The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-03-18
FLUSH DAYS IN TEXAS.
When Pedlers Dealt in Diamonds and Wondrous Jewelled Watches, With Branded Steers on Them.

| When Pedlers Dealt in Diamonds anC , Wondrous Jewelled Watches, Witt
 Branded Steers on Them.
 The old judge was in reminiscent
 mood. That was plain by the manner
 in which he directed his fire at the big
 cuspidor half way across the hotel lob
 by.
 "The papers tell us, he finally began,
 that the Texas steer, that famous ami
 nal with long horns and a brand big
 ger than gridiron, is passing away.
 His companion, the being whose face is
 griZzled and whose boots are of rawhide
 and whose profranity is appalling, is al-
 so going over the Great Divide The first is being succeeded by grade
 Shorthorns, Herfords and others of the
 swell set in cattledom, while the latter
 is giving way to the cold-blooded busi-
 ness man, who has reduced cattle rais- ing and feeding to science, and who
 follows that avocation not because he
 knows nothing else, but because he has found it to be profitable. l Well, sir, with the passing of these two the great commonwealth of the southwest loses it's most picturesque
 features. By those who have spent the
 greater portion of their lives in this
 country, by the cowboy whose only
 companions for weeks at time have 1 been the long horned boys and whose <only boss the picturesque man in raw hide boots-by all who still possess lit { tie sentiment. in spite of the commercial
 spirit of the age, this will be noted with 1 feelings of the keenest regret. Much has been said against the development ! of the long horn and more against the cattlement but the former brought many a dollar into Texas, and kept it here, and the latter was a most import ant factor in the development of this state.
 And speaking of development I am
 reminded of the great cattle boom we
 had here back in the eighties. Almost anything that wore horns and hair was worth it's weight in gold. Texas cattle men had more money than they had ever possessed before, or, as it was sub eequently proved to the satisfaction of all they would have for many long year to come. don't know what caus- ed the boom. Thoroughbred cattle did mt do it, for in those days the long horn was still king. But do know that cattle raising and feeding were for a time, very profitable, indeed. There were many men who received in profits more money thanlthey knew what to do with. Literally, and not figuratively, they had money to burn for some of them actually showed off occasionally by lighting cigars with $10 bills.
 Tt vas about the time this boom struck Texas that cattlemen acquired a passion for diamonds If one man bought a stone as big as the nall on his little finger, his neghbor must have l one that was as big as his thumbnail
 This brought into existence a class of pedlers the like of whom was never | known before, and very probably never will be known again. They didn't han dle tinware nor sell cement that would even mend a broken heart Their stock in trade was damonds-yes, sir, and of the finest, too Think of 1t, will you! | The idea of a man trotting around over the plain of west Texas with $200,000 worth of diamonds in his grip and sell ing them to the owners of ranches just like other pedlers of the present time sell suspendes and shoe strings to the farmers who are too busy to go to town. Yet I know 1t to be a fact, because have seen such pedlers and witnessed the display of their wares made right out upon the open prairie. I have often wondered why they were not robbed, but there is not a case on record, so far as know of, where one of these fel- lows ever suffered loss at the hands of ] highwayman.
 After the diamond craze came the craze for watches of fabulous value. As soon as it began the diamond pedler changed stocks. Hand satchels that rad heretofore been packed with prec- ous stones now contained watches and watch charms and chains. I have seen , cattleman pay $500 for watch that 1e bought on his ranch from one of hese pedlers. The timepiece was gen. rally eighteen karat gold with steer lead engraved on the front lid and a ,Tairie scene on the back. It was not unusual for the steers eyes to be of ,, mall diamonds, and maybe there was good sized stone in the place where he brang ought to be. The biggest kind f diamonds were In the watch charms. 'So long as I live will never forget he incident I witnessed in Panhandle own one day A cattle man pulled from is pocket watch of the kind have escribed
 How much did you pay for it?" ask d one of his companions, who owned an djoining ranch ' Five hundred dollars,' was the re- ly. Pulling from his pocket watch that | yas identical in every respect to the r ther the questioner said that he had r nc just us good which cost his only t00 '. " 'Umph' said the man with the $500 'atch; I'll bet $10O that I can throw line further down the street than you an
 "The money was flashed in a minute, nd watches were hurled through the ir Then these two men actually alked leisurely down the street and eked up what was left of those atches. The condition of the tickers ould have made a blacksmith weep" "Just because she made those goo-goo 7es," hummed an customer. Young man." snarled the judge, tits 7 our ignorance that makes you incred- . ous. You make me tired I can't S