Document text
TA71,1?"
dkIA 1 8 1931
'!rs. da 'via, P.
7,01,ennan ,;ounty, Texas.
;Astrict c).
No. of words 950
File No. 250
lege No. 1
Neference
A. Tnterview with John liardgreaves Crawford, 1k, Texas.
7-eview of any Central Texas Cattle laising,
Ty John 'inrdgreeves Carfword.
Lr. Crawford hod his first experience in cow huntinp in 186,
and 1868. !iis equipment was a pony and saddle. The saddle was
supplied with buck -skin strings to hold provisions and bedding.
The equipment included e wollet which had one end sewed up, it
was split in the miOdle, one end contained biscuit and the other
raw bacon. There were no coffee, buckets, cups or pots; no shorten-
ing in the bread, there was a crust on all sides of the biscuits,
these biscuits were cooked hard and after a week or ten days they
:ere con. This wrIllet was tied to the back of the saddle. Heddling
consisted of a pair of blankets wrapped inside of the saddle blalket
an put on the horils. Cowboy rode on top. The horse was staked -tit
night with n long rope made from a cow's or horse's tail. Cowboys
always traveled south, because the cattle drifted south from aboiX
ten. to thirty miler. The round -up would take a week. Cattle were
collected in big lots at neighbors. The cowboys would stake their
orses on the gr9ss; eat biscuit end bacon, broiled on a stick, end
sleep on the pround. oeveral men, seven, cipht or more, would SO
toter to hunt for their cattle which had drifted. 'Iach men
rould have 1..s cattle's ears marked end branded r:43 they could be..
identified. For instance, if two men hod the same brand they coed
tell their cattle by the ear marks. crop, right, out off
richt tip of ear. lit left under bit. Brands B 3, circle H,
•Id othcrs.
;7,AeVe
,NT
;:re. Ada Davis, P. e.
:tetennen County, Texas.
elotriet No.
File No. £30
Page No. 2
The cowboys would travel on south, in the same menner. They
could tell about tol,; far to f0 by the winter weather, if the
enther was bad, they meld not go so far. After they reached their
deetination, the boys would go book a different route and probably
find more cattle. After they had reached a certain point, they
would separate the cattle and go home, After Tharking and branding
the calves, they olad pen the calves luid let the eows run out ell
day. Often the tame cattle enme home and brolght range cattle with
them. dince the eettle would tramp eown the prase, if was neeeqsary
to build new lots the next rinter end use the old ones for fields
end e' rdens. Theme lots consisted of three, round pens. Cattle
are !Narked end branded in one pen, (tows milked in enother nen,
end calves put into the third. These were big lots, covering from.
one to two sores. Cattle were penned to keep clean places for them
to lie down, and to tramp down the grass, etc.
Marks and brands were put on record at the Court House. A
peaeral round up was held shout the lbth of April; beef cattle,
eexn fat, were sold about ilupust 1st, to buyers from Shreveport,
Louisiana. idteers brought from '1..r.50 to P0.O0 each, owing to the
ciee and flesh. iAlyers p -id in twenty dollar gold pieces, right on
t ac prairie. They bouFht by the head end eidn't weigh the steers.
Buyers rode through the drove of cattle end made the price, if the
renchmen didn't like the price offered, they would wait for the next
buyer. eifers end milk cows were seldom sold because cattlemen did
not Int their brand scottered. If heifers and milk cows were sold,
they cencelled their brand by drawing e line t/lrough it vith e red
'BARU rETT1,14mENT
Mrs. Ada Devi*, P. W.
McLennan County, Texas.
District No. 8
File No. S30
Page No. 3
hot iron.
By 1870, there were many improvements, among these were;
peckdbjeok for bedding, plenty of buckets, coffee pots, frying pens,
ropes, better saddles, from which cowboys would rope settle. Cowboys
would travel through the prairie, end when they found settle belonging
to their ranch they drove them home. There were round -ups. But they
followed the same schedule. In eerly days, the cowboys mode rope of
raw -hide. Ordinery rope end saddle rope was of four pleits. _Every
cowboy carried a six shooter or two, s quirt which was se iron -handled,
four plaited, raw -hide rope, three feet long, which wee used, when the
cattle ran too slowly, to make them run fester.
The ranch horses were also branded, usually on the shoulder.
Cowboys were often known by the, ranch brand. Then spurs were introduced.
TO brand the settle they would stamp the iron letter to blacken it;
then build a fire, heat these irons, throw the settle down, and press
branding iron on hip, or side, or shoulder. A running iron wee used
later; this was something like wagon rod stUl wee e fester method which
could be put on any pert of the body of the cattle. They also used a
knife to brand. There were no matches, so flint rook was used to start
a fire. eter wee scarce. There were no tanks, and nothing with which
to build them. Often cowboys carried settle from eight to fifteen miles
to water. They doctored cattle some but not much.
Wwitfrp TOxes kp 187e.
Cattle often drifted e hundred miles. During the spring round..up
settle were gathered as before. It required a month or six weeks for
EARLY rETTLEUENT
Mrs. Ado Davis, P. 14
MaLennen County, Texas.
Dirtriot No. 8
File No, P30
Page No. 4
each round -up. The remit outfits would start about the first of Map;
they used e wagon equipped with a grub box, the lid of this box was
used fore table. Provisions were kept in the box. They et' boons,
bsoon, coffee end killed and cooked a calf every two or three •days.
Mode coffee in buckets. Had a boss over the cook wagon. They built
fire in a trench and threw branding irons across this on whisk vessels
were placed to cook. They cooked a big pot of beans, or ste4 and put
a big spoon or fork in it. Each ranoh-hand helped himself to the soft**,
breed and stow, then they.would go off fifteen or twenty !Set from the
fire to eat. They would get their bed and make it down by their saddles.
Saddles were used as pillows. Borneo were hobbled out for the night.
In the morning, they would roll the bed up end tie it with the hobbling
rope. A tarpaulin was used to keep rein, -wind and water off. They
usually slept with their boots on. The horse used in the round -up was
a good strong one. Cowboys would round -up cattle end then change horses
to separate the cattle. TO out out the cattle from different ranches
or to out out the cattle to be sold, a specially trained horse, known
as a-P'outting horse" was used. This horse was so sensible, no quick in
his movements sad so well trained that he was very valuable and was never
used for any other purpose. The "cutting horse*" would wind his way in
and out through the largest herd*, quickly turning and dodging the cattle
to force a particular steer out of the calling herd. By using the 'lout-
ting horse" cowboys were able to *operate the cattle in to different
owner's groups.
LARLY_7:1J,TTL,MLIC
As Davis, r.
MoLennen County, Texas.
Distriot 'cl). 8,
File No. 230
Page No. b
Then the outfit went on with the wagon to the next rinoh end there
repe.,ted the performance. Later round -ups were held to brand the
cattle.
Roping horses were especially trained for use in roping calves
or cattle to be branded. This was a quick, sensible horse and
esiecielly trained to stop quiokly when the rope hit the oow aimed
for. Tf the rope was on the cow, the *ow would run until it reached
the end of the rope, then' the sudden stop would throw the cow. These
ponies were trained to brioe themselves against the jeri given by the
cow. The other cowboys would cetoh the animal over the beck and by
the legs and throw it on the side. Another, cowboy with the red hot
branding iron would quickly slap it on the animal, thus burning the
brand into its flesh. This place would be sore severe/ days. When
healed, the hairless soar oerribd the print of the owner's brand.
Roping horses were not used for running. Horses which had been found
to nee reel well at night were used for night riding on the herds. (A)