Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-05-26
Page Nine
Less Horn and More Meat

sell from his neighbors and the buyer would
drive his steers and barren to the railroad.
After the NJ X. & T. railroad, the first to traverse
Oklahoma, built Caddo Atoka and Muskogee
became shipping points for CATTLE Many ranch
men, however, still drove their cattle through to
Wichita, Abilene, Hays Fort Dodge and other
towns
'The shipping points of cattle became known as
Cow towns and Northern buyers hand to
purchase the cattle. Many of the steers sent to
Kansas points driven to Montana,
Wyoming, Nebraska and neighboring states
Herds from South Texas five months
the road to market Each herd had a road brand,
and cattle lost the trail picked up by the
herds following. When the destination
reached the owners notified of the number of
cattle bearing their brands The engaged in
this work young, hardy fellows, accustomed
to exposure and outdoor life. They lived under
wagons in the open with tent facilities.
Frequently they slept the ground under wagon
sheets. The cattle guarded at night and
sometimes would stampede. In case of stampede
it necessary to the entire outfit to
help hold the herd. The cowboys of this period
trained to discipline, and rarely would
of them shirk duty.
TN 1884 began the first movement to improve
the blood of the range stock. Pure-bred cattle
from Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, and
few from Iowa and Missouri shipped into
this country to with native cattle. Short
horns, Herefords and Angus of improved breeds
were crossed on the old long-horn cows, of dun,
pied, yellow and nondescript colors. Among the
early cattlemen to participate in the movement for
better blood Frank Colbert, Frank Murray,
Ed Huntley, Montford Johnston, Bill Mcclure,
Sears and Clinton and John Whistler. Nearly all
of these had rights range privileges in
Indian Territory. At that time there
fences, and the cattle wandered the prairies
at WILL disturbed only in summer by the annual
roundup branding and cutting out for market
'The pure-bred animals brought in from the
buton he lv H.
ed from them the first crop of calves. The
thern animals became infected with 'acclimatic
r. later known tick fever. There remedy,
few of these cattle doctored saved Finally,
began look for a of this disease, and it
lily decided that the fever tick supposed to have been
lght from Mexico and there received from Spain,
the cause of the short life of Northern cattle in
country. Oklahoma and Texas cattle par
" immune the disease through having been in
with ticks their calfhood and thereby rendered
subject to fever.
In the early efforts at graduating the disease, the
lie roped and thoroughly creased. Then fol-
ed solution prepared and recognized by the Govern
It and applied with spray pump. This remedy
we'd unsatisfactory. Finally, there the dip
vat with layer of crude OIL two three inches
p, top of the solution If the oil were of high
vity Is, the cattle suffered when exposed
he hot After going through the bath and COM
out in the hot the hides the cattle would
X and the animals suffered severely. Later came
of arsenic, sal soda, and creosote dip.
proved to be effective, and its use is eliminating
fever tick"
hat in brief, is the story of the Oklahoma cattle