The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1897-10-08
CROSSING TIE RIO oRAuDE.
Driving Two Thousand Cattle from
Mexico to the United States.


west. AT this time and place the Rio
Grande is a pretty fair sized stream.
1t is nearly a quarter of mile wide.
At the fording place there. is just
enough water to swim a COW in the
deepest place. 1t was not supposed.
however, and it certainly was not the
case, that the cattle would remain in
the fording place. AS it turned out,
they occupied and performed countless
maneuyers over about mile.
The labor of the day began about
the middle of the forenoon. The great
herd of lowing quadrupeds were driven
down at the foot of the old Mexican
town across the river and on the long
bar that faces the stream. There was
an army of Mexicans on every side to
keep them in place. A dozen bestrode
lank horses; the remainder was afoot.
There,was an abundance of little brown
boys, each with two frail garments and
as many powerful lungs. The cattle
were driven along the bar up under the
bridge and to a point above the two
towns to the fording place. And here
tie leaders were headed out into the
stream. They took to the water with
apparent willingness, and dashed their
tails-and proceeded with great splash
ing sound as the 5000 feet began to
smite the water. When they were about
half submerged the leaders turned
little to the right down stream. AS If
by previous arrangement the whole
right flank turned in the same direc-
h. IL 4
became many little groups. The horse
men dashed in below them with Indian
yells. A dozen men were suddenly
naked, and they were swimming rapid
" out toward the heads of the leaders.
with the intention of turning them.
Some of them carried clubs in their
hands as they swan, and when they
came up with the dumb brutes they
beat upon their faces. Some were
turned in the right direction; man!
hundreds, less roughly urged, wade;l
aimlessly down stream; others turned
toward the bank and raced with the
speed of the wind in the open country
dogs, horses and pedestrians in pC:-
suit. The great herd of animals il tlt
middle of the stream found dec3 wateT
aud swan. Little more than their
heads was visible, and n thousand
horns. suggestive of brush in flood
time, caught the sunlight. They 2oated
without apparent effort with the cur
rent, with none TO control them. ana
when they sought the banl: it was on
the side of the river from that whicn
they had started and at about the same
point. The group that had been made
to cross to the Texas side stood passive
" together at the edge of the wafer
with their heads stretched out before
them.
The operation was repeated-with
about the same success. The notable
features of the performance were re-
calcitrant cattle dashing across sand |
bars far away, with the p!ains'and far
blue hills beyond; powerful MD robust |
Mexicans-some OF them entirely naked |
riding back and forth with y".ls tina;
would have been the fortune CT base |
ball coacher; swift and tirciess swim
mers gliding back and forth, some of |
them completely surrounded by mshe-
having cattle, and hundreds of Lorn: |
drifting about, seeming without aim. |
above the surface of the water. II |
seemed almost impossible to head the
great herd in the right direction. Some |
could be made to go across. but that
was obviously what the great major
ity did not want to do.
BY about Eve o'clock in the afternoon
something like 1900 had been landed
on the Texas side. They stood quietly |
enough when they were over and gave
but little trouble to the herders. But
those not yet across were naturally
those least willing to cross, aud all that
n COW may DO that is obstinate was done
on this occasion. They appeared TO
have a great deal more endurance than
the horses. They would reach the bank
for the hundredth time ard race with
the spirit of young yearing Just re-
leased from a barn. The Xc%:cans be-
gan to rope and throw sorie Of the most
mischievous Of the evil doors. that they
might not lead the others astray. and
after falling hard enough to break Il
limb they would get up, ready for an
other mad dash. The herders rivaled
them in endurance.
One 6leep-chested fellow was thrown
from his horse just as the latter was
scrambling out of the water on Slip
perry hank-the animal stumbling. lie
rolled over and over, and then jumped
up and started in pursuit OF his fright
ened steed. The race was abour equal,
but another horseman came to the res
cue and caught bride rein of the run
away. One slip of boy followed
steer that had got away in the water
by himself, and by swimming always
in the right place and yelling in just
the proper manner he succeeded in driv-
ing the big fellow across. A great
cheer went up from the bridge, and ii
was family echoed by the people along
the Mexican side.
Late in the day the cattle that had