Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-01-19

openers" and 'pet-makers," If the
cowboy was a "bronc-peeler" or a
'bronc-twister" he probably rode i'm
straight up" and stayed in the old
pine" no matter whether the horse
swallowed his head" broke in two
ground" The horse "buclsed on a dime"
meaning that he did all his bucking
in small area: or he "weaved", or
"sunfished" or snapped ends" all of
these terms describing an irregular
and cratic side to side movement. The
.sunfsher" was said to turn his belly
to the sun" The pile driver" came
down with all four legs stiff, and high
he goes and hard he hits" Perhaps
the horse was a "throwback," or one
who threw himself backward with the
intent to kill his rider 1t was such
horses that made "bronc-stompin' as
dangerous as walkin' quicksand over
HI"
If the cowboy made successful ride
he rode him safe" and scratched
him plenty" so that the horse showed
many hundred and elevenS," or spur
marks. He didn't ride the cinch" dock
his spurs in the. cinch). pull leather"
unsuccessful he landed" "chewed
Very likely he used his face for a
roughlock till he lost enough hide to
make a pair of leggings." From the
opera house" someone would shout,
Try 'er again and hit the same place
and yull git water shore"
Wouldn't Steal Milk
slick" or a "slick-ear" was an
unbranded. unmarked horse. The cow
boy declared "he might steal slick
ear, but he never got SO low he would
steal milk from a calf" Any milk the
cowboy had came from Eagle Brand
or other varieties Of cans. Charlie Rus
sell is said to have asserted that such
milk must have come from an eagle
because it couldn't have come from
anything that had horns Nevertheless,
the cowboy was as ingenious in naming
and describing his grub as in describ-
ing his other activities. Sourdough bis
cults he called "dough-gods," "sinkers,"
and hot rocks" Beans were whistle
berries" When the camp cook called,
up, snakes, an bite a biscuit" the
cowboy was ready for anything but
he wanted plenty. If he had bacon he
called it fried chicken" if it was salt
pork, he called it "chuck-wagon chick
en-" Boiled rice with raisins was plain
John Chinaman." Most outfits de-
clared that we don't set out to starve
none" but there were times when food
was scarce or temporarily lacking At
such times the cowboy had a Spanish
supper" meaning that he Simply tight
ened his belt notch or two This was
similar to the Tucson bed-"yer back
fer mattress and yer belly fer a
cover. When he was very hungry, the
cowboy said he was "gut-shrunk," and
that he was hungry enough to eat his
saddle blanket"
One is often puzzled by the cowboys
epithets 1t was. for instance. custom
airy to call certain men old Tom" or
odd jim This was western custom
even before the day of the cowboy
BIZ Fairweather. who discovered gold
in Alder gulch in 1868, was called old
Bill by his partners, although he was
only 81 years old at the time. 1t was
experience that gave a man the name
old. even though he were but a
youngSter in years. The cowboy valued
experience almost as much as ne did
courage. He liked to be able TO say Of
MoJaVe desert OF a person who didn't
have sand. the cowboy said, His CUTS
has turned to fiddle strings" or you
could take bunch OF corn cobs an
lghtnln' bugs and make him run I'LL
his tongue hung Out like calf rope"
Such person was advised to hunt ur
something VI can use for backbone"
Was Vests First Poet
When all IS said and done the cow
boy was essentially a poet-the first
poet that the west produced. The old
time COW dog would probably have
snorted to hear himself 50 described.
but them was the qualities he had
An element of exaggeration. powerful
and vivid imagery, a warm sense OF
the allveness of things-these have al
ways been the ingredients OF poetry.
and these were in the cowboys speech.
I have heard a rider whose speciality
was ropes tell how a good rope could
be used as whip. An experienced
hand. he said. could make 1t crack
like blacksnake. slip hair and tear
hide" You could hear it and almost
feel it. Another. who had been around
when Sitting Bull was taken into Gus
tody. told of IAN Indian haircut"
which. he said, called for a certain
amount of hide which makes it handler