Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-01-23
Miseellauulls Readiag.
WONDERS WITH LARIAT.
Westerners Are Skilled In the Use of
&ka RaHn
NO. T..


the Rope.
A slim young fellow in picturesque
cowboy attire had been doing some
difficult feats in horsemanship for the
delectation of a small but critical
crowd in the sprightly cow town Of
Gillette, Wyo.
Nov, show us a few stunts with
the rope" shouted a capable looking
cow puncher, who had not been slow
to express his admiration of the others
skill.
The boy obligingiy unfastened the
pleated rawhide that hung looped at
his saddle, and then began an exhibi-
ton that delighted the assembled cow
men and sheep herders, says the Den
yer correspondent Of the New Orleans
Times Democrat.
First the lad, who was called Jim,
roped a dog that happened along at
an i'll chosen moment. One deft twist
Of the slippery snake-like leather, and
the dog was free. One Of the boys OBJ
lIgingly took his saddle of his horse
and started the animal down the street
past Jim, at rattling pace. Almost
without perceptible. effort Jim cast the
rawhide and the obedient moose settled
over the head Of the bronco. Instead
Of being pulled tight at the neck,
however the moose was allowed to slip
down, over the horses's front feet.
Another instant and the bronco would
have leaped through the moose, but
just at the psychological moment Jim
jerked the lariat, and the bronco was
caught by both hind feet. Quickly
and cleverly releasing the animal be-
fore it fell, Jim coiled his rope and
swung off his bronco. Standing in the
middle Of the street he made the rope
describe the most astonishing gyra-
tions. 1t writhed and twisted like
live thing, always obedient to his hand
and finally, making a shining circle Of
the rope, Jim leaped in and out Just
as juggler might leap in and out of
a great hoop.
In spite Of the fact that the cow
boys sphere Of influence is constant
ly narrowing, and there is less occa-
sion for using the rope than in the days
of the great herds, there are many
skillful ropers in the west. They ap-
pear at nearly all the bronco-b busting
entertainments, which prove so pop
ular In the west, and their work is al
ways one Of the chief features Of the
day. There is something about the
deft handling Of the rope that fairly
fascinates the average audience, and
the cowboys themselves never tire Of
watching their champions. And the
boss roper Of every roundup outfit al
ways has his earnest partisans when
he enters a contest.
One Of the favorite tricks Of the
lariat experts is to make the lasso
whirl about in perfect circle and
then leap in and out of the moose.
Sometimes this Is done by two per-
formers. One will leap into the CEN
tre Of the moose and will make the
rope play about hts waist. Then the
other roper will stoop and crawl in
side the circle. The second man will
reach up and take the rope from the
first and the latter will then stoop and
make his way out Of the circle. All
the time the rope will be playing
about the bodies of the ropers in the
form Of hoop, but not once will It
touch the clothing of either. This is
a. feat that calls for great strength OF
wrist, as well as accuracy Of move
ment.
Probably the most spectacular game
is a sort Of battle royal, which sew
eral skilled ropers enter. The cow
boy who gets his moose over the moose
Of another contestant scores a point
in the game. Each man whose lasso
is thus roped retires from the contest
until finally only one is left. The
men keep their nooses playing all the
time, and the game is one that calls
for the greatest skill. This is a game
which the cowboy spectators enjoy as
thoroughly as the men who take part,
and each champion Is heavily backed
to win.
The lariat is Spanish, the name be-
ing derived from ia reato," hence 1t
is not surprising to find many Of the
best ropers in the southwest, where
the Spanish American element Is large.
These southwestern vaqueros almost
invariably cling to the rawhide lariat,
rxyhf no nf In
and Montana usually go in for the less
expensive rope. A properly made
rawhide lariat will run more smooth
ly and is less subject to kinks. how
ever and this may have something to
do with the phenomenal skill shown
by the southwestern ropers.
The average lariat is about forty
feet long. If 1t is rawhide its braid
ing is a matter Of extreme care and
delicacy. The work Of some Of the
cowboys in this regard is something
wonderful. Tom Horne, the noted
scout, who was hanged in Cheyenne
few years ago for too free use Of
firearms in ridding the range of ranch
ers and sheepmen, was an expert at
making ropes of rawhide, and 1t is
said no man in the west has ever sur
passed him. After 1t Is braided and
thoroughly stretched the honda, or
small loop, is formed and the lariat is
ready for use. If it is made Of rope
it is stretched out between two trees,
to free it from kinks. By the time 1t Is
coiled at the cowboys saddle 1t Is
flexible and strong, and in the hands
of a master 1t is truly a wonderful
weapon.
1t does not always follow that the
prettiest rope jugglers are the best
ropers for actual work on the roundup.
Some of the cow hands, who never
would think Of posing as rope jugglers,
do stunts with the lariat which would
be impossible for the most tricky to
perform. In the northwest there are
some Indians who are without peers
as roundup hands. There are two on
the Crow reservation, Red Star and
Mail Bearer, whose work at the semi
annual roundup cannot be beaten any