Evening star., 1924-01-23

CHAPTER V-Tex Takes a
Bull to Raise.
BY TEX RICHARD.

" IeldtlllS tHc luCiuthlS Vi lliooS
hard boyhood days among the
cattlemen, the tragedies that must
have inhuenccd my later HE to a
certain extent, | don't want TO give
the impression that we were devoid
OF tenderness, Quite the contrary.
At the age OF sixteen | was en-
ployed to go with herd of cattle
all the way to Montana. Look at a
map and you may realize just what
that meant.
The cattlemen, always seeking a
market, had found that by driving
a herd OF yearlings to Montana and
grazing them there for few
months they would gain from fifty
10 sixty pounds a steer They could
then be shipped to Kansas City and
sold AZ real profit.
One night we had camped to let
the herd bed down for the night.
| was sent out to scout around the
edge of the herd and see that every
thing was all right. on this ride |
ran across little calf. born during
the day. that had lost its mother.
The little fellow WAS so weak and
alone TO find it's mother in Il herd
of 5000 was impossible. Besides. the
calf couldn't have kept up with the
moving herd when We started out
next morning.
picked the calf up, threw him
over my shoulder and carried iun
into camp. The cowboys al gathered
round, Offering many forms OF advice.
We bad no condensed milk.
Wal minute" one of the cow
boys suggested. Come with me" he
said 10 me.
So we went ont through the herd
az night until we found a COW. We
roped her and carried her to the
camp. There we tied her legs,
everybody taking q hand. and made
her lot the calf have his supper.
The next day W" put the calf in
the chuck wagon and carried il all
day. At night We caught another
COW and went through the fcrcible
feeding. by this time every rough
neck cowboy was a foster wet nurse
for that calf. | never knew why. but
that calfs name got TO be Sitting <
Bull.
Cowboys Play Nur~emaid.
Never a night came hut the COW
boys. riding in. would inquire about
the welfare of Sitting Bull. They got
to be rivals over who would Superin-
tend his feeding.
Some days we would let Sitting
Bull walk until tired and would then
take him in the chuck wagon.
One day Sitting Bull grew hungry
ana we had run out of milk COWS
was in the chuck wagon with him.
! had an idea that a calf would like
something sweet My eye caught
sight of "A molasseS can. | ran my
hnscr around in ii and let the calf
lick it
Sitting Bull was Immediately crazv
about molasses. He got to where he
would Hex the cans just like a goat
But l had brought on another prob
lem. II looked as though we cow
boys would have to go short on mo-
lasseS to keep Sitting Bull satisfied
He would twist his little tail and rear
ana pitch at the mere sight of a mo-
IaSSeS can.
We then made another important
discovery in dietetics. We knew Sit
ting Bull needed some kind of starch.
he couidnt have grass or wheat of
course, but bread. one learned COW
poy explained, came from wheat. So
why not feed our charge bread and
moiasses? 1t was so ordered hv tha
counsel of godfathers and Sitting Bull
not only accepted the idea in the
proper spirit. but was delighted.
In two weeks that calf ate so much
lnolasses and bread that he was ali
puffed out. By this time we tried TO
make him go with the herd. But
there was nothing doing. Wherever
the chuck wagon went Sitting Bull
followed, his head right against the
tailboard.
night, you know, the chuck wagon
goes right through and takes UP a
position maybe five miles ahead to be
ready for breakfast as the herd is
started again.
They Find n Foster Mother.
Now you might think that Sitting
Bull would want to associate with his
kind: might revert to type. Not so
He would very calmly walk right
through that immense herd, no matter
how complicated or lengthy the move.
and follow that chuck wagon right to
the moment it stopped. When the
camp fire was built he would stand in
the edge of the light circle until some
one had opened a can of molasses.
Upon our arrival in Montana we
kept Sitting Bull until he was a good
sized little bull. He would never go
with the herd. So, with great care
we found a woman who would give
a molasseS eating calf Il good home
Long after We had shipped tina;
ports that Sitting Bull was goot
calf, except that he would follow
wagons.
In Henrietta several years later ]
was elected town marshal. That was
a mighty interesting job, but not al.
together one that brought in greaI
wealth. The marshals were not pai(
salaries, but had to depend upon fees
for their livelihood. We got two dol.
lars and a half for each arrest BuSi-
ress, naturally, was good on Satur-
day nights. Don't get the impression.
though, that we arrested men just for
the fun of it; that we could take adj
vantage Of q man being in his cups
inst to get a fee. When you arrested
a man in those days he understood
that you meant it. We understood 1t
too.
The greater part of my fees came
from impounding stray hogs. We had
a law that when mans hogs were
nut in pound he had to pay 81 each
to have them released. That fine went
to me.
I had a valued assistant In lad
named J. Fred Eppler. now a business
man in Philadelphia, who frequently
comes over to New York to visit me.
At that time he was the telegraph
messenger boy. He had keen eye
for hogs. Every time he located a
stray one and penned it up / would
allow him 15-cent commission
sometimes a quarter.
A S15 Deal in Futures.
We made just one very serious mis-
take.
Say, chief" the boy came running
to tell me one day, I've just located
cnu tbot'S lpnca and I think I can