The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-12
Passing of the Cowboy;
 A Picturesque Character
BY PAUL COOK.

worst. dozen or 80 miles away. The drive was the principal event in tho life of the oid-time cowboy. They were fraught with hardship and danger, but he always had the carousals of the roundup to look forward to,
 Tho Modern Punoher.
 The modern puncher cannot enjoy these revelries as did his predecessor of old. The best he can do Is to mount his "cay- use" ride Into town and liquor up." Even then he has to restrain his exuber- ant spirits, or else some meddling police officer win promptly take him in tow
 The work of the cowboy, or, more prop erly, COW punoher, Is hard grinding, poorly paid and devoid of all the pie turssQue adventures which made the life of the early cattle men so attractive. In the old days the men were paid very we'll. but at present the average Is about ss6 month with board.
 Business RevolutlonIzed.
 The cattle-raising business has been revolutionized. One can see now great cattle ranges containing thousands ot acres enclosed by the slender threads ot steel. which affords ample restraint to the modern steer. The Indians are gone. the cattle thief is a thing of the past and the herds feed quietly on the ranges as they flying express trains speed through their do- IT ainse
 Millions of dollars have been made by contemplating manufacturers. in selling wire to the cattle-raisers. and at this day nearly all the ranches or the west are fenced with wire. One sees no more the bucksl5inned figure seated motionless on his pony and gazing across the plain from beneath his sombrero, or circllng slowly about the black mass of cattle. Today the cattle feed unattended and the services of the cowboy are required only to assist in the loading during the shipping season and to perform the null tiple duties that are always to be met with on a big ranch.
 There are still quite a number of genu- inc cowboys in Arizona, New Mexico, Me- vada and Wyoming, but in Texas, the original home of the steer, they are get ting to be almost a novelty. Of course there are plenty Of so-called "punchers" but they don't come up to the old-tlmers In skill, courage or toughness.
 As an example of the passing away of the real cowboys. the cattle-roping con tests which are held annually in the west draw enormous crowds. Forty years ago a westerner would never have dreamed that people would pay thousands of dol lars to see exhibitions greatly inferior to the feats which took place daily all
 
 Has Degenerated.
 The modern cowboy has degenerated. He is tough enough for all purposes, but he Is far from being the equal of his predecessor, and always tries to impress the stranger with his wild and woody qualities. If he had the courage and rugged strength of the old cowboy to back him 1t would not be so bad, but the modern ''cow-puncher" has too much braggadocio.
 Strange as 1t may seem the long horned Texas steer and his breed in other states has disappeared much more rap idly than the cowboy. It Is hard to ex- plain just why this famous breed of cat tic has passed away, but the stock has completely died out and today the. huge horns of the former monarchs of the west are seen now and then adornins particularly swagger bars, but are found no more on the plains.
 The modern steer. like the modern cow boy, is inferior The cattle now seen on the ranches of the west are smaller and not nearly so wild or so powerful as the old long-horns. The modern ranch is also an institution of today. Up-to- date methods are used ana many of the old features have been eliminated.
 The cattle king of today, instead of be-