Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-24
BY HUBERT e. COLLINS.

w YHAT is @ shorthorn?
Y ~ Look at that steer with two
wv horns just showing on his
' head. Not only are his horns
short. but they have no rings.
When he Is year older the horns will
be longer, and you will see q ring near
the base Of each. With each succeeding
year of life the horns will be larger and
longer, and an added ring will appear
for each IL months. wi
When he mas four rings. that steer
win probably go up the trail to slaugh-
ter-house. A wild one may live to have
five. six, seven--yes, even ten rings for
adornment. More knowledge of the ways
Of life has come with each ring. BY
the time four have been acquired, the
wearer has learned all he needs for prac-
tical purposes. II he lives to add more
than four, greater knowledge of life and
some superGuitieS have been required.
Rings on horns, not size and length,
show age, with consequent experience.
Look at the steer carrying q stub
showing where one horn was, and a
whole one with seven rings. A lesson
was taught him when he lost that horn,
and with only one left to defend his in
terests, the acquisition of life's knowl-
edge has been proportionately greater
for each succeeding year. Bet again. He
is the best fighter of his weight in the
herd.
Every ring on a bovine horn signifies
experience TO the wearer equaling ten
years Of human experience. Some men
with 20 years OF life are not entitled
to the one-ring knowledge of the cow A
newcomer to the cattle country and Its
life, no matter what his age, Is short
horn, tenderfoot.
had the fortune to 60 into the cattle
country OF unfenced range when I had
just passed the age equaling one ring on
range steers horns. 1t was soon after
my eleventh birthday that reached the
heart Of the cattle country at Red Fork
Ranch on the Chisholm Trail-that leg
endry highway acclaimed in song and
story as most celebrated of the old
Vests premier cow-land.
My experiences on the first journey
AVA out and during the two years after
my arrival at Red Fork Ranch were
sufficient for development of the first
ring, and I passed from the shorthorn
class My enthusiasm for the experience
was the logical outcome Of our family
life.
In the year 1868, my great-uncle,
Brinton Darlington, had been made
United States commissioner to the war
like tribes of the ~Comanches. Kiowas,
Cheyennes, and Arapahoes. He had ac-
companied and lived with the two latter
tribes when they settled on their first
reservation. ending their untranmeled
freedom Of the West. After establish
ing the first agency, afterward named
In his memory, Uncle Brinton had called
several other relatives to his aid. My
brother Ralph was among the later ad-
ditions to the agency forces.
Periodic visits from these relatives to
our home in Iowa, bringing tales of the
stirring events witnessed on the border
and the life stories of red and white
heroes, added to a continual exchange
of letters, were no doubt responsible for
building UP legendary empire In my
mind. Before was 10 year1 old this
was my great land of romance.
When word came from Ralph that he
was leaving the agency and becoming
had no rest from my opportunities to
be allowed to join him. I was big
enough to be COW boy; could work
in fact, the prospect Of going out to Red
Fork Ranch became an ohsession.
Frontier dangers had indeed been the
! lot OF all my elders Father was taken
| to Iowa Territory as a child, and he had
; grown to manhood fighting his way or
! the frontiers of Iowa, across the plains
| in Colorado and MeXico--as scout, hunt
er and trapper. Mother had been with
! him through many of his early expert
ences. The incidents of such life were
commonplace to them. With conditions
settled In Iowa. father had entered the
ministry. The tenets of Methodism hac
won his allegiance, as was the case witt
SO many ex-frontiersmen. A pioneer ir
Iowa itinerancy, he was stationed al
Corning at the time was pleading fol
consent to embark on my youthful ven
ture. This was in the month of May
| 1888.
Two trains a dry stopped at Cornins
for passengers going east, and two fol-
west-bound traffic. was to take the
moring train east for Creston. where ]
would change for train going south
and west. learned was to 60 through
! St. Joseph, in Missouri; Atchison, New.
ton and Wichita, In Kansas, to Caldwell
ANY one can guess that meals were
| very important to O growing. healthy
boy, and 50 ] register the memory Of