Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1930-01-09
The Parable Of the Cow andthe Deer
written in 1861

Now, folks, this is just a story
word of truth in either one of them, s
These two stories have no connection
think of both at the same time, and
me.
Damfino County, Texas, was one OF
the best cow countries in the whole
land. tOf course you understand that
there really is no such county IN
Texas. This is just story.)
Buffalo grass grew six inches high
and made rich carpet all over The
plains, the very best feed for cattle
the year around. The country was
we'll watered and protected against
the cold winds in winter. The country
was entirely free from disease of cat
tie.
Taking it all around, it looked as if
the COW men would be extremely pros
porous, as indeed they were for a
time. The cattle men were prosperous.
The country became noted as the best
COW county in the state. Prosperity
was everywhere in evidence.
But prosperity can't continue for
ever, uninterrupted. There are draw
backs to everything. Even burying
your mother-in-law has its weak
points. The undertaken has to be paid.
Enters the COW thief, who failed to
recognize the right of property in
cattle. Don't understand that the COW
thief dropped down upon the COW man
like wolf on sheep. His advent was
a gradual process. The big business
started with minor operations under
what seemed to some, to be somewhat
justifiable circumstances. Men who
were hard up, justified themselves in
butchering the other fellows steers
on the grounds of economic necessity,
and of course tWo-year-old steer
once in while wasn't very much for
a man to lose when he had hundreds
of cattle. Others liked the thrill they
could get out of putting brand on
the other fellows calf. A few got so
we'll skilled in the use of the brand
ing iron that it was next to impos
sible to pass up chance to slap a
brand on the other fellows calves,
provided said calves got in such
brander's way. Some of this class
became so enthusiastic over the brand
ing, they sometimes would even put
a third party's brand on a calf "just
to be in style" The remark "All the
best people are doing it, was quite
common.
Finally, there came the big stealer,
who operated on a big scale for the
money there was in it. Men came in
from the north with one old COW, and
in few years had hundreds Of cattle
with their own brand on, all raised
from the one old COW. Ruthlessly
branding the other fellows calves with
crew of hired men at work, these
big stealers enra9ed the honest COW
men and the little stealers alike. It
got to point where it looked as
though there was little hope for the
man who was playing fair. He might
take all the pains in the world to pro-
tect his herd, only to see some other
man get away with them. It looked
for while as though the honest cat
tie raiser would have to get out of
business Not only would these men
steal and brand for profit, but in a
good many instances would they kill
and leave the carcass with only the
hind quarter taken. 1t was common
sight to see animals lying on the plain
with only the hind quarters missing.
You may want to know why the
law didn't step in and take hand
to protect the honest cow man against
the ravages Of these thieves.
1t is much easier to make law
than to enforce it.
Many obstacles stood in the way
Of the enforcement of the law. Some
of these will be enumerated in future
article.
| will suggest dear reader that you
keep this issue till you get the rest
of the story. You may need it to re-
fer to.