Cattle drives --
moving herds of cattle from one location to another on foot -- were especially
important in the American west between 1866 and 1886. Around 20 million cattle
were herded from Texas to stockyards in Chicago and other eastern cities.
Long-distance cattle driving was traditional in Mexico, California, and Texas,
and horse herds were sometimes also driven. The term "drive" does not
refer to carrying, as in driving a vehicle, but to forcing the cattle to move
forward.
Cattle drives
had to strike a delicate balance: the cattle needed to move as quickly as
possible, but not so quickly as to cause them to lose weight. Fat, healthy
cattle brought the best prices at market. The ideal speed was somewhere between
10 to 15 miles in one day, with rest periods for grazing at midday and at
night. This meant that a drive could take several months to complete on a long
trail. One of the most famous trails, the Chisholm Trail, was 1,000 miles long,
stretching from Texas to Abilene, Kansas.
The more cattle
you could move, the more money you made when you sold them at the end of the
drive. A typical drive consisted of 1,000 to 3,000 cattle. With this many
cattle, it was highly profitable for a town to encourage a drive to pass
through, or even make it their destination once the railroads began expanding.
So-called cattle towns experienced a boom between 1866 and 1890, as railroads
reached them and the towns made themselves available for gathering and shipping
cattle. The most famous towns were railheads, where the herds were shipped off
to Chicago stockyards.
Abilene, Kansas
was one of the first, and most famous, cattle towns. Other Kansas towns
included Wichita and Dodge City. There were certainly other famous cattle towns,
however: Las Vegas, New Mexico; Greeley, Colorado; Medora, North Dakota;
Cheyenne, Wyoming; Ogallala, Nebraska; Miles City, Montana; and Prescott,
Arizona are but a few of them. Texas was a frequent starting point for many
drives, and Amarillo, Fort Worth, and Wichita Falls were all important cattle
towns.
A drive couldn't
exist without the cowboy, of course. A crew of at ten to fifteen men was needed
for a sizeable herd. Each man needed from five to ten horses (ridden in shifts
so that no one horse became exhausted), so a drive also included a small herd
of horses, called a remuda. The cowboys worked in shifts to watch the cattle
around the clock, herding them in the right direction during the day and making
sure they were safe at night. Theft was a big danger, as was a stampede, when
cattle became frightened and dashed away at top speed in any direction.
A typical drive
would consist of the trail boss, who might be the owner of the cattle, the crew
of cowboys, a horse wrangler to handle the remuda, and the cook, who drove the
chuck wagon. This wagon carried not only food for the crew, but also the
medical supplies and bedrolls. The cook was especially well-respected by the
crew for his knowledge of food and practical medicine. Payment depended on your
previous experience and the job you worked. A trail boss could earn $90 a month
on a drive, while a good cook could bring in $60 a month. Cowboys typically
earned between $30 and $40 a month, and the horse wrangler, usually the
youngest member of the crew, usually earned only around $25 a month.
Once the herd
was moving, everyone had an assigned spot. A good trail boss would rotate the
positions of his crew so that no one cowboy had to ride in the most unpleasant
spots all the time. First out of the camp would be the chuck wagon. This would
travel in front of the herd, and usually be out of sight before long. A scout
traveled ahead of the herd as well, seeking out the best routes and serving as
go-between for the chuck wagon and the trail boss. The main herd followed the
trail boss and the point riders to his right and left. Swing riders were
positioned to either side of the herd, and were responsible for keeping the
cattle bunched together, chasing down stragglers and driving them back into the
herd. To the back of the herd, in roughly
the same positions as point, were the flank riders. Their job was to push the
herd along, making sure they kept to the desired speed. The worst job of all
was drag, which was directly behind the herd, pushing them forward and watching
for stragglers. Drag riders were covered with dust and less-desirable products
of the cattle, kicked up by thousands of hooves.
Here are some
words of wisdom from cattle rancher Oscar Thompson to his son Webster before
his first drive:
11.
First
of all, obey your boss -- he's paying you for your service.
22.
When
you camp at night, always point your wagon tongue toward the North Star.
33.
Explain
to your men in a quiet voice what they are to do.
44.
Never
say "no" to your employer.
55.
Be
ready to go at all times.
66.
Don't
say "You boys do this," but "Come on, boys, follow me."
77.
Put
your best two men on point.
88.
Water
your cattle and fill them up before night.
99.
Explain
to your cook that he must be ready with meals at all times.
110. Watch your horses -- don't let the men
abuse them.
111. Keep your harness and camp equipment
clean and up out of the sand.
112. Don't fight your men unless they jump
you; but if they or anyone else jumps you, give them the best you have.
113. Don't ever misrepresent anything to your
employer; tell it just like it happened.
114. Don't get rattled. No matter what
happens, keep your head clear.
115. Don't lose confidence in yourself.
116. Look after the comfort of your men, and
they will follow you to hell.
117. Keep your mind on your business and make
your head save your heels.
