The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1901-11-21

" UHI Te wa abi-Ts
With the increase OF Mr.. Roose-
velt's rancbing interests, the Maltese
cross outfit put on a roundup wagon
Of its own, with q ranch foreman
and the usual force Of riders. Cattl.
growing In those days was on the
bonanza plan. Thousands upon
thouss nds Of Texas sieers were turn
cd out upon the ranges to seek their
own susie 'ance from the range grass.
"Twioe each year the country was
worked by the roundup outfits.
Reciprocity Was practical principle
among the cattle men, and each
round up outfit, no matter to what
company 1t belonged, worked all the
cat le IL encountered on Its trip
each day the wagon moved q
disls nce OF twenty or thirty miles
along the main water course. Morn
Ing and afternoon the riders circled
the country for distance Of forty
or fifty miles, bringing into camp
all the cattle found.
"At noon ard In the evening the
calves were branded, the beeves cut
out Cf the main herd and close herd
ed with the wagon until some ship
ping point was reached, and the
days work ended for the cowboy
with a night guard Of two hours
about the beef herd, to guard against
stampedes. 1t was the hardest kind
! Of work, but Mr.. Roosevelt deter
mined to gain his knowledge Of it
from experience.
"I want to work with my wag-
on a. cowboy he said to his fore
man, s. M. Ferris, and 1 don't want
TO be shown any favors. 1 want
you to treat me just As any other
cowb " with the wagon, and I'll
manage to get along
$50 Mr.. Roosevelt worked for q
part Of season as a cowboy. He
had his own string of horses and
they were a. ugly and ill-tempered
as the majority of cow-hOrses. He
was not bronco breaker as he has
been pictured to be, and he took no
unnecessary chances in mounting or
endeavOring to tame an especially
ugly horse. But he did not shrink
from riding his own horses when
they cut up the customary capers OF
mustangs, and although he was some
times thrown and on one or two Oc
cssions pretty badly bruised and
hurt, he stuck to his mounts unit
he had mastered Them"
"Ie learned more and faster by
observation than any man l eve
saw" said his ranch foreman, 8. M
Ferris, in speaking Of his season OF
. the range. "He learned to rope hi
own horse when it was time to ge
a mount in the morning. He watch
ed the men throw and brand calve
and he got to be as good a cal
:. wrestler as any of them.
"He was among the first up in tn
. morning, took his trick with tn
= men in the morning and afternoo
! and stood his two hours guard owe
. the herd at night. l never hear
: him complain Of his bargain, an
|" when he finished his work with tn
outfit he had the good will of ever
. man in camp, as good, whole-sou
y ed companionable cOmrade."
y Mr.. Roosevelt had a strict sens
. of justice. On one occasion he 70
lowed two men who had stolen
. boat from his place, arrested thel
," and assisted in their prosecution
On another occasion he followe
Il cattle thieves, and as deputy sheri
. took them after their arrest a Ion
:, distance over land to Dickinson an
y lodged them in Jail.
- To cow boy who proposed roI
70 ing and branding maverick f
!. him on the range Mr.. Rooseve
% % said:
~ off you steal for me you'll ste
from me-" and he sent the man
- get his time.
:. 1t is still remembered that /
= made long drive into Dickinso
= :. back in 1886, to accept an invitatic
N from a local committee to make
5, Fourth of July speech. The speet
20 is still fresh in the remembrance
= the pioneers of that Western cOul
20 try, who refer to it as "the fine
Fourth of July speech ever MAJ
W ..ro,4 &C Alo AIi..o.-: ID :..e.,l