Branches Book

BRANCHES

7,000 horses, and 1,000 men. The trail became so popular at times that if there was something prohibiting one group of herders and cattle, there would be a huge back-up and none of the other groups would be able to move their cattle. The trail began in Brownsville, Texas and, if it was clear, could stretch all the way to Canada. Cattle driving in the West didn't become popular until about 10 years after it had started in Texas. 14 While men had been herding and driving cattle all over the country, it was those in the West who became known as cowboys. Cowboys had to safely guide a couple thousand cattle hundreds of miles through storms and drought, and they had to protect them from snakes and outlaws. Even though the life of the cowboy was very difficult, people still found it very attractive and still do. People see cowboys as brave and free, living a life of danger and independence. 15 During the golden age of cowboys, they were able to range freely through the Great Plains and didn't have to worry about barbed wire, railroads, and laws preventing them from doing their jobs, though they did have a number of other dangers that might stop them. Through the years, land that had been used for grazing was bought up, railroads became necessary to get people from east to west and vice versa, and, as the profession became more popular, laws had to be made to regulate it. The industry was further brought down by the fact that the demand for beef was decreasing, therefore the price was also decreasing, and the land of the Great Plains was tired and overgrazed. Another reason the golden age of cowboys ended was because of the Texas fever. The Texas fever was a deadly fever that could be carried by the cattle and had a 100% mortality rate. 16 Symptoms of the disease included high fever, swollen spleen, engorged liver, thick bile and bloody urine. The fever financially wrecked many ranchers because it killed all their live stock so they complained and pushed for restrictions to be made on the cattle drives coming from Texas. 17 In 1875, laws were passed in Kansas to prohibit Texas cattle from being driven in Eastern Kansas. This ended most of the cattle driving in Kansas and forced the drivers to go West. Luckily, the West wasn’t so bad. In California, a cattle worth $5 to $10 in Texas could go for $25 to $200. During the height of the golden age of cowboys, if ranchers were smart and sold their cattle in the right markets, they could turn a profit of up to 100% in just 3 years. 18 After a dry summer and a 14 Jones, "The Western," Writn' for the Brand. 15 Foner and Garraty, "Cowboys," History. 16 Jones, "The Western," Writn' for the Brand. 17 Cecil Kirk Hutson, Texas Fever in Kansas 1866-1930 , vol. 68, Agricultural History (n.p.: Agricultural History Society, 1994), [Page #], https://www.jstor.org/stable/3744450?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents. 18 Jones, "The Western," Writn' for the Brand.

204