The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-04-18
4 RAzoRBAcK HUNT.
ROUNDING Up THE HOGS IS LIVELY
AND EXCITING WORK

ROUNDING Up TIE HOGS IS LIVELY
AND EXCITING WORK
The Experience OF one Rancher
Who. Instead of Doing His Batch
ersnx Out In the HsIIs. AffeEpted
To Drive Hfs Hogs 60 Market
While il is generally accounted Vat
tie sheep and Ang0ra goat furnish
Lost G. the revenues 10 the rancher N
,ae broken and wooded country south
IL the Ssaked plains and west OF the
Colorado river. il Is nevertheless fact
thas the razorback bog contributes
Il share. Probably there is no eOun-
ny anywhere better adapted 10 the
production OF cheap pork The hills
are covered with cecAr and great va
riety Of scrub oak trees, and the can
yoas and river valleys are heavily
wooded with pecan and Spanish wal
mt so that there IS always an abun-
dance Of excellent mast. and IL might
Ise mentioned that the cedar berries are
considered equal TO corn IN lard pro
ducing qualities.
With this sort OF feed, which Is al
wars abundant. the expense Sf care
anl feeding Is removed. the animals
simply running at large over the couu-
try. so that the only outlay required
Is that OF tie first cost Of few head
fer a start Running loose IN this way
they are nor subject TO the diseases
common TO the hog IL the sty or feed
lot. and. being excellent fighters. they
hold their own with the wolves and
other wild aolmals which prey on the
sheep and goats Thus they multiply
very rapidly.
In order TO get the benefit OF the IN
crease In bis stock. however. IL is nee
essary for the rancher TO get his mark
on the pigs. As this, owing 10 the
rouchDess Of the country and the wild
ness Of tho sows. Is no small task, 1t is
generally TIE custom for all the hog
owners in given section TO turn out
together with their dogs and prac-
tically round up the range.
Compared with one of these hog
hunts" a cattle ''rOund up" is a quiet
and commonplace affair. On the morn
ing appointed the dogs are turned loose
and started out on hog trail, and the
men ride after them just as on a wolf
chase. As the pigs cannot hold out
very long one Of them is soon caught.
aud his squeals bring back the rest Of
the bunch TO his aid. As soon as the
pig Is free the sOws form a circle
around the pigs from which they now
and then dash out al their tormentOrs
and all tie while gFunting like the rat
Ting Of q hundred old wagons. By the
Tine the uprcar has reached its full
height the hunters ride up and hiss the
dogs on TO seize the sows. When one
Is caught two men 20 TO the assistance
Of the dog. one with a club TO beat of
the other hogs. the other with bit Of
rope TO tie the one seized. When all
OF them have thus been put out Of
the way Of fighting. the pigs are
caught and marked. Then the sows
are given their liberty. and the dogs
start out on a new trail. When il hap
pens that there are hogs belonging TO
several different men. the pigs are sim
ply divided.
While the work OF marking" is more
like spcrt than labor It is not less ex-
citing than that of getting the hogs
ready for market. for as II is iInpOssi-
lle TO drive them any distanee-even 10
the corrais at the ranches-it is neces-
sary simply to butcher them out in the
hills
So along IN the early part Of the
winter. after the new mast has fallen
and the hogs are as fat as they will
get. the ranchers load their wagons
with salt. grub. kettles and lard cans.
take their dogs and Winchesters and
strike out for the hills. They make
camp near some spring or water hole
and then begin the work Of killing"
which includes rbe rendering Of the
lard and sailing of the meat. 1t Is like
great hunt Whenever a wagon
ioed OF lard and meat has been put up
IL is taken 10 the nearest ranch and
left there until the killing" season is
over; then II is loaded again and
freighted 10 the nearest railroad point.
II is said that only one man IL. that
country ever tried driving his hogs to
market. That was Uncle" Ben Pep
per. who lives q few miles above June
lion City. on the South LianO river.
lie had. he supposed. about 300 head OF
fat hogs. and the idea Of that killing
worried him. SO be hired all the men
in the country. got all the dogs In kim
lie and Edwards counties and round
cd up" all the hogs 20 be found. II
was. OF course. Impossible 10 keep the
herd together. and as il scattered Ben
ordered his men TO separate a little
mud keep moving toward kerrville.
At noon on the fourth day the line
was within half a mile of the Guada-
loupe river. the men were half 4 mile
npau and every dog worn out. Then
ben decided that he would like 10
know how many hogs he had. as after
passing the GCadaloupe il would be
impossible TO see them in the open
asain. SO he ordered the ends of the
line 10 swing In and close up toward
The river. II was nearly sunset when
The circle was completed. and he climb
"a into tall pecan so as 10 get 4 bet
iT view Of the hogs when they should
t'ome swarming out into the river. He
watched infeufly until night was fall
ing: then he saw lean old sow
emerge from the bushes AMI 20 down
10 drink. and moment later the driv-
ers began coming ont. He nearly fen
out Of the tree. He has never tried
driving since.-Kansas City Journal