail and
had lost his horse-herd.
"Our stock grazed all day and bed
ded down early. At sundown it look
ed like they were settled for the night
There were about 900 beeves in the
bunch, and only five men and the cook
to handle them. The foreman was
with me on first relief. AS we rode
slowly around the herd, turning back
the few stragglers that were still feed
ing, we noticed the big blue looking
for soft spot to lie down. With a
| jab of his glossy black horn, he in:
vited frst-comers to make way and
not to crowd in. He must have been
nine years old by that time, and was
the biggest OK ever saw. 1t is not
the least use to tell you about the