Year: 1879

RSAn transient advertisements must be
pad fSr In neea a
ployment on the trail as well as head
ing, and many of the most noted train
robbers, murderers and outlaws have
been well known to the cowboys of the
drive. Indeed, men of this sort are Of
ten the most useful to those who drive,
for the morals of the trail are not al
ways Of high order, though there are
some very good men in the business.
The chief object is to make the drive
successful. One of the principal
ways of achieving success is to
arrive at your destination with
larger herd than you had when starting,
and without any further outlay of mon
ey. This is accomplished by absorp-
ton. The large naturally attract stray
beeves here and there, and the number
thus acquired occasionally amounts to
quite considerable figure. The local
cattle man is the sufferer. But your
genuine old-time "keow man" is not
unequal to the emergency. He knows
a trick worth two of that. He loiters
along the trail to run off stragglers from
the herd, and thus acquires no inconsid-
cradle interest in the drive. He accu-
mulates ''trail CATTLE" Of course this is
not the universal custom of the trail. But
it prevails to no inconsiderable extent.
There is another custom almost equally
reprehensible which have been assured
by those who have had experience on
the drive is common to nearly all cattle
men. 1t assumes the form of an un-
written code, which reads: "Never
slaughter your own beeves." Some
beeves are slaughtered and eaten, and,
when it is considered that during eight
months of the year hundreds of herds
are moving in all directions through the
State, with ten or fifteen men to each
herd, mostly men of an unbounded
stomach, too, it will readily be seen that
the amount of beef thus consumed is
large enough to be of some consequence
to those owning beef cattle near the
trail.


IMPROVED STOCK.


During the past few years the efforts
of Texas stockmen to improve their
herds by mixture with the large Dur
ham stock have resulted in considerable
importations of fine young bulls from
Missouri, kentucky, Tennessee and Illi-
nois. Several hundred head Of short
horns have arrived at this point from
the States mentioned during the fall and
winter Just passed. Yearling bulls from
well known herds have been sold here
at from $50 to $3.50, and the traffic
would flourish more extensively but that
the change of climate sometimes proves
disastrous to the short-horns. From
these bulls, bred to the native COWS, q
much improved class of stock is pro-
duced. The horns of half-breeds are
considerably shorter; the animals are
better shaped chan the Texas cattle and
carry more meat, and when fat sell at
better figures in the st. Louis and Chi
cago markets. The introduction of a
finer breed of cattle, with the other con-
siderations already mentioned, will in
duce stock raiser to put up fences, so
as to keep to himself to advantage
his outlay for valuable males. Few per-
sons who have seen the rough wild
Texan steers that occasionally break
loose in the streets of New York, would
not think that there are any such cattle
in this State as are found close to cities
of the older States, yet the fact is that
there are here some very fine stock OF
common cattle. A continued course of
neglect and semi.starvation for years
have left their marks in many places.
Where good grass and abundant shade
are found the cattle show up to much
advantage. The mesquite country is
considered the best for all seasons.
Brakes, affording shelter, are necessary
for the winter, but cattle do not thrive
well in heavily wooded districts.


THE COWBOY.


Tho Toxos ooU. how IA q rare bird He
is sort of happy jack of the wilder
ness, a dry land sailor, who takes his
fun in large doses whenever he gets to
town with a dance house-his fun pure
deviltry. He can yell louder in an
unearthly key, swagger more and swear
harder than any man of his inches on
the continent. His dress is evidently
intended to ape the Mexican counterfeit
of the Spanish cavalier, with q sneaking
regard for home conventionalities
thrown in. Imagine the conglomera-
wholly indescribable and varies with the
whim of the individual. Yet he is
proud of his "make up," and pays
hat, boots and spurs. The hat is an
elaborate affair. Broad leaved, tasseled
and tinseled, it spreads its far-reaching
shadow over the form of its festive
owner few acres beyond. His only
pet is his horse; his only toy his pistol )
but he would prefer losing his horse for
day to be severed from his six-shooter
for moment. All his strength is in
his toy. Like the savage Indian, when
deprived of his weapon (of offense al
ways, never needed for defense), his
"heart is on the ground" A small
boy could thrash him then. Give
him his pistol and the "drop "
on q man and he will rejoice
in his ability to. "bore a hole in
him big enough for a good sized dog to
crawl through, !" as if the boring process
were something to be exceedingly proud
of. This is because cowboys are not


hung often enough in Texas, and the
reason they have not been is because
they have been employed and protected


by the COW man, who steals, just like the


murderous ward politician might some


times be protected by the dishonest, cor.


rupt District Attorney in some Northern


cities. We have have had some very


distinguished cowboys in this part OF


the world. Bill Longley, who killed


thirty-seven men in the course of his


brief experience, was cowboy most oi


his time, as was also John Wesley Har.


din, better known as Wes. Hardin, who


has been known to kill a man for snor
ing in his sleep. These miscreants have
had no such word as fair play in theil
lexicon. If they intended to get quar-
rel up they first "got the drop" on theil
victim, then bullied him into active re-


sistance, then shot him "in self-de'


fense." This sort of cowboy has beer
more frequently seen heretofore thar
at present, but we have still a few left
Agassiz and the Snake.


OF Prof. Agassiz, Miss A. G. Bracket