The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-04

where there are still big cattle ranches,
we have ideal weather the year around.
OF course, boys, everybody can't work
in California.
Question Box-No. Is.
"Chuckwago seems to interest
you boys-and well it may, because it
carries the food for the cowboys.
First 1 will explain that when the
actual cow-work on ranch is on.
such as rounding up the cattle, brand
ing. and so forth, it is done by what is
known as the wagon outfit" This
consists of the "chuckwagon" and the
'bedwa gon." In the former is carried
the food. which is cooked over an open
fire from the back of the wagon.
Chuck consists of the best food OBJ
tainable on the ranch, such as beef
beans, potatoes, cornbread and other
staples. And, boys, there is no meal
in the best restaurant in the world
that tastes as good as "chuck" out in
the open after hours of mans work.
always take a chuckwagon with me
on location while producing motion
pictures, and wheD visitors come out
in the desert or the mountains, as the
case may be. to see US work, they
never fail to go away singing the
praises of chuck" and the camp cook.
By the way, boys, the cowboy cook
is the monarch of the chuckwagon-
Woe to the puncher who gets the cook
"riled" by fOoling around the wagon,
because he may be hailed into kan
CARGO court" after the days work is
derstand how important a good cook
is to an outfit of Woodworking men
far away from civilization, out on the
open range. Such life makes men
sure hungry, and it behooVes every
body in an outfit to keep off the cook s
toes There is an old saying on the
ranches. "techy as cook" which
means that cooks are considered some
temperamentaL But don't get the
idea that cooks on the range are 5ust
cooks. OF course they don't do any
thing else but cook. but in most cases
are Just as good cowboys as cooks,
end in many cases better cowboys.
The "bedwagon" carries the bedding
and tents, wood and branding irons
the water barrel, and sometimes ev-
erything that is needed on the round
up. The "bedwag on" is also known in
the west as ''gillie wagon" and in the
southwest I have heard it called a
"hoSdlum wagon"
The foreman of the ranch is gen.
orally the boss of the wagon outfit.
With the wagon is usually the wagon
boss and an assistant, cook, drivers,
horse wrangler, and about a dozen or
more punchers. Also the 'cavvie, ;,
which consists of the saddle horses Of
VIE is a ''remuda," which is the Span
ish word for saddle horses"
Each cowboy has his string of
horses, and each supplies his own sad
die, saddle blanket. bride and spurs.
He carries his own "bed-roll," which
usually consists of a canvas tarpaulin,
several blankets and quilts. They new
'er carry a mattress. The "tarp" pro-
tects them against rain or bad weather.
In the southwest ''bed-rolP' is called
"hot-roll." In the puncher's war
bag" he carries his small wardrobe
and necessary toilet articles, such as a
razor, tooth brush, and so forth.
| In the ''cavYie" or ''remuda" are all
the saddle horses of the outfit" Each
4 cowboy has his string" of ten or
twelve mounts. but it is the duty OF the
horse "wrangler" to keep the "cavvie'
together and see that the mounts are
grazed and watered. Every horse is
| known by name and sight by every
puncher in the outfit.
| Around the campfire of the chuck
wagon at night, after a hard days
work is done, is one of the greatest
delights of western ranch life. The
cowboy, believe, is the worlds great
est humorist; certainly his wit is keen.
but clean. This brings me to what
everybody wants to hear about, the IA
nous kangaroo court" which will be
the subject of my next installment.