Country Lifestyles
Doan’s Crossing
By Shannon Gillette
At the end of the Civil War, Texas was economically crippled. The one commodity that was extremely abundant was Longhorn cattle. While Texans were cash poor and cattle rich, the Northern portions of the country were suffering from a beef shortage. The time-proven theory of supply and demand came into play and the era of cattle trails was born. Ranchers rounded up the longhorns, tagged or branded them and hired cowboys to herd them north to the railheads in Kansas. The cattle drives lasted two decades, coming to an end when railroads reached Texas, making the cattle drives unnecessary. There is no accurate accounting of exactly how many Longhorns traveled up the dusty cattle trails, but it is believed to be in the millions.
Cowboys would start the herds up the trail in the spring. Several feeder trails throughout Texas funneled into the larger trails such as the Chisholm and the Western Trails. They traveled ten to fifteen miles a day depending on what hazards they encountered. The entire trip to Western Kansas took anywhere from 25 to 100 days to complete. Usually a twelve-man crew could handle a herd of 2,000 to 3,000. Often the herds were comprised of cattle belonging to several different ranchers. Depending on the cowboys’ rank, they were paid $60 to $125 per month. The cook was considered the most important member of the team although his pay did not often reflect that status.
To read more pick up the December 2014 issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch.
Country Lifestyles
Does John Wayne Have the Answer to Our Discourse?
By Dal Houston
I am terribly saddened by all the argumentative discourse that seems to be going on in today’s world. It seems as though it is no longer enough just to disagree on certain issues. We are expected to classify someone as an enemy if they do not always agree with us on all issues, lest we be considered weak.
To make things even worse, because those who disagree with you are now considered enemies, the sentiment seems to be that it is only fair and proper to destroy them, because they are the enemy, again with the fear of ridicule for being weak if we do not fight.
With all that said, and seemingly unrelated, I am a big John Wayne fan. From watching him dive into his role as a cowboy, to marveling at his time portraying a soldier or appreciating his acting gig as a sailor, there is seldom a week that goes by without me watching at least one
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Country Lifestyles
While We Were Sleeping
By Martha Crump
That old adage, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.,” may have some basis in truth when applied to minor situations. However, when what you don’t know is presented in the form of a “Trojan Horse” and is what amounts to an incredible attempt to fleece American property rights, it becomes a different story altogether.
To put this unbelievable tale together, we need to step back to Joe Biden’s 2021 Executive Order which pledged commitment to help restore balance on public lands and waters, to create jobs, and to provide a path to align the management of America’s public lands and waters with our nation’s climate, conservation, and clean energy goals.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Country Lifestyles
Lacey’s Pantry: Strawberry Sorbet
By Lacey Vilhauer
Ingredients:
1 whole lemon, seeded and roughly chopped
2 cups sugar
2 pounds strawberries, hulled
Juice of 1 to 2 lemons
¼ cup water
Directions:
Place the chopped lemon and sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined. Transfer to a large bowl. Puree the strawberries in a food processor and add to the lemon mixture along with juice of one lemon and water. Taste and add more juice as desired.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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