Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-04-28
A. 7. MUNR0E.
THE CAITLEMANS PERIL

One Of the old-timen At the annual con
vention Of the Texas Live Stock association
was Phil Harbrook, who has large ranch In
Schleicher county, many miles from q rail
road, where he still has an opportunity Of
INDUCING on small scale in tho excitement
Of round-ups and driving large herds Of fat
steers to the nearest railway point. In ~
lating "reminiscences Of the good old days on
the Texas plains 70 d New York Sun cor
respondent Mr.. Harbrook said:
81 spent the most active part Of my life
on the wide prairies Of the west among big
herds Of cattle, when the periodical round.
ups and the annual drive up the trail were
the principal events Of the year. had many
memorable experiences In those days with
the Indians, but I think the most exciting
time have ever had in my life was not with
the Indians, but with a herd Of stampeded
cattle. The herd numbered about $4,000
head. 1t was in the latter part Of the six
ties that our outfit started from the ZTX
ranch in Nueces county for the range in Wy.
oming. have been associated with cattle
and cattlemen all my life, but never have ]
seen more unruly lot Of steers than were
embraced in that ZTX herd, nor more ca
pable lot Of cowboys. Every one Of the
1900 head seemed to have the very devil
in him, and l knew before we started that
we were going to have a sweet time in get
ting them through. Such a herd as that Is
never seen in these days, and the cowboys Of
to-day are an entirely different set Of men
from what they were then. AT that time the
men who followed the western trails with
cattle were careless fun.loving, good
hearted set, who herded cattle and broke
fractions bronchos for the love Of the thing
as much as for the dollars they received
every pay day. The dollars represented in
most cases few hours Of fun in town only
To-day the men are hard workers for the
pay they get. They are better cattlemen In
some ways, but the comradeships Of the old
days are not known.
Zone Of our cowboys was a Mexican,
~ ,n-.I4, T.. w. ..IioJ h;,,
nalnea lon.o n,o,e e "" .ot ua ud ,n;nh
oI -" pnt ~ hnrso ho wos Tho Glow.
est mortal you ever saw. All kinds Of prac
teal Jokes and even cruelties were prac.
ticed upon him. Finally became sorry for
tba niabt md had been n silrnt witness TO
onother cmol aka On pronto nj tho hands
" "ne ~ tho men I ont nm from the comn
Gro and oave tbs bovs n Talk which c,lrled
,ho;r ha,r had some renutation "a man
.h a moant avsrv word be said and NV re.
m,arL. had n sey;ous effect IN Tho reckless
n"d ~ Ior;nr orord T rollsd mvself in INV
hlarLot nj an sarlv hour and Il was NOT Iona
hoi"no tho rhoIa ~ M n was asleen ovcent tbe
uiaht watches n must have been midnight
when I felt some one tuapinc lightly at nv
shoulder, I awoke with a start and looked
up and there Law close to me Tronto'
y senior, said he. before I Ind time to
.,osL Emo saho uour talL to.niuht Gracias
s spuor Cor vour GOOD words Ne repay YOU
somo t;mo seror1
m,oh .b..,. Il, r;oh,. Ia, mn brow u tbe
V .., .a' 80. ~ .r,, ,,,oro as;d ,,rr;no
10y. ana on.i w. uo;ng - sloo, m
Wv, on aN1 as"D s'h.e ~ I l... ,rh.,
Day was ss pes.n.' " W. ~ u r;aht anS
1here was niuliieI loa' ~ w, ..sn. s" a.' -
M Tunloer ol pls.o' s"o.s ians wv , nJ",
lhey wele ilreu ~ 'ae ', a. .as " 'a0sa nn
VINO crleu 70 ~ 'nt 1nJ l ea.'lu ~ ~" Io,s '.
s1ampede pana =, ,ua'' a ''au dv morL
worh w,o w. s'ep ;, du n"'a. .r,ng !" ont
lhs among .ne eAcl.eu ann a,aS LYNN u
gu held y, 'neIh anu o.se sn1a' . a"a .nJ
'he 'oo'hli's peiv.o We u, Ivi Ls.i ' ~ * ona
mount our HORSES 'ne "ho's ns.u a ~ H.,
head wcrc Wy a.u VI Wv INV ;. nI ' .ny
pressed onward .helr speea ,ncreassa, ,r an
~ iew in, ,l, sn.y MI, Me,e '~'e w. "
'nc p'a'f'e ''Ae s,e"S D,'o"' ~ ''''
4 was one OF the hrst 70 mount, anu sway
rode 70 the front 70 try 70 turn 1ne ,eau
ers d 'he s'ea' neiu, ~ s"as .ney Sou,1 ~, -.
pIean ahu sea''e, a'.t ses S"dy . no "a
Dayhsh1 naa w ,ns 'l'l,e Iu'.y p.oA'a, a.,o
tne scene cer.alniy n,I'' ,isvo pe0n 'n'p
ing as inc io,Vo %la, pe WsW ea..,e