The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-12

The life of the cowboy in the old days was one of hardship and picturesque ad- venture, Other dangers abounded on the broad plains of the west in addition to the hundred risks to life and limb that always attended the guarding of a herd of thousands of cattle whose safety de- pended entirely on the efforts of the cowboy,
 Thirty or forty years ago tho Indians were an ever present factor Many brave fellow lost hts life as result or thelr raids, and the cattle thieves were just as bad. Aside from the marderous designs of men the cowboy mad to face tho storms of winter and the whitening heat of summer, The great snow storms of the west are fearful on man and beast and the care necessary to prevent a herd from stampeding In such storm made 1t doubly hard for the ''punchers."
 Probably no danger the cattlemen of the early days had to face was greater than that of the stampede. Once a vast herd of many thousand long-horned steers were frightened and started on one of those mad rushes which have been described so vividly .n stories of the west 1t required almost superhuman ex- ertions to turn the course Of their flight in order to save them rom bling pell- mell over the brink of some precipIce.
 In such cases the hardy cowboys had to ride at breakneck speed, make a wide detour. and at the eminent risk of be- ing empaled on the sharp horns, ride across the front of the flying mass. turn them from their dangerous course, and perhaps after thirty-six hours of con- stant stnat riding finally round them up quoted but stili trembling with fear and ready to be of at an ins1anrs notice.
 Frequently these stampedes were start ed by Indians cattle thieves. and in ad- dition to having to make an effort to save the cattle a running fight with the would-be robbers would frequently take place
 Texas Rangers.
 The most picturesque characters of fifty years ago and great help to the cattle kings as well as the cowboys, were the Texas Rangers These men were em- ployed to patrol the Mexican border and prevent the raids of cattle robbers and other desperadoes- These men were brave to fault and possessed wonder ful skill In handling their rifies as many a -peon" learned to his cost
 The Rangers were required to lead a ll1e OI danger. put they loved the life and undoubtedly did vast amount of good z,ss
 However, the cowboys had one holiday In the year, at which time they enjoyed themselves to the full. This was the roundup At the end of the long drive to the cattle markets, and after the final roundup at this point the cowboys work was done for time and for a week or two he blew in his savings of a year in wild carousals
 During this period the lone sheriff had his hands more than full and several fu- nerals always took place before the boys left again for the ranches. This was the time when the gambling helis, saloons and other dives did a lively business.
 All Changed.
 Now all this is changed. The pie turesque scenes of the early days are rapidly disappearing and the cowboy him. self is passing from the scenes of his ad- ventures. This change is due more than anything else to the advent of the barb ed-wire fence. At present one cowboy can do the work of twenty, forty or fifty years ago.
 The railroads which now thread the west have done away with the old cattle drives Instead of having to make long, wearisome trips of many hundred miles across the plains. the ranchmen can now load the cattle right off the range, or at