The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-06
MODERN COWBOYS.
IN DULL SEASONS THEY MAY BE-
COME SAILORS.

/
ern PIains-ColIege Men Numerous.
How to Use the LassO.
f. Chamberlain, in Chicago Inter
Ocean.
The modern "cowpuncher" is a most
practical individual. No longer does he
ride through town trying to "shoot
up" people. He CANDLES, but rarely
uses his revolver in an argument over
a poker game. AS soon as his sea-
sons work on the plains is finished he
either seeks employment in some large
city or else he becomes a sailor.
1t is a fact not generally known
that most of the "punchers' are also
| sailors. There is a close connection
/ between the cowboy and the seafaring
man. In fact, many of the slang terms
used by "punchers" are of nautical
origin. For instance, there is the ex-
preston, drifting" as applied to
herd of cattle running before snow
storm, and also the term cruising,
which is applied to the ''puncher" who
goes about in fair weather looking
for stray cattle. 1 might name doz-
ems of other similar terms.
But while the "puncher' of to-day
orally accredited to him, he is still a
most romantic Individual. He is even
more of an expert with the lasso than
the old-timers. This state of pro-
ficiency has been brought about by
competition.
Better Men To-day.
1t was several years ago that the
ranchmen began wedding out the
"punchers' who were addicted to ex-
cessive drinking and gambling. rms
| transformation came about with SINH
lar changes in other avocations. The
| business man who had been tolerating
his oldest clerk despite the fact that
that individual was habitual drunk
ard finally decided to discharge him
and substitute a younger man who
did not touch whiskey. This man gave
more satisfaction than the old en-
pIoye had given.
And thus it was in all calling, even
down to the cowboy. Nowadays, when
a 'puncher" applies for work the cap
tain of the ranch investigates his char-
acter If he is a drunkard and a bad
man" generally he is not wanted. Inc
policy of hiring temperate 'punchers
has resulted in making the cowboy or
to-day a man with keen nerves and
strong muscles. 1t therefore stands to
| reason that he is a much better man
with the lasso than were the old
timers.
A number of the "punchers" now
working on the Western ranches are
college men, who have adopted an out
door life because of their health. These
men have furnished all of the quaint
songs that the "punchers" sing when
they were out on roundups The music
of the songs has fitted itself to the
words. 1t is generally a wierd chant
a sort of mixture of a>church hymn
and a popular air.
There is nothing in the world that is
more depressing than to be lying out
on the plans in the evening and hear
| one of these songs from distance.
There is one in particular that used to
give me the cold shivers. 1t is called
| Bury Ne Not on the Lone Prairie, "
and the words of it were suggested by
pathetic incident on the Turkey
! Track ranch" in South Dakota. \
tenderfoot from Baltimore was sent to
this ranch on account of his wild hab-
it's. His father was dead, and his
mother and sister lived in Baltimore.
One evening he was caught on the
plains in a fierce snowstorm, and when
the boys found him he was frozen stiff
A college lad was among those who
discovered the body, and the next day
he wrote a poem on it, The punch
ers'' frame their own air for the words
and now Bury Me Not on the Lone
Prairie" is one of the most popular
songs of the, plains.
These songs have their greatest
vogue at the spring roundups, which
begin on May 10 and last until Sep
TENDER. At these roundups, also, the
"puncher's" lasso figures in a most inn
portant way.
lSea nf the T,OSsn
Branding on the unfenced range is
a task that never ends. There are con-
stantly being discovered animals that
have been missed at the regular round
up, and these, wherever found, are i'm
mediately roped, thrown and burn
err" At every tcrn and in every
phase of his work the cowboy has need
of his rope.
1t is brought into play in catching
fresh mounts for the men, for no horse
| is kept under saddle more than few
hours at a time If, as not infrequent-
ly happens, a steer strays into a quick
sand, or mires in a bog, and lasso is
thrown about his horns and he is
speedily extricated. When the mess
wagon needs a lift up hill, or assist
ance in crossing miry bottom land, the
man with the rope is at hand to render
aid.
Wood must be brought for the camp
fire. The cowboy attaches one end of
his lariat to the log of his desire, Sc
curing it by any number of throws"
or bitches" takes a snub on his sad
dlehorn, and the we'll trained, willing
pony does the rest.
A mistaken impression prevails in
the mind of the public in regard to
the manner in which a lasso is ham
died. The idea that the loop is al
| ways swung around the head before
| making a cast especially when the
roper is on foot, is erroneous, No man
of experience eve- makes a cast in
this fashion from the ground, in prac-
teal work.
Keep Rope Hidden.
There are several good and sufficient
reasons why he does not. One of them
is that the movement is likely to fright
en- the stock, especially horses; another,
| that he may have to wait some minutes
for making a cast He knows that
better results are obtained by holding
the rope as unobtrusively as possible,
even keeping it concealed from the OBJ
ject of capture, if the animal is timid
| or nervous.
On the contrary, however, when
mounted and in pursuit it is absolutely
necessary to swing the loop over and
| around the head for the cast must be
| made with the greatest possible force,
in order to overcome, not only the for
ward movement of the pursued but
also the action of the wind, should that
| chance to be against you.