Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-02-06
SHEEP HERDERs A BAD SET.
They DO Not Belong to the Same Glass
as the COwhoyS

lney 10 NOT Belong TO the same Class
the Cowboys.
In the character of the men who
care for the herds and hocks can be
found an interesting subject for study.
The cowboy. If he be the genuine arti-
Gle, is a man who daily does feats on
the range that would win applause at
a Wild West show. In his chase after
the fleet, unbranded yearling he is. com
PEELED % ride at headIong speed over
country that a fox hunter would con-
slider sure death. Danger confronts
him in varied form and no man can be
an efficient COW puncher who hasn't In
him the spirit of recklessness. The
writer once Witnessed stampede Of
wild cattle ut midnight A great herd
was being held in Il canyon of the Ma
zatZal mountains. The night was as
dark as it IS possible for night to be-
4 coyotes bark started the nervous ami
mails to their feet and they tore Off
The two riding guards on watch howled
for help. Their sleeping comrades were
up in a twiukling Each seized horse
at the picket lire ana mounted without
saddle, stopping only to twist Il loop of
his RATA about the pony 5 nose. Barely
dozen seconds had pissed before the
GIMP fire was deserted The cowboys
We're plunging in the dark after the flee
ing cattle through a wild. rocky, I'M
known district, filed with mesquite and
cactus, cut up by dangerous arroyos
and canyons. By noon of the succeed
Ing day the drive was resumed. A half
dozen steers Lad been left behind,
la-aed or dead in the gulches. while a
few of the horses in the 'wrangler's
bunch in the lead were skinned and
imping. But the cowboys. their cloth
ing in rags from the thorny midnight
ride, merely ioked on taeir mutual APP
pearance and solaced their WEAKNESS
with tobacco and endless song. As a
rule, the cowboy is an American In
the plateau region he may hail from
anywhere, but usually comes from
either California or from Texas. But
they all fraternize, making issue only
over the liking of the Californian for a
saddle with 'sIngle-barreled rig
which is a saddle with a single girth.
The Texan despises anything but
douhlecinched, though usually lie does
not tighten the second girth.
The sheep herder has distinctly
lower social place. As rule, he is
! foreigner the few americans employed
I being In positions of unusual trust
/ Most of the herders appear TO be Next
cans or Frenchmen. 1t Is said that
| BaSqueS are the best and most careful
shepherds. They CAME from northern
Spain. many of them especially for this
employment Their wages are not bad.
being usually even higher than the pay
for cowboys or farm hands, but the
nervous American cannot stand the life.
The everlasting 'baa' drives him mad
He caWnet endure the m0notony and
/ the necessary separation from human
/ ity. with only n dog for company. for
/ months at stretch And the diet,
/ mainly ten and mutton. is too simple
/ for his luxurious palate 1t IS a fact
/ that sheep .erders furnish a greater
number of inmates for Western insane
/ a>ylums than does any other oceupa-
/ tion. The shepherd like the cowboy.
/ IS gradually assimilaied 10 his sur
roUuding~ aud naturally acquires much
F, of the nature Of his charges. To his
/ credit IL must hc said that he * rarely
4 uufaithful to the interests OF his flock
. aud It's owner. There is uathing poetl-
cal about him, but he w3u risk his life
. for the safety CT lamb aud VIII dog
gcdly search all night if there be a
tray. lie is - much auicter feaow
=. than the cowboy, even in his cups
when the wool has been clipped and
( The hands are in town for a little ang
] lie has no wild ycarning FOR idly shoot.
: lug holes in the armament Tie is hap
piest on s. sunny hlllsiic. living al ease
where lie may overlook his noek and
hear the ce8SeieSs voicinc OF Is ilmen-
tation AiuSlee's Magazine.
A man doesn't mind being mistaken
/ for some one else so long as L isn't q