La Junta tribune., 1916-01-22
rAasssa a. ~ LAST HERD.
(continued dom Paes Two.)

(continued from Page rwo.)
differsnt wagons and camps. Al
each main division the captain OF the
roundup vas elected. He was com.
uasdsr in chief Of the roundup. and
in All matters q dispute his verdict
vas final.
The maverick question was one
which often caused disputes. A NAV.
erick was an unbranded calf old
enough 70 hare left its mother. con.
ssquently the ownership could not
actually BE- determined. There were
different ways. however. Of arriving
at who ought to get the young animal.
and different associations had differ
ent rules. In some cases the maver-
icks were put up at auction and pur-
chased BY one Of the members. the
money being turned into the associa-
tion and divided among all. In other
associations the captain OF the round
mp was supposed to decide to whom
the maverick ought to belong. and the
rule he went by was that the mayer
ick should belong to the person who
had the predominant interest In the
section Of the country where 1t was
found. In q large open country,
when the work on the range was
stopped in the fall or early winter.
many calves were missed. and be-
fore spring they had weaned them
selves and were going on their own
account.
The word maverick" (an un-
branded animal going without
mother) originated at the time Of
the war. Before the war n gentle
man of the name OF Maverick owned
herds in southern Texas. He was
very careless and often did not
brand his calves. while his neigh
bors branded theirs carefully. Cat
tie were cheap then. and when an
unbranded animal was seen every
body agreed that II belonged to Nav.
erick. During the war the cattle
business was neglected and the
calves were not branded up. and At
the close OF the var. when the cat
tlemen again had time to attend 70
their business. thousands Of year
linss and two-year-olds were found
unbranded. Mr. Maverick then
claimed that they all ought to BE-
loag to him. OF course. the other
cattlemen did not agree 70 this. New.
esthsless there being NO proof Of
ownesship. and throush long cus-
ton anything uabraaded was sup-
poaed % bsloag 70 Maverick. -
theaands oe cattle we're bsaadsd
fee hin. JsAglns froa he vase
Maverick ssaass still, II ~ hasAs q
ehs l1asssSsk hsifs. this gensrsslty.
q eall 4 What yes vill. - ~ AN q
~ eattIsasa hslDsd - buil1 IT,
hin Tie fortune ~ snasssd. n the
southwest corner of Tsxas. border.
lng o. The Rio 0rasde. . county b
named for hin. Sseh b the origin
q ths word ''mavsrick."
Durias the years 1856 the Fort
Worth RosA vas bsilt from Fort
worth 10 Dsnvsr. A. that time thsrs
vas . great iafiux Of sstslers 70
eastern Colombo. Hundreds Of
claims we're taken up and masy
towns started. Each town had IL
nswspaper booming the town aad
sgplaining that In . very short time
. railway would be running throush
Il. sad that they we're right In the
centes Of the wheat belt. The ~.
tlsss soon found. however. that the
prospects Of . railway coming some
day did not bring rain. aad - .
aewspspsr could not keep the town
alive the settlers borrowed what
ehey could on their land and pulled
hack 10 visit their wives frssnds.
Ths towns. with the exception Of
ehe small remnant. diaaDpearsd.
Thees can BE- seen today on the } J
saage the remains Of what were once
towns. but now aad for
some years entirely abandoaed. IN
seasly ell cases the houses were
built Of sock. IN ahundsnce Of that
material being In the district. TIE
walls Of . great usany Of thsse hous-
o.. several Of which are two-seosy
structures. stlll stand. clearly de-
finiss the business streets and resi-
1sncs portioas.
Mueh Of The land thea proved ~
- wss sold for tsxss. anl Il cot ~
y ~ hands u ths sseckmea sssin.
~ yeass she PrsiFis Cattle Con-
~ na1s one ef their largest soun1
~ uDoa ore q these town sltse,
=