The Washington herald., 1910-06-26

our ponies and try TO get beyond the edge
OF the herd When that was impossible.
we would run with the cattle until they
stopped or something else happened. ]
once ran fourteen miles before I could
gradually work my way out into the
/ open. Had my pony stumbled. I would
| have been cut into ribbons. We were on
guard. therefore, even while we slept.
I Brush cattle, unaccustOmed to the
prairies, were likely to stampede any
minute, day or night.
Punching cows" MIR. Mcclure went on
10 say. was mans work, and required
! vigilance, perseverance. and courage.
I Plenty of cowboys died in their boots
and the business was full of human
wrecks. but those who saw the folly OF
strong drink. OF shooting at the drop OF
the hat and OF spending their money as
fast as it was earned were tempered ami
developed by their life among the herds.
Many an old-time cowboy is now a
prosperous man, Joseph Miller, who,
with his brothers. Zach and George. owns
the famous 101 ranch, drove cattle from
out Of the mesquit country OF Texas
through Indian Territory, and to Kan
sas, just as / did. He saved his wages
I bought a drove OF steers al IS a head
and sold them, after driving for six
months, at $40 Returning 10 Texas the
next winter, a Mexican robbed him of
most Of his money and fled. After that
Miller took wagon loads of bacon, canned
goods. and calico into Texas instead Of
cash. He knew the rich lands, and when
Oklahoma was opened to settlers he
acquired 10000 acres Of his own and
leased 1000 acres from the Indians
The Miller brothers in q single season
J. n n -ae
acres Of corn. 10000 tons of hay, and p
900 acres of watermelons. They have an
orchard of 11.0Oo apple trees"
sflI Seeking Education.
AT the age of nineteen" 1 said, you
ceased TO be a cowboy?"
Yes: I had not changed my personal
plans and I still! meant TO get an educa-
ton. I had accumulated Sl,1OO by saving
my wages and engaging in little indie
pendent operation. During my last sea-
son as a cowboy we were bringing a
drove of cattle out of Mississippi When
We reached the prairie they performed
rather strenuously as all cattle will
when they leave the protection of trees
and brush The Mississippi drove was un-
usually nervous and would circle all
night with no sleep and very little feed
ing. We had TO ride on the rim to keep
them together. But one night they got
away. and, taking the back track. 400
OF them were lost in the woods. The
man who owned them said I might re-
turn the following winter and have all
the steers that I found. I gathered 100
in a bunch and sold them, which explains
how I came 10 have Sl,l00.
Back In Kansas again. I spent two
years in the State Normal School at EN-
poria. Then I studied year in the law
department of the State University. Dur
ing my periods Of financial stringency, I
would teach school. 1 should have had
plenty of money. with the 81. 100 obtained
In the COW business, but I was inexpe-
rienced and not economical Indeed. on
several occasions. while at Emporia, I
was pretty hungry. I returned to lola,
the old home Of my family, and was adj
mitted 10 the bar. In the autumn, I was
nominated for county attorney All this
occurred IN $780, when popullsm in Kan
sas had about destroyed the Republican
party. Jerry Simpson. the sockless states
man, sO-called. was elected to Congress,
and William Alfred feffer. bearded ike
Jewish prophet and equally as gloomy
in his verbal output and personal ap-
pearance. was sent to the United States
Senate. Ny chances for success at the
polls looked rather slim. However, some
OF the elderly populists In the county
liked me, or sympathized with me, and
they passed kind word In my favor up
and down the brotherhood. Consequent
", was elected. After being in ofics