Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-03-31

cattle in the state, valued at from slo,-
when a mans herd increased 50 that 1t
was too much bother to keep it together
and to provide grazing land, the owner
allowed his stock to run wild, with the
result that the animals lost all domestic
ity and were extremely hard 10 round up;
SO much so, in fact that many heavy
owners took slight pains TO keep their
herds intact. merely rounding up those
cattle that could be found and driven in
with the least trouble. As result Of
this lax system, before many years. in
isolated portions of the country there
were enormous herds with no one to
claim them.
From lsiS to 1850 the surplus of steers
was so great that vessels trading at sea-
ports could purchase them for next to
nothing. and the governor felt himself
compelled to re strict the traffic for fear
of ruin to the business. He therefore
permit no one to sell cattle for less than
So head. The late Ex-Governor Don
Pico of Los Angeles used 70 tell of how
he sold 1900 of the lest cattle he ever
just So a head, and how the beeves Were
driven cut to San Pedro and there killed
The hides We're taken on shipboard, the
tallow was tried out. the horns were
saved. and over 2.ov00O0 pounds Of beet
were thrown into canyon some miles
from the city for coyotes and bears L.
feed on, and to rot. To this day there
are a few carloads Of white bIeached
beef bones still remaining there on the
rocks ana among the boulders to tell the
tale of the waste. Similar stories are
IoiG - ah,,,, ~ fnrtini, Us Gfti
;t M, ~ r, 80 10 uru III
handle, the cattle We're Of fairly good
size ana weight put under me lniluemce
the diminished in size and increased In
length of horn and sprintinG ability, the
result being a gaunt wild-eyed, snorting,
h f ol n, ShaTn
, MI atrci bow.,..ir cr'.od veil
morn ~ a'pth. eN oiIS' Tr,,'' Il
later VIII 'ile ial se taiie diii1is VI 80,
across me Piailis' n" r'3ult VIZ Of a Sic
preeu, cuihpii!hs tht SOL p'iIita u t,i1h
ana "elSnt ~ ,Hc iiPoi u" ~ n w.
lht sITeist" ana en-" ah'c Va i''' '''''''
animal. ,.;,,, ,.,,.i
me indiil.r q ~ dlih ~ uo'i,S ~
ness OF Inc spanish cattie kllsS " NY,
halcyon days was unlike anything mat
other caltIemth ever hht"' I"'h az
COURTS we're rarTy htpi, t'',ii XXI
when the annual tuuto tooh pay, ~
me leaSt attention VIZ AInrm ~ Wv , ~
crease IN the nerds no fahchtt" 81 81
ihdue anF SluuS ~ ~ ~ ~ S,'ti, l.,
before disposing of his cattle. When l.e
family purse was empty, Wheh 4 uauEh-
ter was To receive uoWrN, or 1n =.
must nave money 70 pay hiS shillpii . I
debts at San franrlSc" or sacramento;
the vaqueros were sent out, ana a nerd
of long horned steers were driven to IN"
sea board to be exchanged Tor tlle an
kee or the English sailor A"id' mere
was no bargaining as 10 price. l-lle was
too short Tor mat ana tht nluSlut '1 III
mercial manner q the buyer was Ils-
tasteful to the Spanish seller. BESIDES
the cattleman knew that ne had a VAST
number more of such steers BACK IN the
country.
The one great all-important season IN
the year to which everyone connected
with the ranches Of IN" spanish cattir
kings in those days Werr invited was the
rodeO. or. as the Americans know II pet
ter. the roundup. Every male person
who could straddle horse reckoned
weeks ahead upon the rodeo season, ana
every male, from the babies up, partici-
pated To some extent in the events
For two weeks, Or even seven ana eISht
weeks. there was the rounding-up Of the
cattle from among the valleys. canyons
foothills and mountain sides, followed Dy
the branding Of thousands Of cattle, until
the air was heavily laden with musical
hut powerful Spanish OathS and the
smell of burnt hair. After the roundup
a few trusty vaquer"s Were either de-
tailed to drive a thousand ar 50 young
bulls to Sacramento or the pueblo of Los
Angeles or the bulls We're slaughtered on
the estate
At a general slaUghtcring the scene
must have been a picturesque one. First
came the miqueadores on horseback
armed with heavy sharp knives. with
which, by severing the spinal cord Just
back of the horns. they could kill an al
most incredible number Of animals in a
very short time. There was, Of course.
mich rivalry among them for the Slaugh-
To- CHI piOOShlp, ana the contest WIS
eminentIv satisfactory. inasmuch as ii af-
fnrdaJ annie opportunitv for lying-und
il * o,Iite likely that the one who re
nnrted last got the palm
Then came the peladures who were
skilled SINNERS. and could yank off a
hide i'm about the time an ordinary man
consumes in removing his glove; after
these came the tasayeras who cut up the
meat ana the women gathering the tai
low which Latter after being tried out
vas nut into skins holding about 50n
nounds Then when all the work was
dome there was the usual round Of pleas
IRE lasting several days. followed by
weeks and months of SieStaS and easy
life
Of course there was always an immedi-
ate inflow of money after a rOde0 for the
sailor traders M and down the Califor-
Ma coast made II Il nOint to be on hand
With their cold and ships to buy hides
and talIoW M the annual rodco season.
Sn tho fiesta that followed the roundup
Snd saIn II thr Yankt es ana English
meant much in the WAY Of amusement
Even during the actual progress of the
rodeo no one oyer-cxerted himself. the
hours of work being short ana the eve
nintrs nf nostime beginning early and
lasting until the morning hours The
farvnr with which your Sn1niSh-C Iifor-
MN oic wife and their numerous prog
anl evan In the third generation tNr
hoilsehoId servants and the stranger
within the gates threw themselves into
tha iavS Of existence was limited only