The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-10-24
Cause of Many Battles Between
Rival Ranchers and
With Outlaws.
MORE Than 5000 IN TEXAS
"cow" Thieves Use Ingenious Methods
to Change Marks on Stolen Ami
maIs--Many Strange De-
vices Are Used.

with tragedy. might be written about
the cattle brands of Texas and the
Southwest. Around them have CEN
tered many thrilling deeds. They
have been the means of bringing swift
retribution to host of outlaws; they
have served as the basis for transac-
tions involving the sale of many mil
lions of head of cattle.
The records of the Texas Cattle
Raisers' association show that there
are more than 5000 registered brands
In this state. No two brands are alike.
Usually each brand represents sep
arate ranch. 1t Is often the case that
q ranch is much better known by the
brand of its cattle than by the name
of the owner. Owners may change,
but the brand never.
When fernando Cortez conquered
Mexico in the early part of the six
teenth century he established ranch
upon the isthmus of Tehauntepec. The
cattle bore his brand. Although that
was nearly 400 years ago the cattle
upon that ranch today bear the orig
inal Cortez brand.
Origin Lost in History.
The origin of the cattle brand dates
back to the dim dawn of history. In
the days of free grass and open range
the brand was an absolute necessity in
order that the owners might identify
their cattle in the annual round-ups.
With the coming of wire fences this
tfvyx Ia nhvtofod hv1t tho
brand served still to place guilt upon
cattle thieves. This purpose is still
served and this fact accounts largely
for the retention of the brands by all
of the ranchmen.
Ingenious methods are sometimes
used by cattle thieves to change exist
ing brands upon stolen stocks. Most
Of the members of the Texas Ranger
force are experts in the matter of de-
tecting the Disgusting or changing of
brands.
The cattle brands of some ranches
are an intangible asset of great value.
These brands have come to stand for.
honesty in breeding, honesty in weight
and honesty in dealing, just as the
heraldry of knighthood stood for hon.
or, for bravery and for noble deeds
and accomplishment. Announcement
that cattle of a certain brand are Of
fered for sale is often sufficient guar
antee that no precautions against
fraud of any kind are taken.
Every Letter Is Used.
In the record of brands, every letter
te nd
most letters are found in three or
four positions. An exception is 80"
which has but one shape in any posi-
tion, and therefore can be used only
once. True, there is the 20" fiattened
at the sides, but it Is then called
mashed "O," link or goose egg.
"N'' is another letter that is not sus-
ceptible of many positions, for hori-
zontally it is ~ "I'' is another letter
with limited use. 1t is seldom seen
except in combination with other
characters. and is usually called bar.
&c" and TX" are examples of letters
that are used in four positions. For
example, an ordinary "K' makes one
position. Turn it to an angle of 40
degrees and you have the "tumbling
k; on its back, horizontally, the lazy
K" and reversed, a fourth position.
There are lazy and tumbling brands
in all letters except 20" and 81"
But when the cattle business be-
comes general and instead of 100
ranches there are thousands, new
brar.s,s, = ~ be devised. The seeker
for a brand naturally gets an insignia
different from that of other ranchmen
else the brand would fail of its pur-
pose. So in the latter days the letters
were finally all taken up and the neces-
sity for individual and unique brands
has led to many strange device.
Many Novel Designs.
For example, there is the Spur
ranch, the TURK Track" ranch. the
"Tumbling X" of the Lazy X" Every
ranch has its principal brand, and
some have many others. Ranch own
ers, who trade extensively, and are
constantly acquiring cattle with differ
ent brands, have number of insignias
on record. Often the ranchmen's sons
and daughters have their special
brands and the dedication of a new
brand is not IN unusual form OF cele-
brating birth on the range.
Among the peculiar brands is a pig
pen, which means a square with lts
sides extending to form the exterior
angles. Crescents are common. ohiS
one ranchman has hatchet Tor
brand.
A bow and arrow gives name to
one big Texas ranch. L. ]. kimber-
Inns ranch had a crutch on the mp
and a coffee pot on the side. The
coffee pot design is not so intricate as
one might imagine, consisting OF only
eight lines.
|; Wine glasses are not uncommon as
i brand and the ]. w. Friend Cattie
I company in Crotchett county had
I rourd A rocking chair is the branc