Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-01-02
NEW WAYS OF COWBOYS
CHANGED METHODS ON CATTLE RAN
CES OF THE SOUTHWEST.

Bankrupt In These Days of Economy
Cowpunchers Toned Down-The Texas
Steers Lost Horns-Greater Humanity.
Holbrook, Arizona, village on the
red, muddy bank of the Rio Colorado
in northeastern Arizona is the most i'm
portant cattle market in the Territories
and is the rendezvous of cowboys and
vaqueros from all this region, writes
correspondent of the New York Sun.
From April to December, almost every
day, carloads of cattle are started from
Holbrook toward Kansas City, Chica-
go and Omaha. Last year more than
10000 head of cattle were shipped
eastward from this little frontier town,
and there is little doubt that the ship
ments this year will foot up about
14S,00O. worth, on the cars here, about
$3,350,000. In the early spring months,
when the shipping season opens, 1t is
common to see 10000 or 10000 cattle
punched together in the enormous cor
raj along the railroad tracks.
There is an abundance Of material
for the seeker of picturesque in this
cattle community. At almost any hour
In the day during the spring and fall
months the main street in Holbrook is
months the main sreet in Holbrook Is
lively with from 100 to 200 horses from
the ranges. Every horse carries a
huge saddle lariat hanging in coils
from the pommel and blanket rolled
and tied at the rear. Some saddles are
elaborately decorated with silver tacks
and emblems, and the the brides on
many horses cost several times more
than the animal themselves are worth.
There are knots of cowboys here and
there on the street while all the sa-
looms are filed with them 20 out of
every "a hours. They wear great gray
felt sombreros with gaudy leather
straps for bands, skin tight trousers
and short fancy coats with snowy but
tons. All of them wear high boots
with high and sharp heels, and four
ffths of them carry belt Of cartridges
about the waist and one or two shin
ing and finely constructed revolvers at
their hips. Sometimes there are drunk
en-, staggering, swearing cowboys
who raise a din in Holbrook, but a
large majority Of the cowboys, in the
Southwest, at least, are decent sort of
fellows, who are proud of their ad-
turous work and their skill among
cattle, and despise the drunken fellow
who brags about bar and thinks it
fun to shoot to frghten other people.
The changes in the methods of cattle
ranching in the Southwest during the
last ten years have removed large
element of romantic picturesqueness.
The famous cattle barons of the West
of 20 and 30 years ago could not keep
out of bankruptcy in these days of
strict business methods and careful
economy on the ranges if they followed
the old methods. Economy and COM
mercial prudence are at the bottom of
the innovations on the cattle ranges.
The financial disasters which de-
throned many rich cattle king from
1887 to 1898 have necessitated econo-
mics where prodigal waste once pre-
vailed. Tricks of saving, once thought
contemplate. are in vogue in all up
to-date ranges Nowadays the bones
thinks of leaving the pelt on an animal
found dead on the range Time was
when such economy was despised and
left for the poor half-breed Indians.
Even the piles Of horns left after de-
horning operations are over are now
collected and made n source of reve-
nue.. The fertilizer that went to waste
4 thn 10 81,
ton to horticultural districts in Cali
fornia and Colorado for use in the or
chards. Cowboys are fined for drunk
enness on the range nowadays. A gen
GRAFTON ago the cattle kings bought
whiskey and brandy by the barrel for
the cowboys to help themselves to.
BY new methods time and wear and
tear on the horses are saved half
dozen horses and cowboys to do twice
as much work and cover twice rs
much territory as formerly. The brand
Ing of calves Is done by time-saving
contrivances. A dozen inventions have
been made in cattle cars whereby the
loss from the trampling to death of
animals while in transit to market has
been minimized, and, also, by which
more stock may be put in n car.
In other particulars the conditions
have changed also. In former years
the round-ups each spring, generally
about May, were trying times with
the cowboys. Where $4,000 or 10000
calves were to be cut out of a herd
and branded the work often extended
over a month, but ukder the later
methods the work is very materially
lessened. Now instead of having to
throw and tie each unbranded calf and
steer the animals are cut out and run
into a. separate herd. They are then
driven into an inclosure where is an
outlet so narrow as to permit the mov-
ing of only one animal at a time.
There, as fast as the string of animals