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I PART THREE
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VOL. XIX.
PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 16, 1900.
NO. 51.
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- PAGES 25 TO 32 ::
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HERE was a book in
our school library in
the days of my youtfi
that for tragic romance
and thrilling adventure
has seldom been equal
ed. It was somewhere
between, the covers of
this remarkable work "The White Chief
thatl discovered the hitherto unsuspect
ed, but none the less poetic, possibilities
of the lariat That long-familiar rope
of braided rawhide, commonly spoken of
ton the ranch as a "lasso." had never
particularly appealed to me before, but J
a breathless perusal of the pages of the
"White Chief" invested It at once with
p. wierd nnd(oompelllpg Interest. It-was J
wver tuier a. isorx ot open sesame, its
coils framing'5or me a vista of the wild,
free life of the plains, billowy seas of
grass, bright with the blossoms of Spring;
limitless sun-scorched levels, where the
mirage tempted the weary traveler far
ther and yet farther from his course;
galoping steeds and jingle of spurs, vast
lierds of cattle, and gleaming horns tos-.
Jng In the quivering heat. A brave life,
gloriously environed, it seemed to ma
then, and the charm of it has not de
parted with the gathering years.
Of Spanish Origin.
The riata. or lariat, the rope used on
the range In the handling of horses and
cattle, is of Spanish origin. Corte: is
credited with having introduced it on the
continent of North America. S.nce the
followers of that merciless invader roped
Wf$Sf
3&
SPINNING 100 FEET Or ONE-INCH HEMP ROPE AROUND THE BODY, IN
A GRADUALLY INCREASING CIRCLE, THE ENTIRE LENGTH BEING
TINALLY EXHAUSTED.
their homed cattle and their Andalusian I
ponies on the Mexican plateau. Its utll-
ity has been recognized throughout the
Western world, from the shores of the
Southern gulfs to the lower limit of those
nui sweep away muauoii.cc,,
toward the Arctic circle. Indeed, it Is
an Indispensable factor in the handling
of livestock on the range, and the pic
t 'rescue cowboy, that centaur "of the
plains, without it, would be as helpless
ns a soldier unarmed.
The words, "lariat" and "lasso," are
suggestive of coils of braided rawhide,
but the article itself lb oftener thin not
o' hemp or hair. And the cattle ranch
man of North America has long since
discarded both terms, in favsr of the
simpler one of "rope." which he uses
not only as a noun, but as a verb as well.
He also Inclines to the hempen cord for
ordinary service, although the Mexican
still clings to hla braided hide. The lat
ter isprecrKble for use in rainy weather.
the natural oil which It retains prevent-
ing the hardening nfl stiffening to which
. . . . .
hemp is Habit under certain conditions.
How Made.
The usual size of a lasso Is a or C Inch
In diameter. To make one of rawhldo
tho material Is cut into strands one-eighth
of an inch thick. Six of these strands
are then braided together around a sev
enth, OT- inside strand, and the rope,
when finished, Is perfectly smooth and
far less likely to kink, or knot, or twist,
than one of hemp. This latter greatly
commends it to the consideration of the
cowboy. Any delay at a critical mo
ment, when, for example, a quick re
covery and throw must be made, may
cost him his safety; or even his life.
To soften a new hemp rope and render
it serviceable, the cowboy ties one end
to hia caddie-hern and allows the rest
to drag: on the ground, as he rides about
his work. In the course of a few hours
he reverses the ends, an J thereby the
stiff, unmanageable cordage Is trans
formedT"ih 'a "brief half day, into a pli
able lariat,
"The length of a rope," said Frahk
Chamberlln, the noted lasso and rifle ex
pert, now in Portland, who kindly con
sented to pose for the pictures which il
lustrate this article, "varies with indi
vidual taste and judgment. Personally,
I consider 40 feet the "most practical
length, although my one-time employer,
'Buck Taylor' known the world over
as the 'King of the Cowboys,' could, with
ease and deady accuracy, handle any
amount of one-half Inch rope, up to
SO feet But his height and weight
six feet six inches and 260 pounds, respec
tivelycoupled with almost superhuman
strength, were fully proportionate to his
Idea of the proper length of a saddle
rope."
Labor on the almost limitless cattle
ranges of the West is never ending,
From early dawn to star-set dusk, from
dusk to dawn again; in the blossoming
flf a pm,csa ;r facmg bfeath
of . st(rms cowboyg
goes on unceasingly. He all but lives
in the saddle, and wherever he rides,
whether night or day, beneath the Sum
mer stars, or braving the snows of "Win
ter, he carries with htm, colled at his
sadle bow, or swung upon his left arm,
ready for Instant action, his lariat. For
there are few tasks that fall to his share
that do not Involve the use of the rope,
and a good "roper" indispensable as he
is to every cattle outfit, although he
commands fair wages, certainly earns
every cent that he receives.
He is, of necessity, a man in the full
est sense of the term clear-headed, with
nerves and muscles of steel; able to think
and act with lightning rapidity, of sound
t I SnrliMnnnt nnrl nhnrp nil a et,--. frt
t-,,1 .. , . .,.5
i iear. xiis num
ls constantly performed
In the midst of danger. A rope may
break under heavy strain; a blow from
the recoil would be as fatal as a pistol
shot. Any inattention or blunder may
mean death in some dreadful form. The
cowboy may have his Xaultst hut cow
Liljl Wimm
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ardlce and stupidity are not among
them. For the" matter of that, few men
are cowards or fools who live close to
Nature. It was Walt "Whitman who said:
Now I know the secret of the xaakln? of the
best of people.
It Is to eat and sleep with the earth.
On the Range.
But the nomad of the 'Western plains
is passing. "With the adven.t of the
barbed-wire fence, his vocation vanishes.
The "daring, dashing cowboy" of earlier
days will soon be found only In the "Wild
West shows and other similar aggrega
tions. Indeed, even now he Is banished
to those isolated districts where up-to-date
methods have not yet been adopted
by the progressive rancher. The cattle
business may have gained as to profile
in this transition from the unrestricted
freedom of vast ranges to "farming on
horseback," but It has altogether lost
its romance.
In the new order of things, on the
fenced range, there is no longer need
for the services of the expert "roper,"
onco the pride and boast of every out
fit. Cattle are, where improved methods
prevail, driven into corrals and chutes
and branded In the tamest fashion,
without even so much as a 'suggestion
of the risk and excitement that character
ized the "round-up" of 'former years,
when the cowboy, after a forenoon of
arduous preparation, put In the rest of
the day roping calves and dragging them
up to the fire to be branded. Aside from
the work, which was hard and continu
ous and required skill of no ordinary de
gree, resulting often in blistered palms
and fingers burned to the bone by con
stant friction of the rope, there was al
ways present an element of danger.
Charging steers and enraged bovine moth
ers, resenting the indignity put upon their
young, were not slow to seek revenge.
A vengeful steer is no mean antagonist,
and a maddened cow is an enemy not
to be despised by either horse or rider.
3Iolerii Innovations.
Branding on the unfenced range Is a
task that never ends. There are con-
Spinning u circle 7 feet In diameter
behind bin back, at the name time
bending body bnckwnrd. Very dif
ficult of performance.
stantly being discovered animals that
have been missed at the regular round
up, and these, wherever found are Im
mediately roped thrown and "burned."
At every turn, and in jevery phase of his
work, the cowboy has need of his rope.
It Is brought Into play In catching fresh
mounts for the men, for no horse is kept
under saddle more than a few hours at
a time. If, as not infrequently happens,
a steer strays-Into a quicksand, or mires
In a bog, the lasso Is thrown about his
horns and he is speedily extricated. When
the mess wagon needs a lift up a hill, or
assistance In crossing miry bottom land,
the man with the rope is at hand to
render aid.
Wood must be brought for the camp
'fire. The cowboy attaches one end of his
lariat to the log of his desire, securing
it by any number of "throws" or
"hitches," takes a snub on his saddle
horn, and the well-trained, willing pony
does the rest.
A mistaken impression prevails in the
mind of the public in regard to the man
ner In which a lasso is handled. The
idea that the loop is always swung around
the head before making a cast, especially
when the roper Is on foot, is erroneous.
No man of experience ever makes a cast
in this fashion from the ground, in prac
tical work. There are several good and
sufficient reasons why he does not. One
of them is that the movement Is likely
to frighten the stock, especially horses;
another that he may have to wait some
minutes before a favorable opportunity
occurs for making a cast. He knows
that better results are obtained by hold
ing the rope as unobstrusively as pos
sible, even keeping it concealed from the
object of capture If the animals is timid
or nervous.
Different "When Mounted.
On the contrary, however, when mount
ed and in pursuit, it is absolutely neces
sary to swing the loop over and around
PLACING HALF HITCHES,
11
the head, for the cast must be made
with the greatest possible force, In or
der to overcome, not only the forward
movement of the pursued, but also the
action of the wind, should that chance
be against you.
As to the manner of casting, some "ro
pers" cast with a quick, jerky movement
of the hand, seeming to use the arm very
little and the body not at alL pthers jem
ploy body, arm and hand. Both methods
are effective, when perfected by practice.
"As for myself," said Expert Chamber
lln, in an interval of rest, between the
"throws" he wss making for the benefit
of The Oregonlan's artist, "I prefer speed,
with very little lost motion. The fewer
movements the better, especially in a
bunch of excited or irritable cattle."
But not to the man belongs all the
credit of marvelous skill in the manipu
lation of the lasso. He has an able and,
Indeed, Indispensable coadjutor In his
horse. One of the first lessons a young
Western equine learns, and one which,
onca mastered, he never forgets. Is not
to "run on a rope." After this, he Is
said to be "rope-broke," or to have "rope
Circling rope, first In rlftht hnnd,
then npon the ivrlit and forearm,
and then changing to left hnnd,
wrist and arm.
sense." In catching a horse with a
lariat, he Is Invariably secured by the
neck. Cattle, on the other hand, are sel
dom caught by the horns or head, un
less it Is necessary to lead or throw them.
"Heeling" Throws.
In case a "roper." either on foot or
on horseback (he Is nearly always on.
horseback), wishes to secure a calf or a
"maverick," he emp!oa what Is known
In ranching parlance as a "heeling"
throw, the noose .being so cast that it
catches the animal by1 the hind foot, or
ii'oi, ua ueueu. j.iiciu uie uiso nuuier-'
ous "fancy foot-throwrs" known to the
practiced roper. Amonfr others Is that.
wherein a vertical circle is described
with the lariat the loop revolving forward
from the rider. In such fashion as to
catch the feet of the galloping animal.
The horizontal rotary circle Is also used
as a basis for a fancy foot throw. This
Performer encircled by spinning
loop, and ont of which he Jumps,
preserving circle meanwhile.
i
circle is rotated around the performer,
who, biding his time, casts it forward in
the path of the animal of which he is
in pursuit, at the exact Instant that his
practical eye tells him will prove effect
ive. Speaking of fancywork with the rope,
there is an interesting class of men, lim
ited as to numbers, who, having acquired
a high degree of skill In handling the
lasso upon the cattle ranges of the West,
now appear In public exhibitions. Of
this class none Is better known than Mr.
Chamberlln, who holds a gold medal rep
resenting the American championship.
"Exhibition work," says Mr. Chamber
lln, "requires Incessant practice. To
begin with, a man must have some nat-
ALTERNA TELY, ON FEET AND HANDS, TYING ALL TOGETHER.
ural adaptation for it. and to this must
be added a thorough knowledge of the
rope In all Its practical uses and rela
tions. This knowledge Is only to be ob
tained by years upon the range. Either
actually or professionally considered, It
Is the hardest kind of labor and taxes
a man's physical powers to the utmost.
As a means of exercise. It compares fa
vorably with any dumb-bell. Indian club
or 'Delsarte drill I have ever witnessed.
Every muscle is brought Into play. A
standing position must be maintained, to
gether with constant movement of the
trunk, limbs, head, neck and even the
fingers.
" "Circle work or 'trick rope jug
gling,' " continued the ex-cowboy, "Is
related to practical roping only inso
far as, in both caSes, the lasso is the im
plement used. I consider it Juggling to
make a rope produce seemingly Impossi
ble conditions, without the aid of me
chanical contrivances; to cause it to
describe parabolas and fantastid curves,
and to sway and float and circle In an
Incomprehensible manner."
Mr. Chamberlln employs a lariat of
horsehlde, covered with white cotton
braid, In his trick juggling. It measures
about 28 feet In length and Is one-half
Inch In diameter. The "circle" Is formed
and maintained by spinning the loop of
the lasso at a high rate of speed with
the right hand, while the left Is employed
in keeping the kink and twist out of
the rest of the rope. The circle is spun
horizontally, vertically and at several
different angles, the diameter varying as
occasion requires. The accompanying il
lustrations show some of the more diffi
cult feats performed by Mr. Chamberlln.
In the NortliYvest.
Few thinsrs have had more to do with
the development of the industrial wealth
of this great Northwest than the lariat.
From the reedy marshes of the Klamath
to the Invisible line that divides Northern
Washington from British Columbia, vast
flocks and herds have pastured unrestrict
ed by so much as the suggestion of a
A nntnrnl position for a. practical
delivery of loop.
fence. In Eastern Oregon particularly
that fair and fertile plateau, where the
grass-grown hills are as the billows of
tho sea thousands of cattle and horses
have been reared, and tended, and driven
to market, yielding their fortunate owners
rich returns, In the form of solden gain,
and addlns Immensely to the picturesque
features of life In that land of marvelous
mysteries. Fierce wars have been waged
between the sheepmen and the cattlemen,
and the heroes of the lasso have not al
ways been victorious. Tragedies that
only need perspective to transform them
to glorified romance have been enacted,
with th : limitless range for a stage and
the rolling clouds for shifting scenery.
Ambitions Lads.
There was a time, not so many 5ears
gone by, when it was the ambition of
many a venturesome-minded farmer lad
In the Willamette Valley to cross the
mountains and become a cowboy This
Imagination was fired by the stories of
danger and daring that were told about
the glowing fire, on long Winter evenings,
by returned or visiting elder brothers, or
ranchmen. The jingling spurs, the gor
geously bedecked saddles, with the ever
present rope colled at the bow, were ob
jects that filled him with almost idola
trous admiration. There was, all Sum
mer long, a passing to and fitr from
valley to range and from range to valley,
over the various mountain routes, of
bravely accoutered cattlemen and cow
boys driving their bunchgrass herds to
market, and returning with young stock,
gathered up on this side of the Cascades,
to be pastured for a few years on the
other and then brought back again, per
haps, or driven northward to The B-alles
or Walla Walla, or, more likely still, east
ward across the alkali plains of Idaho
and Montana, to the great markets of the
world.
But times are changing. The ddvent
rr 9Ui
of steam and steel and electricity have
compelled new conditions. Modern In
vention Is rapidly helping- civilized man
to get rid of his romance. But though
the day is fast approaching when the
cowboy will no longer swing his rope
above his sombrero, as he sallopa across
the bunchgrass plains and over the roll
ing hills of Eastern Oregon and Washing
ton, the fact that he has Uv ed and fought
and flourished there will not be forgot
ten, and the memory of his wild life and
wilder deeds will serve to enrich the 1
pages of romance for the pleasure and
profit of generations yet to come. For the
record of a fearless man, be he prince or
peasant, king or cowboy, holds a health
ful Interest for the sons of men.
With the bendlns blue above me.
And the brown beneath my feet,
The mighty winds a-blowlng.
The antry herds a-lowlns.
And far away to eastward,
"Where the sky and prairie meet,
A gleam of red a-showlng
"Where the dawn comes fair and fleet
Oh, that's the life I long for!
Oh, that's the life for me!
There's room to move, to breathe In,
"Where the hills are like the sea.
And, oh! the splendid battles,
"When the blizzard hosts are out!
Spinning a circle behind the back.
And we face the storm king's legions
And put them all to rout.
And. oh! the tender glory
Of the stars on Summer nights!
There's no lamp that e'er can rival
Those soft, white-shining lights.
Oh, that's the life I long for!
'Tls there alone I'm free;
There's health and strength and courage
"Where the hills are like the sea.
For a man Is out of prison
And as a man should be.
On the range across the mountains,
"Where the hills are like the seat
Dnel With Lassos.
The following story of a rope duel on
the range Is told by Mr. Chamberlln, who
says he was an eye-witness of the occur
rence: "It was on the Moreau River," says the
narrator, "about a day's ride from the
Dakota-Montana line, and directly south
of the Short Pine Hills country. We,
about 12 riders In all, had camped at the
crossing of the Belle Fourche and Valley
Creek stage lines, headed north to the
Hash Knife ranch. The 'bunch was com
posed of all sorts and conditions of men,
including the college graduate, renegade
and outlaw. There were nine Americans
and three Mexicans, picked up for the
most part in the Black Hills towns, two
weeks prior, to do some extra 'trail work.
SWINGEffG ROPE AROUND BODY USED WHEN ON FOOT ONLY, IN HIGH
WIND.
BillLa Force, the Hash Knife foreman,
was In charge.
"We were at breakfast, discussing cat
tle, the all-absorbing topic In a cow camp.
when Dick Mattox. an all-round bad
man, a gambler by profession, when not
a cowboy, made some remark about rop
ing a Greaser down in Texas and hauling
him around the ' prairie until he was
worn out.' One of the Mexicans, Loupe
La Grande by name, replied, with a sneer,
that the man must have been asleep or
dead. 'You couldn't rope a live man and
do that,' he added.
41
Dick Pulls a Gnn.
"Dick Jumped to his feet and pulled his
gun. " Loupe did likewise, but La Force
ran between them and made them 're
cover arms. The Mexican's eyes glit
tered like at rattlesnake's, but he put up
his gun, as did Dick also. There was a
short armistice, but everybody knew
there would be trouble, for the two had
been wanting a pretext for a quarrel
from the start.
"La Force ordered the horse wrangler
to bring In the saddle bunch, a3 he ln-
pnflpd movlne that mornlntr. While I
was saddling up I heard the Mexican
address Dick, and they walked off to one
side and talked In low tones for a few
minutes. Then each man selected and .
saddled his best mount, got his ropo off
the horn and laid It stretched out on the
ground. Dick's rope was about 45 feet
long; Loupe's was nearer CO.
"In an Instant the Mexican's knife was
out and his rope cut to the exact length
of Dick's. Then, coiling their lariats
carefully, they led their horses in oppo
site directions until they were about 100
yards apart, where they mounted,
wheeled.and rode toward each other. I
stood holding my bridle reins and watch
ing every move, and I will never forget
the look of hate on that Mexican's face.
His lips were parted in a wicked smlla
that showed the gleam, of his white teeth.
Dick's jaws were set tight. Ho looked
fierce enough, and determined, but there
was also a suggestion of fear.
The Encounter.
"They rode slowly toward each other
for about 20 yards; then made a dash,
and the ropes shot out like lightning.
Both men dodged and escaped. The ropes
were recovered, and they began to circle
around and around.' We could hear tho
swish of their lariats, as they swung
them over their heads, each man trying
for some advantage over the other.
"They maneuvered back and forth, and,
finally, each made a cast. The Mexican
got his rope over Dick's head, but tho
latter threw it off before the slack could
be pulled up. An instant later, though,
Loupe had gathered up his rope and
caught his enemy by the head and one
arm.
"He took a wrap on the horn, and, driv
ing the spurs into his pony, dashed out
upon the prairie. Before, however, he
could pull his captive from the saddle, a
pistol shot rang out, and he fell to the
ground, dead. Dick had drawn his gun
with his free hand, and, coward that ho
was, shot his antagonist through tho
head.
"His triumph, though, was short lived.
The Mexican's runaway pony jerked him
from bis horse, with terrible force,
dragged him some distance and stopped.
"Before we could reach him on of the
remaining Mexicans had ridden up and
emptied his six-shooter into Dick's body.
Of course, we all opened fire on Loupe'3
partner, Lacio, who was now in full re
treat, headed for a wooded bottom land,
He reached cover far ahead of us, and
escaped.
"We returned to camp and passed a res
olution to the effect that the world was
well rid of both the duelists, whom, wo
buried at Ostrander's stage station, some
three miles from the scene of the fatality;
The matter was duly reported to a Dep
uty Sheriff whom we met next morning.
It is needless to say that disputes and
arguments were carefully avoided by the
members of that outfit for some time to
come."
L. M. M.
It Was AH Right.
A young man, who looked as if he might
be about 25 years old, was sitting In the
waiting-room of the depot. On his knee
was a 1-year-old baby. Presently the baby
began to cry, and the awkwardness and
helplessness of the younff man were so
marked as to attract general attention.
At this point one of the waiting1 passen
gers, a fat and amiable-looking man,
crossed the room and said to the dis
tressed baby-tender:
"A young,woman gave you that baby
to hold while she went to see about her
baggage, didn't she?"
"Yes."
"Well, now, I knew it, as soon as I
saw you. You expect her back, I sup
pose?" "Of course."
"Ha! Ha! You are looking for her
every minute, ain't you?"
"I think she'll come back."
"Ha! ha! Excuse me, but I can't help
laughing. A woman once played the same
trick on me. I was in Chicago. You're
caught, young man. She took you for a
hayseed."
"Oh, she'll come back," answered the
young man as he looked anxiously
around.
"She will, eh? Ha! ha! hal What
makes you think so?"
"Why, because she's my wife, and this
Is our first baby."
"Oh um I see!" muttered the fat man,
and he was In such haste to get back to
the other side of the room that he nearly
fell over a passing pug dog. Buffalo Enquirer.