The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-09-02
AN OUTING AMONG COWBOYS
From the Kansas Farmer,)

hOrnS n to look after. the fences a
little. After looking over my calves
Of 1898 crop, concluded that they were
as good as the 1897 crop, for which I
secured, in spot cash, $40 per head at
weaving time, which you know is a
little interesting"
Thinking the Boys all over Kansas
would like to know what we are doing
down here ION the Medicine river l
took a few notes of this trip for u
old friend, the Kansas Farmer.
Nature was so kind as to make the
western part of our county Barber) so
rough and hilly hat a man nearly tips
over horseback riding on these hills,
that are too rough to be cultivated, and
l am glad of it, for natures crop Of
bunch and buffalo grass is the best crop
that ever was raised.
My trip was to Deer Head, twenty
five miles west of Medicine Lodge, then
to Sun City, on the Medicine river. My
first stop was with Peter Hovers, on
Cedar creek. He will pull a fellow off
his horse with a warm handshake and
take him into a nice white house, shell
tered among the hills, with fields of
waving cane and Kafir corn. The
hills are covered with a mat of buffalo
grass. One sees two hundred head
of Herefords and Short-horns, fat as
cells, and some bulls, which the owner
pointed out with pride, hat he got of
Cross at his sale, and they are smash
ing fine fellows.
Next I went to. the headquarters of
our cattle industry, Deer Head. could
not stop and see all the boys, or I
should not reach home in a month, but
I stopped with Mr.. Gentry, who has a
heart as big as a church bell kicking
under his vest. On the morning after
my arrival he ran in from a little pas
ture his saddle horses, fat, sure-footed
fellows, and a call brought six hounds,
two trailers n four inner Soon
we had our saddles tightly girthed and
were off for a whole days ride in his
forty-mile pasture. We had gotten nice
ly started, when the trailing hounds
came out of some timber, baying, run
ming like the wind, on a trail. Mr.. Ed
itor, if you want to feel your hair rise
up and your horse bound off after
those hounds, just as I did-go and see
Mr.. Gentry. After a miles run on the
trail, up jumped Mr.. J~ackrabbit, and
then see those grayhounds Of his, that
never fail to take in the game-rabbit,
coyote, deer or anything. The thing
O will be doing is to sock the spurs
into that horses sides, trying to keep
up with the "band," who are baying
at every jump. You will forget all
about publishing a paper, and every
thing else, until you see the hounds
close up on their game, and then the
lodging and the final struggle for life.
Then, on we went. I saw 100 big
red three-year-old steers, got from
bulls I sold him. Those 100 head are
worth $4,000 today, quick. Then on
among hills, where 500 COWS and pretty
calves were lying; then steers of all
ages-hundreds Of them; then a coyote
race; then a stop at a cool spring and
a rest: then on to another, and it was
noon when we reached the south side
of his pasture, n at 4 o'clock we
were back at his house.
The next morning I went with Mr..
Screnton into his 7,50O-acre pasture,
where we found his thousand steers at
home. Then we went on north, into
Dole's and Shaw's miles and miles of
pasture, full of fat cattle grazing on
the hills, drinking out Of cool springs
and creeks. We passed through the
3, 000-acre pasture of Riley Lake, that
is filled with big acknowledgements
western steers, wild as deer. Here we
are at the foothills Of the Medicine,
where our sheriff, Tonk Mills, is To-
Gated. His pretty Herefords covered
his pastures on the first bottoms of
the Medicine river. Next is George
Hendricks, who is building a big, fine
house on the banks of Bear creek. He
is never in his element unless he owns
a thousand head and trades, next day,
for 500 more, and then, next day, he
he is sure to sell the thousand head
to some fellow; for George is a straight
good cattleman and a splendid fellow
con to Sun City," way up on a high
divide, where some of our old-time
cowboys are sleeping. AS I rode my
pony around those graves, that were
made years and years ago, I saw the lit.
tie fences that had protected those
graves scattered down the hill, "by the
wind and the rain" I was there once
before, years ago, n such scenery
Oh, it is beautiful! And I thought
just pulled my horse off down the hill
q md thn11nbt 1,ban ill., &C. -