Milford chronicle., 1913-09-12
MAYSIE c. REEDS VISIT
To a Roundup on a Montana
Cattle Ranch.

Just as the sun was peeping above the
eastern horizon, my hostess called me to
see the great crowds of men who were
coming from long wooden building
where they had slept over night.
/ They wore large hats, their trousers
were tucked into their high boots, and
most of them wore spurs ON their heels.
Each man had saddle, a bride. and a
long rope in his hand These were the
cowboys on a great cattle ranch OF the
West, making ready for the roundup of
to-day.
In the corral awaiting their riders were
over two hundred ponies. They were
Kicking, jumping, and making much
noise. The posts of the corral must be
so high that the ponies cannot get their
Tnecks on the top-if so, they can leap
over. The foreman divided the party
and gave each man his own work to do.
By noon there were thousands and thous
'ands of cattle gathered together. The
purpose of the roundup is to divide the
cattle among their owners, and to mark
every one of the calves with a brand.
In this great ranching country there
are no fences. Most of the land belongs
to the government, and cattle may be
grazed anywhere, provided they can have
water
The animals run wild they stray far
from their homes and get with other cat
tie, SO that it is only by marking them
that man may keep track of his own
This is done by branding or burning a
letter or other mark into the skin of the
animal when it is a calf. The round-ups
arctic bring all the cattle together, in
order that each man may pick out his
own, ard every one have. his calves, born
since the last roundup, branded with his
own mark. The roundup is a very noisy
occasion. The bulls below, the cows
low, and the calves bleat for their mothers.
The cattle stamp, and push this way and
that way. The air is filed with dust,
made by the stock and the ponies.
The cowboys circle round and round |
keeping the great drove together. Then |
they ride in and pick out their own stock,
the animals by the brand upon /
them. Men with lassos are getting out |
the little lOng-legged calves. When one |
iarts .or the open, a cowboy gallops /
after him. and with a sweeping throw |
sends his rope in such a way that it |
,atches the calf around the hind legs.
The trained pony stops short and braces
tself for the lasso is tied to its saddle.
)ne of the branding party sits on its
leck and holds it by the ears,l while an
,ther man pulls out one of his hind legs
% as to make the skin tight, while tile
bird man with a red-hot iron presses it
lpon the live flesh. The hair will not
row on this spot, so the calf is branded
or life.
The branding takes but moment, then
be calf runs off to its mother, who con-
oles it by licking the wound. The own
rship of the calf can easily be told from
IS mother, as each COW knows her own
alves. AT the roundup each calf is
randed with the brand of its mother,
nd a record of the act is made in the
Iock book of the ranch.
It is a pleasure to watch the skill with
ihich the COW boys ride their bucking
licking ponies, and to watch the races
nd jollity at the roundup. From what
have written cattle raising may seem
b easy business, but the stockman s
fe is by no means all fun. He must
E out in snow, watching the cattle to
e that they are not lost or do not starve
the storms and Billiards. And those
no have not seen a blizzard like they \
ave in the great Northwest, cannot inn &
gine how dreadful they are.
The cowboys often have to ride for I
lys, sleeping out nights, at times en- &
by wild animals. There are
ten prairie fires, when both cowboys Y
ID cattle must run for their lives. k