The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-06-09
THE sPRLNe RouNp.up.


From the Rio Grands 10 the northern
Missouri, from the swamp bottoms OF the
rivers that riow east TO the Mississippi
to the foothills Of the Rockies, there arc
excitement and picturesque movents these
days. for this is the time OF the spring
round up. Anyone who has been in the
west knows that that means work and
hustle in unlimited quantities. The
spring round up is the great event OF
the year on the ranches Of the plains and
prairies, for then does the cattle raiser
first learn whether his herds have in
creased in volume since the fall round
I'D or whether the storms OF winter and
other causes have wrought havoc with
his prospects
To the farmer OF the east. with his com
parativeIy few acres Of land. the increase
or decrease OF his herds is easily ascer-
tanned Herds in the east seldom num-
Der more than Ito head, and the eastern
er provides Tor his cattle shelter during
the winter. Al most the cattle OF the
east may wander TO the confines Of q
30. 60 or 100-acre lot.
Not so with the western bovines. The
western rancher houses neither his
horses nor his cattle. He turns his herds
of thousands out 10 shift for themselves
to grub q living out on the prairies OF
| among the foothills. The cattle OF the
western man wander 80 or 100 miles OF
sometimes an even greater distance II
| search Of food and water. They shift for
themselves. and naturally, not knowins
or caring who is the separate owner OF
each herd, they mingle and intermingle
until much or all distinction of herd is
lost
II is to separate one mans property
from anothers and 10 ailot 10 each his
prOpOrtionate share Of the increase or de-
crease Of the herds that have wandered
over a common range that the round
! up takes place.
1t is at the round ups that the calves
are branded and the beeves Intended for
market are sorted out and driven 10 tbs
shipping points. Il is then that the
hardest work Of the cowboys is done. re
curing many consecutive hours OF re
naming in the saddle.
The beginning of the work IS the gath
erins of all the cattle on the common
range" into enc place. known as tbs
corral Sometimes this consists Of an in
closure surrounded by a wire fence, but
whenever possible q natural corral is pre-
fcrred by the cattiemen, since no fence
ever built could Withstand the rush Of q
bunch Of thousands of frightened cattle
The natural corral consists Of a canyon
with a wide mouth at one end and q
narrow aperture at the other. Into one
or the other kind OF corral all the cattle
from one natural range are driven.
In gathering the cattle the herders, tbs
far-famed cowboys" start at various
points on the circumference Of circle
Of such size as is believed 10 contain al
of the cattle of one grazing district This
circle may be anywhere from 100 TO so
miles or over in diameter The cowboys
ride toward the center. collecting all The
cattle they can, and driving them toward
the corral.
One immense herd of many thous-
ands IN number is the result. Right here
it must be said that, although farms are
gradually encroaching on the grazing dis
tricts and more and more ranches are
being inclosed still the round up and the
cowboy are not by any means things OF
the past. as is sometimes said. On the
hundreds of thousands of square miles
still unfenced several million head Of cat
tie and sheep are stin grazing and vii
continue TO DO so for a long time &c
come
After the cattle are all herded together
in the corral comes the really arduous
part Of the work. This is the sorting
out of the various punches of cattle be
longing TO each ranch according TO the
brand and the branding of the additions
to the herds. Brands are always register
ed with the state authorities The mum
Der Of cattle owned and branded by each
ranchman is also registered after each
round up. At the succeeding round W
all the cattle IN a cOngTegated herd are
counted, and If the number does not tally
with the registered aggregate it is appar-
ent that a loss has occurred Naturally
losses are found only at the spring round
up. seldom at that IN the fail. The loss
is appOrtiOned TO each owner in the ratio
OF the number of cattle turned loose by
him at the beginning OF winter to the
number of cattle found alive in the
spring unless il is possible TO decide pos
itively that the loss has occurred among
the cattle Of a certain owner. The in
crease is also divided proportionately-
In the fall round up the calves which
are brought into the corrals with the
herd are divided in the same way among
all the ranchmen belonging to the
range" in a ratio based upon the num-
Der Of producing animals turned loose in
the spring.
The time OF the men during the round
up is taken Up with keeping the cattle to-
gether, cutting out" the beef steers and
cows and calves and branding the I'M
marked animals. The latter operation IS
done by lassoing the animal by the horns
and hind legs and then throwing II over
on one side. The trained ponies which
hold the Iariats taut and thus prevent
the struggles Of the rOped beef arc here
Of much service. With a long-handied
iron heated 70 a white heat and bear
ing on its fat surface distinctive marks
or letters the cowboy burns into the an
imaIs flank or side the mark OF its
owner Many times the efforts Of the
others are needed 10 prevent the cows
from getting at their believing offspring.
After the round up the animals Intend
cd for consumption are driven u the
towns and -he others are again turned
loose on the range. II is after deliver
ing the lunches" Of cattle NJ the ship
ping points that the COWBOYS have the
hilarious time so often heard of.
In the western country this year a Sc
rious question that threatens the peace
Of several states has again arisen The
growing encroachmeuts Of Gocks Of sheep
on the grazing lands. rendering them un-
III for cattle keeping, IS raising much
contention between the mutton and beef
raisers The growth q the sheep indus
try has been so enormous fl recent years
that unless some equitable division az
land is reached there Is every prospect
OF long, bitter and possibly bloody war
between the TWO claimants % the enor-
nous grazing grounds 81 the Vest.
Too Much for 5iHby.
You are not patient enough my dear.
said Bixby 20 his wife The other day. j