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Nature and Art, Vol. VIII, No 1, June 1900

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<h3>CATTLE.</h3> CATTLE is a term applied to the whole of that large variety of domestic animals known as the Bovine family. Naturalists have divided them into two primary groups—the hump-backed cattle (Bos Indicus) and the straight-backed cattle (Bos Taurus). Some naturalists claim that these two groups are really only different varieties of the same species, while others claim that the marked differences in structure, habits and voice are such as would indicate a specific distinction. The hump-backed variety is chiefly found in India and Africa, while the straight-backed cattle are common in all parts of the globe. Cattle seem to have been domesticated as far back as written and traditional history will take us. The remains of the cow and the ox have been found as a part of the many evidences of the oldest civilizations, their bones having been discovered in the same caves with stone axes and stone knives. That the cow contributed immensely to the earlier civilizations cannot be doubted. Besides contributing to the daily bill of fare she became the common beast of burden, drawing the rudest of plows, sleds and carts, and in fact she does the same to-day to some extent in many parts of the world. The common straight-backed cattle, as we know them in our country, remain an important factor even in this stage of civilization; while they are not generally used as beasts of burden, they furnish millions of gallons of milk and numberless pounds of butter, and finally sacrificing their entire bodies to the use of man. The principal part of the body goes to the meat block to become steaks, roasts and soup bones; the refuse flesh going to the manufacture of soaps largely; the hide furnishes most of our leather, the bones become fertilizer, the hoofs and horns make our glue, and lastly, the hair makes it possible for us to live in plastered houses. In olden times a man's wealth seems to have been measured by the number of cattle he owned, and during the same period cattle were used as money, or a medium of exchange. Later when metal coinage came into use in Greece the image of an ox was stamped on the new money in commemoration of the old system. The same idea has left its impression on the languages of Europe as seen in the Latin word pecunia and the English word "pecuniary," both words being derived from pecus cattle. America is the great cattle-producing country of the world. In the early settlement of this country the immense tracts of uncultivated grass lands were well adapted to cattle-raising, and many were the large herds to be seen west of the Ohio river on the great prairies of the country once known as the Northwest Territory. But as men came with their plows the herds were gradually driven farther and farther west. Cattle are very interesting animals when we once get acquainted with them. The writer, when a boy, had some experience herding cattle on an Illinois prairie. In this particular herd of which I wish to speak there were about seven hundred head and it required two of us and also two good shepherd dogs to keep them in control during the early part of the herding season or until we got them "broken in," as the old herders used to say. These cattle had been wintered on various farms surrounding the herd grounds, so when they were brought together in the spring there were about fifteen different clans to contend with, each clan having its recognized leader. Now, these leaders are always a source of trouble to the herder, and especially is this true for the first few weeks after bringing them together. [Pg 34] <table class="sp2 mc w50" title="BRITTANY."> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <ANTIMG style="width:100%" src="images/i_073.jpg" alt="" /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xx-smaller ac w30"></td> <td class="x-smaller ac w40">BRITTANY.</td> <td class="xx-smaller ac w30">COPYRIGHT 1900, BY A. W. MUMFORD, CHICAGO.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> [Pg 35] The whole herd would be grazing and moving slowly along, seemingly perfectly satisfied, when suddenly one of those leaders would raise his head very high in the air and act as if he saw something very interesting a mile away and would immediately start off in a rapid walk, bellowing two or three times to notify his followers that he was out for a stroll. Then the whole of his clan would follow him at once. They would not go far until the leader would set the pace in a rapid trot. But we always had the remedy at hand for these fellows and immediately one of us would mount a horse and taking a dog make a straight run for the leader and begin to give him the "business end" of a long, heavy whip, the horse being trained to this sort of performance would keep close to this leader, allowing us to pour on the whip until he was so completely run down and fagged out generally that he would never aspire to that office again; in fact, he would lose all interest in cattle politics, not even making a good follower thereafter. But other leaders would spring up and have to be discouraged in the same manner. While these clan leaders gave us more or less trouble during the whole of the season and made it necessary to exercise vigilance, it did not have in it that source of danger and excitement that we experienced in a general stampede. We had two of these during this season, one of which turned out rather seriously and furnished enough excitement to have satisfied the most reckless boy in our vicinity. It was some time the last of the month of May. We had "rounded up" our cattle in the evening as usual, putting them in the "pound" for the night. Our cabin was near the "pound" and situated on higher ground, so we could overlook the entire herd. This "pound" had an area of about ten acres, being enclosed by a very strong wooden fence. It was some time after midnight when we were awakened by the approach of a terrific thunderstorm. We knew the danger of a stampede during these storms and immediately got up, dressed ourselves in our rubber clothes, went to the stable a few yards away and saddled our horses. We were then ready for any emergency. When the lightning flashed we could see the cattle walking in a circle round and round the "pound." Soon the rain began to pour down in torrents and the storm was on in earnest. It had not been raining long when with a blinding flash the lightning struck a tree just outside the "pound." The shock was so great that it knocked down a number of the cattle, which we saw regaining their feet during the next flash of lightning. With one mighty surge the cattle mashed down the entire fence on one side of the "pound" and the stampede was on. We had our horses out in a "jiffy" and calling the dogs we started in hot pursuit. All we dared to do was "to follow." There were quite a number of trees in the path they took for about eighty rods from the pound. The almost continuous lightning enabled us to follow the cattle. They were running at full speed and it sounded like distant thunder and fairly shook the earth. They ran about a mile when they came to a small lake, which caused them to separate into two distinct herds. I followed one herd and my companion the other. After running about four miles and through a large farm they finally stopped in some heavy timber. I had not long to wait until daylight, and the storm being over I "rounded up" all I could find and started them back toward the herd grounds, arriving at the cabin about 11 A. M., my companion arriving about the same time. After a hurried meal we went out to look for injured cattle and to make a count. We found two dead ones near the pound, which had evidently lost their lives by running against trees. It was several days before we were able to locate all the stragglers. <hr class="chap" /> [Pg 36] <h2 style="margin-bottom:2em;">MISCELLANY</h2> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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