The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-04-15
THE MODERN PUNCHERS.
COWBOYS OF THE PRESENT DAY
ARE NOT PICTURESQUE.

bad Men" Are Still Found.
The life of the cowboy in the old
days was one of hardship and pictur-
esque adventure. Other dangers
aDounded on the broad plains of the
west in addition to the hundred risks
to life and limb that always attended
the guarding OF herd of thousands of
cattle whose safety depended entirely
on the efforts Of the cowboy.
thirty or forty years ago the Indians
were an ever-present factor Many
brave fellow lost his life as a result
OF their raids, and the cattle thieves
were just as bad. Aside from the MUIR
derous designs of men the cowboy had
to face the 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 neces-
sary to prevent herd from stamped
ing in such storm made it 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 wildly
in stories of the West it required al
most superhuman exertions to turn
the course of their flight in order to
save them from piling pell-mell over
tho hripI of cOv,,o Draoipino
In such cases the hardy cowboys had
to ride at breakneck speed, make
wide detour, and at the eminent risk
OF being 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 constant riding finally round
them up, quieted, but still trembling
with fear and ready to be off at an
instant's notice
started by Indians or cattle thieves,
and in addition to having to make an
effort to save the cattle running fight
with the would-be robbers would fire.
quently take place.
The most picturesque characters of
fifty years ago and a great help to the
cattle kings as we'll as the cowboys,
were the Texas Rangers. These men
were employed to patrol the Mexican
border and prevent the raids of cattle
robbers and other desperadoes. These
men were brave to fault and pos
sessed wonderful skill in handling
their rifles, as many "peon" learned
to his cost.
The Rangers were required to lead
a life of danger, but they loved the life
and undoubtedly did vast amount OF
good.
However, the cowboys had one holt
day 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 a time
and for a week or two he blew In his
savings of year in wild carousals.
During this period the lone sheriff
had his hands more than full and sew
eral funerals always took place be-
fore the boys left again for the
This was the time when the
bells, saloons and other dives
did lively business.
Now all this is changed The pic
turesque scenes of the early days are
rapidly disappearing and the cowboy
himself is passing from the scenes OF
his adventures. This change is due
more than anything else to the advent
of the barbed-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 cat
tie drives. Instead of having to make
long, wearisome trips OF many hum
dred miles across the plains, the
ranchmen can now load the cattle right
Off the range, or at worst, dozen orso
miles away. The drive was the princi-
nal event in the life Of the old-time
cowboy. They were fraught with hard
ship and danger, but he always had
The carousals of the roundup to look
forward to.
The modern puncher cannot enjoy
+bese revelries as did his predecessor
IF old. The best he can do is to mount |
mis- "cayuse," ride into town and
1iouor up" Even then he has to re-
strain his exuberant spirits, or else
some meddling police officer will
promptly take him in tow.
The work of the cowboy, or, more
cow puncher, is hard, grind
ng. poorly paid and devoid of all the
,I..,,o odvanfrres which made