The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-01-26

v TO be found In Us
2 every street
Go where you win in the -
English speaking world. you cannot |
away from the puncher and his exploi
II you don't patronize the picture sho
themselves. you cannot fail to notice {
man in the chaps" printed In the gay'
Of colors on the posters outside
fact. no picture show seems compile
unless II includes in It's program at lea
one cowboy picture
The pictures usually represent 4
puncher as a happy. well meaning int
vidual, with a miniature arsenal to 81
tain the effect, who has little 10 occul
his time except meddling with 9TH
peoples business. administering iusti
with the aid Of tree and a length
rope and being In at the finish OF al
love affairs which may eliminate In h
neighborhood According to the moviI
picture authorities these latter episode
seem TO crop up like mushrooms on
moor In the COW country, All this
very nice and romantic, but. unfortunat
ly II the truth is to be told. II can not
stamped with the hallmark Of veracit
After viewing these pictures mont
after month the public must have a vel
exalted though none the less erroneol
idea Of the average cowboy and h
work II We leave out the inevitab
girl" some Of these pictured exploi
might well have been duplicated in re
life in the early" days. but any 'lor
haired" plainsmen who took part
them have now to be content in the 7
counting Of them with suitable en-
bellishments. probably to their grand
chiidren-if they are lucky enough TO
have any.
There are no two callings In the
world today surrounded by so much
romance. and about which so much
has been written as those OF plains
men and sailors. and yet withal. the
general public has a very hazy and
sometimes absurd conception regard
ing the life and members OF both pro-
fessions. Perhaps that the fact that |
the real work of both callings is done
far away from the public ken. thus
allowing plenty Of latitude for a vivid |
imagination. is responsible for many
OF the false impressions concerning |
them.
In the first place, the average
puncher might work on the ranges
three or four years and at the end
Of that period be able to count all
the girls" he had ever seen on the
fingers Of one hand; and visit to the
home" ranches would probably re-
veal as many Chinese as ladies'. and
1t is hard to imagine anything ro-
mantle connected with a Chinese.
The bosses" see to it that while the
puncner is on the payroll he has
mighty little time for anything outside
of hard work.
Again. in these days Jew punchers
pack a gun. Years ago. when cattle
rustling was rampant. it was advisable
that the stockmen should be provided
with guns. as the rustlers themselves
went armed; but the real use Of the
gun dates back to the time when
fences and lineriders were practically
unknown. Thus, during some big
stampede, when thousands Of dollars
worth of beef was running headlong
to destruction and all ordinary means
had failed to check It, as a last re-
source the foremost rider would shoot
down some of the leaders. thus check
ing the rush and enabling the riders
to circle" the bunch; that process by
which alone big herds can be kept
under control, when they show ten
dency to be restless. 1t consists In
making the fringe of the herd move in
a circle around the rest of the bunch;
thus the cattle themselves are made
to head off their fellows, until finally
the entire herd is one huge revolving
mpss of flesh.
But at the present time fences and
restricted ranges have almost rendered
these big stampedes things of the past
and the type of men who coped with
them and with hostile Indians has dis
While the modern cowboy is called
upon in a roundup to do much siren
lous work, during which the safety
rom accident is measured almost en-
tirely by the sure footedness OF his
pony and his skill as a rider. mis-
chance is the sum total Of risk to life
he has to run.
Some persons having in mind the
frontier celebration" held at Chey !
spne. Wyo., will be inclined to doubt {
his statement, but 1t must be remem-
Dered that these gatherings which /
IRE held annually in all big COW cen |
ers. are simply entertainments for the
oublic's benefit and to demonstrate {
he skill attained by certain indlvidu- {
Ills picked out of thousands Their /
reckless disregard for limb or life is
lot general among the punchers. What s
man may do in the ordinary course
If his work and what he is willing to &
10 for the love OF applause or for