The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1915-02-26
AN OLD cow PERSON

Al. A. Pierpoint, OF Douglas county,
spent Sunday in town, while on bus
mess mission through the valley, and
while working the lay he is on will be
in Oroville again during the next few
weeks, and possibly several times.
The writer first net and knew MIR.
Pierpoint over quarter of century
ago, although he has not seen him for
upward of eighteen years, and running
across him in the lobby of the Hotel
dc Grub was sure happy jolt. Pier
point is one of that picturesque class
around which SO much romance clings
that is slowly but surely slipping off
the earth, typical western COW boy.
He spent much of his life in the sad
die. and if there is anything on four
feet that he cannot 'ide, or could not
il his palmy days, it has not been
found in the zoology of the four quar-
tors of the earth. If there is any
thing about the nature or inside or
outside construction of a COW criter
or horse that he does not know it
has not been discovered, and hence
is not known to the human race.
MIR. Pierpoint is one of the earliest
settlers that located in Douglas coun-
ty. at that time a part of Spokane
county. He located near the breaks of
Grand coulee, between Moses and
Grand coulees, and after once secur-
ing foothold commenced accumulat-
ing cattle. There was no limit to the
range in those days, and for that mat
ter for years after he entered the
stock business. 1t vas the stockman' S
paradise. Many stockmen occupied
the range. Some idea can be formed
OF the great feeding ground when it is
stated that one man alone, Tony Rich
ardson, owned drove of horses tina.
he did not know the number. In one
round up Richardson sold 5000 head
q. at the munificent price of So per head.
The broad plateau between the coulees
was looked upon very much as des-
ert and it was well into the 90s be-
fore any effort was made to cultivate
the land. Now that is one of the best
wheat growing sections of Douglas
county. For years there was not a
house to break the broad expanse OF
this vast steepe, and more monoton-
Gus drive than that from we'll west of
Moses coulee to Couly City could hard
~ be found in the whole country So
iierpoint was monarch of all he sur
veyed, and his herds grew and expend-
ed. He experienced the ups and
downs of the old cattle men of that
early period. Sometimes he had mon
ey to throw to the gophers. then a
hard winter would come along and
leave him with hardly hoof. If he
could have let go with enough to get
out of the country az those discourag-
ing periods he would have left the
state. But against his will he was
compelled to stay, and in consequence
he now owns a thousand acres, and is
about as far ahead in worldly posses
sions as any resident of Douglas
county.
Mr.. PierpoiIt is 40 longer IN the
cattle business. He says the Oliver
chilled pillow drove him out of that
industry The range that extended
from his place to where the sky meets
around him is now under cultivation,
and wheat growing has taken the place
of cattle growing.
Mr. Pierpoint has held his age Won
derfully well for all CT the rough ex-
perience of his early life, and so light
~ bears his almost 60 years that a
stranger would hardly take him for
being past his fortieth mile stone. His
dome of thought is bercft of thatch,
but no one would suspicion that if he
did not remove his hat. The loss of
hair has taken none of the spring
from his step, and his joviality is as
light and spontaneous as when we
first knew him. Pierpoint is bemoan-
ing the fact that the old timers are be-
coming scarccr and scarcer at every
annual round up. From his appear
ance one would be led to believe that
he will be the last of the old guard
t. pass in his checks.