Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-03-23

You better stick to old Ole. Tht
horsell leave you by the side Of the
road some day"
ole was my regular saddle horse, ar
old cowpony known far and widC
through the cattle country Of central
1 Montana IS years ago. He was my
/ favorite saddle horse, because he would
stand still while I got on him anc
would let me stay up afterwards. He
had only one bad habit. He didn't like
to be caught. That morning had been
unable to catch him and being In a
hurry, caught up Blackbird, a snaky
black broncho gentle enough ordinar-
lily, but with idiosyncracies, one OF
which Finch had just discovered.
During four years in the lower
Judith river country I never met a
cowboy who could sing a cowboy song.
There were coolies of cowboys there,
too. The Pm outfit had just pulled its
stock out Of the Dog creek and the
Salt creek countries and dismissed a
number of its riders. Some were riding
the grubline, others were trying home
stealing, as were Jack Reilly and my
self at what soon became known as
"the BallSy Horse Ranch"
Among the former riders who visited
our place frequently were Henry
Brooks, whose sons still run cattle In
the brakes of the judith river; the
Wareham boys, Jack Ryan, a puncher
whom we never knew by any other
name than "Smithy," Murray Deaton,
Link and Bert Dennis, Johnny Mont
gomery, and host of others scattered
over the Salt and Dog creek countries,
where there were at that time neither
railroad nor towns, but which filled
completely with homeSteaders in few
years.
Not Even a Mouth Organ
And never a cowboy song from a
one in the bunch. Sid Willis and Finch
David tell me that about the only
music they used TO have In COW
camp was when some fellow showed
up who could play a mouth organ"
called by the more euphon-
ious name Of harmonica. There wasn't
even a mouth organ In that lower
Judith river crowd
Forty-five years ago In eastern Colo
RADIO I began listening to hear COW
boy song. heard plenty Of cowboys
songs, but never one sung by COW
boy. The favorite In that region at
the time seemed to be Sam Bass" 1t
said that:
Sam Bass was born In Indiana,
ut was his native home.
But at the age of II,
young Sam began to roam"
It continued to say that Sam went
to Texas "a cowboy for to be" and
that a nicer Teller you'd hardly ever
see" Sans story as told by the song
points out wildly that no good can
come from evil deeds, for Sam turned
bandit and train robber and was either
shot or hanged, I've forgotten which.
THE Chisholm Trail" was another
favorite Of that day and may have
originated among Texas trail crews jim
the very early days of trailing cattle. !
It sounds like the improviSations OF a |
score of cowboys, Is addressed to the |
"dogies," who are told that after the |
Of the drive are over that |
wyoming is to be your new home"
There are at least two, If not more |
songs entitled THE Dying Cowboy"
[ have heard them sung In music halls |
N Deadwood, Cheyenne and other
western cities many years ago. But l
Of them. In one Of them the dying |
youth, lying on "the cold damp ground /
at the close of day." appeals to his
to
Bury me not on the lone prairee,
Where the wild coyotes will howl Ger
me-"
He put up good argument, but the
Boys buried him right there just the
In a narrow grave just six by three
They buried him there on the lone
prairee."
Another Dying Cowboy song has
IN entirely different theme, somewhat
)oastful at the start, but connected
With later warning calculated to In
luce young men to eSchew strong
rink and the gaming tables. 1t says
hat:
Once in the saddle I used to go
dashing,
once In the saddle used to be gay"
But alas, he "first took to drinkin'
nd then to card playtn'" and, as
night be expected, got shot through
he body and now here lay" Ap-
arently he is not remorSeful TO any
xtent, unless 1t be that he was too
low ON the draw, but, after instruct
ng his friends to play slow music and
place the sod over him." he candidly
dmits that he's only a poor cowboy
nd confeSSes that Il know done
7rong."
Why Were They MOurnfuI?
Just why all of these cowboys songs
hould be so mournful In theme has
ever been explained. One reason
hat might be advanced Is that sung
D slow and doleful measure the words
hight fit into the hoof rhythm Of a
lowly Looping pony. The hole In that
Is that men who do or did
Ide slowly Looping ponies, don't or
idn't sing those songs
Once In Madison county, 40 years
go, I heard George Chase, now out
de man for the Spear Faddis Cattle
o., Of Sheridan, Wyo, singing a frag-
lent Of an old prospector's song.
George, former cowpuncher in CEN
al Montana, at that particular period
as timekeeper at the Strawberry /
line at Pony. The song he sang was
prospector who said:
[ wrapped my grub IN my blankets
"And left my tools ON the ground,
And started one morning to shank 1t
ITO a country they call Puget
Sound"
It followed right lively tune. The
ing said that the singer arrived at
Is destination ain the dead of mid
inter" and found the country all
,vered with fog" and said that the
mber grew on the htllsides 'as thick
the hair on the back Of dog"
7 aRkad George whv cOWDgIncherr On 4