The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1905-01-28
A Trip Into Indian Territory and Tetas.


aud innings while with him | must
see his cattle, which were inthfee or
-four punches at different places, and
incidentally take look at the eoun-
try by the way.
But before breakfast the next
morning, little neighbor girl came
in with a message from her father,
requesting help in the killing Of his
hogs. In this country it almost
seems that a mans first duty is to
assist hisneighbors, and theresponse
came quickly and eheerfully, All
right we'll be there. y
So we all went over and spent the
day butehering and cleaning hogs,
and il was here | learned first that
they have no need of smokehouses
in that part of Texas. They SIMPLY
hang their meat up at the north end
of the house outside. and If it Is out
of reach of the coyotes, there is no
fear of thieves or flies bothering it,
no matter how dry the warm atmos-
phere may get, or how long they may
stay away from home
As we went home that evening,
tired and dirty, we spoke Of starting
early on our trip, to see the cattle
and country, but on arriving at the
house, Potts wife informed him. hat
another neighbor had called onYllim
to help brand his calves next4lay,
and there was nothing to do but to
consent. BY this time my son arriv-
ed from TT Worth, and we spent a
most pleasant evening together.
Next morning bright and early the
whole family loaded up and lit out
for the neighbor with the cattle, and
by evening | was full-hedged cow
boy, with experience at lariating,
branding, burning, rolling, etc. The
people OF the Texas prairies have, rs
| said before, the highest idea oil their
duty as neighbors, and would feel
insulted were there any mention OF
pay for all these services.
The next morning, however, Ell
nally got off on our tour oil the range,
a trip more than pleasant call The
first bunch of a hundred steers we
came to were daisies, and all right
in every way; but the COWS and
calves must be separated, as It was
weaving time, so we went over TO a
nearby ranchers to spend the night
and strange 20 say, this wild fenas
raneher was an Italian and quite a
character in many NAYS. BushN
headed, bushy bearded, broken ii
his speech and erratie in his actions
he amused us much during our stay
with him, His wife was a very lit
tie woman, weighing about ninety
pounds, but she had nine children
the oldest of which was certainly
under twelve In introducing us te
her, the old man stormed out i'll ar
unusually high tone:
II tell YOU hat de best wife in al
de state of Texas; | least dis place
from anodder Italian in Nebrasky
und moofed here NIT vagin; und.as
soon as We struck de Panhandle eff
erypody say ought to be broseeut
ed for hauling dis woman aleug dt
uig loau oIiS vs,ui Tat W mats IL
trough, and de second day after W
got here dat biggest poy vas porn ii
de vagin out deere, back OF we're ds
house is now. and We hat safed him
from being foreigner; he is Texan
by birth, and We are all proud of it
| tell YOU | hat de best wife in Texas
her grit hat safe me from being bros
ecuted-und still our family is al
Texans"
The subject of this speech stood by
as the old man was delivering it
rolling her eyes towards us with al
expression that was half blush an6
halt grin, and then looking at th(
head of the house as if she didn't
know whether to slap his face OF
kiss him for his eloquence-but an
inclined to think, perhaps, she done
the latter after we were gone.
| We had some more lariak exercise,
that afternoon, and returned home
but not until the Italian rancher had
shown us his cellar, twelve feet wide
and thirty feet long, piled to the cell
ing with Irish and sweet potatoes
onions, cabbages, pumpkins, celery
squashes and other things, until ii
looked like the owner might BEN the
wholesale produce business.
You may draw conclusions as to
the abundance of feed in this coun-
try, from the fact that kaffir corn,
maise and sorghum can be bought
for So ton. as. Potts hired his
grown cattle led over five months for
$3.50 and calves $1.45 per head.
And they are fed well, too don't
see why he should spill much sweat
between the plow handles when he
can buy feed that way.
"Well, we haven't been over to the
canyon yet; that's where we get our
wood. You must see the canyon. "
So we were off for the palla Dora
Canyon, which proved to be oae OF
the most magnificent pieces of scene
ny ! ever laid my eyes on. wish
| could give you fair picture of it.
Out here its down into the noun
tains instead ofup. We had a gun,
and when we reached the edge of the
canyon told the boys | saw gang
of ducks in the river below that
would make good shot. 1t looked
like il might be quarter of mile.
Al -. 4 a y