Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-05-12
From The West.

Mr.. EditOr-After being absent from
the literary field for some time but
present in the field of agriculture,
will now make an effort to write a few
lines for your worthy paper. Old Faith
er Winter has at last retired and youth
full Spring, clothed in her robe of green
and bringing spicy breezes Of budding
trees and flowers, has arrived to take
his place. The people in this country
are now busy planting their crops and
making garden. Farming is not car
ried on as extensively here as in the
East, for the best farming land is in
the canyons along the creeks. The
most of the crops have to be irrigated.
We have but very little rain. The
roads are now as dusty as they gener-
ally are in July and August n Missou-
ri. One man seldom has over fifty
acres in rye, oats and meadow. While
very busy at home, with no time for
the doings of others, who should make
US visit but my old Wild West Friend.
He having nothing urgent on hand
thought he would surprise Us by walk
ing out to the ranch to spend day or
two with US, and you may guess it was
a glad surprise.
During the evening our conversation
naturally turned on the trailing and
herding of cattle from Texas to Ne
braska and Wyoming before there
were any people in this country to
speak of. He says, '.we would go
down into Texes, gather up herd of
perhaps FIVE thousand head. 1t took
fifteen or twenty men. They would
have two ponies for each herder, wag-
ous enough to haul provisions, bed
ding and cooking utensils. There
would be one man to take care of each
wagon and a cook for each crowd, for
there would be four to five men belong
to one wagon. They were then ready
| to start on the trail for the West.
They would start from Texas in April
and get to their destination in Septem-
Der. When they wanted to go into
camp they would stop on some large
water coure close to good range. They
would drive their herd about a quarter
OF mile from camp. Then the men
would divide into two parties one party
would keep guard around the cattle at
night till twelve o'clock, then the 9TH
ers would go on duty till four in the
morning, when all would arise and
prepare for the days journey. Some
times the Indians would dart from am
bush and stampede their cattle. Then
they would have trouble to dispose of
the redskins and round US their cattle.
Sometimes, when they had only two or
three thousand head to bring through,
they would bring pack horses and two
herding ponies for each man." My
friend says each man would pack all
bedding. provisions and cooking uten-
sils on his horse to last through the
journey, and drive him along. Some
times the horse would object to carry
ing this load and would run and buck
until he would scatter his load over
the prairies; then his master would
have fun hunting up his blankets and
grub.
said to my friend, II would have
made something similar TO a hay
frame" And he says, Il could pack
all the7beds, mattresses and bedcloth-
ing you have in the house on one good
packsaddle." l told him if that was
the way they loaded the poor horses l
did not blame them for bucking.
don't believe have ever mention
ed the wild horse in any of my letters.
There are a few of these noble animals
still rowing over the plains; the cow