AmericAN WEStern

Code of the West

Cowboy Spurs

Nothing but Indians and Rattlesnakes:

The truth was that farming the plains was indeed

more difficult than back east.

By Fred Ward

After the Civil War, many from the East Coast and Europe ere lured west by reports from relatives

and by extensive advertising campaigns promising “the Best Prairie Lands”, “Low Prices”, “Large Discounts For Cash”, and “Better Terms Than Ever!”. The new railroads provided the opportunity for migrants to go out and take a look, with special “land exploring tickets”, the cost of which could be applied to land purchases offered by the railroads. As one farm wife stated, “There’s nothing up there but Indians and rattlesnakes and blue northers and prairie fires” The truth was that farming the plains was indeed more difficult than back east. Water management was more critical, lightning fires were more prevalent, the weather was more extreme, rainfall was less predictable.

Mostmigrants,however,putthoseconcernsaside.Theirchiefmotivationtomovewestwastofindabettereconomiclifethantheonetheyhad.Farmerssoughtlargerandmorefertileareas;merchantsandtradesmannewcustomersandlesscompetitivemarkets;laborershigherpayingworkandbetterconditions.ThemajorexceptionwastheMormons,whosoughtareligiousandeco-nomicUtopia,freeofpersecution,whichwouldallowtheirentirecommunitytothrive.Inmanycases,migrantssanktheirrootsincommunitiesofsimilarreligiousandethnicbackgrounds.Forexample,manyFinnswenttoMinnesotaandMichigan,SwedestoSouthDakota,NorwegianstoNorthDakota,IrishtoMontana,ChinesetoSanFrancisco,GermanMennonitesinKansas,andGermanJewstoPortland,Oregon. TheCaliforniaGoldRushsetofflargemigrationsofHispanicandAsianpeoplewhichcontinuedaftertheCivilWar.Chinesemigrants,manyofwhomwereimpoverishedpeasants,providedthemajorpartoftheworkforceforthebuildingofCentralPacificportionofthetrans-continentalrailroad.Theyalsoworkedinmining,agriculture,andsmallbusinesses,andmanylivedinSanFrancisco.SignificantnumbersofJapa-nesealsoarrivedinCalifornia.Somemigrantsintendedtomaketheirfortuneandreturnhomeandotherssoughttostayandstartanewlife.

ManyHispanicswhohadbeenlivingintheformerterritoriesofNewSpain,losttheirlandrightstofraudandgovernmentalactionwhenTexas,NewMexico,andCaliforniawereformed.Insomecases,Hispanicsweresimplydrivenofftheirland.InTexas,thesituationwasmostacute,asthe“Tejanos”,whomadeupabout75%ofthepopulation,endedupaslaborersemployedbythelargewhiterancheswhichtookovertheirland.InNewMexico,onlysixpercentofallclaimsbyHispanicswereconfirmedbytheClaimsCourt.Asaresult,manyHispanicsbecameper-manentlymigratingworkers,seekingseason-alemploymentinfarming,mining,ranching,andontherailroads.Bordertownssprangupwithbarriosofintensepoverty.Inresponse,someHispanicsjoinedlaborunions,andinafewcases,ledrevolts.TheCalifornia“RobinHood”,JoaquinMurieta,ledaganginthe1850swhichburnedhouses,killedminers,androbbedstagecoaches.InTexas,JuanCortinaleda20-yearcampaignagainstTexaslandgrabbersandtheTexasRangers,startingaround1859.InsteadoftherealityofHis-paniclife,intheUnitedStatesthepublic’simagebecameoneofquaintpeasantshappywiththeirlot.

Code of the WestAnewcodeofbehaviorwasbecomingacceptableintheWest.Peoplenolongerhadadutytoretreatwhenthreatened.ThiswasadeparturefromBritishcom-monlawthatsaidyoumusthaveyourbacktothewallbeforeyoucouldprotectyourselfwithdeadlyforce.In1876anOhiocourtheldifattackedyouwerenot“obligatedtofly”.TheIndianaSupremeCourtupheldthelegalityof‘nodutytoretreat”.ThecodeoftheWestdictatedthatamandidnothavetobackawayfromafight.Hecouldalsopursueanadversaryevenifitre-sultedindeath.Heneededtoretreatnofurtherthan“theairathisback”.Inreality,themainactivityoflawenforce-mentincattletownswasknockingdowndrunksandhaulingthemawaybeforetheyhurtthemselvesorothers,somewhatakintonavalmilitarypolicecontrollingshoreleave.Theyalsodisarmedcowboyswhoviolatedguncontroledicts,triedtopreventduel-ing,anddealtwithflagrantbreachesofgamblingandpros-titutionordinances.Whenthecattlewerenotintown,WyattEarpandotherlawmenmightbeheadingupstreetrepairprojectsordoingothercivicchores,ortend-ingtotheirownbusinessinterests.Usually,justicesofthepeacewerepoorlyschooledinlaw,politicallycorrupt,andde-pendedonassessingfeesandfinestomakealiving.Thebetteronesruledbycommonsenseandexperience,butcouldbeinconsistentastheydidnotresorttostatutestoguidetheirrulings.Federaljudgestohavebetterqual-ityandfollowedwrittenlaw.Honestjurorswerehardtofindandmostjurorswerebiasedbytheirpersonalrela-tionshipsandacquaintances.SomeofthebanditryoftheWestwascarriedoutbyMexicansandIndiansagainstAnglo-AmericantargetsofopportunityalongtheU.S.–Mexicoborder,particularlyinTexas,Arizona,andCalifornia.PanchoVilla,afterleavinghisfather’sem-ploy,tookupthelifeofbanditryinDurangoandlaterinthestateofChihuahua.Hewascaughtseveraltimesforcrimesrangingfrombanditrytohorsethieveryandcattlerustlingbut,throughinfluentialconnections,wasalwaysabletosecurehisrelease.Villalaterbecamea

controversialrevolutionaryfolkhero,leadingabandofMexicanraidersinattacksagainstvari-ousregimesandwassoughtafterbytheU.S.government.ThesecondmajortypeofbanditrywasconductedbytheinfamousoutlawsoftheWest,includingJesseJames,BillytheKid,theDaltonGang,BlackBart,ButchCassidyandtheWildBunchandhundredsofotherswhopreyedonbanks,trains,andstagecoaches.Someoftheoutlaws,suchasJesseJames,wereproductsoftheviolenceoftheCivilWar(JameshadriddenwithQuantrill’sRaiders)andothersbecame

outlawsduringhardtimesinthecattleindustry.Manyweremisfitsanddrift-erswhoroamedtheWestavoidingthelaw.Whenoutlawgangswerenear,townswouldraiseaposse(likeinthemovies)toattempttodrivethemawayorcapturethem.Seeingthattheneedtocombatthegunslingerswasagrowingbusinessopportu-nity,AllanPinkertonorderedhisdetectiveagencytoopenbranchesoutWest,andtheygotintothebusinessofpursuingand

capturingoutlaws,liketheJamesGang,ButchCassidy,SamBass,and

dozensofothers.Pinkertondevisedthe“roguesgallery”andemployedasystem-

aticmethodforidentifyingbodiesofcriminals.CentraltothemythandtherealityoftheWestistheAmericancowboy.Hisreallifewasahardoneandrevolvedaroundtwoannualroundups,springandfall,thesubsequentdrivestomarket,andthetimeoffinthecattletownsspendinghishardearnedmoneyonfood,clothing,gambling,andprostitution.Duringwinter,manycowboyshiredthemselvesouttoranchesnearthecattletowns,wheretheyrepairedandmaintainedequipmentandbuildings.Onalongdrive,therewasusuallyonecowboyforeach250headofcattle.

Cowboy spursBeforeadrive,acowboy’sdutiesincludedridingoutontherangeandbringingtogetherthescatteredcattle.Thebestcattlewouldbeselected,roped,andbranded,andmostmalecattlewerecastrated.Thecattlealsoneededtobedehornedandexaminedandtreatedforinfections.Onthelongdrives,thecowboyshadtokeepthecattlemovingandinline.Thecattlehadtobewatcheddayandnightastheywerepronetostampedesandstraying.Theworkdaysoftenlastedfourteenhours,withjustsixhoursofsleep.Itwasgrueling,dustywork,withjustafewminutesofrelaxationbeforeandattheendofalongday.CowboyvvCowboyspursBeforeadrive,acowboy’sdutiesincludedridingoutontherangeandbringingtogetherthescatteredcattle.Thebestcattlewouldbeselected,roped,andbranded,andmostmalecattlewerecastrated.Thecattlealsoneededtobedehornedandexaminedandtreatedforinfections.Onthelongdrives,thecowboyshadtokeepthecattlemovingandinline.Thecattlehadtobewatcheddayandnightastheywerepronetostampedesandstraying.Theworkdaysoftenlastedfourteenhours,withjustsixhoursofsleep.Itwasgrueling,dustywork,withjustafewminutesofrelaxationbeforeandattheendofalongday.Onthetrail,

drinking,gambling,brawling,andevencursingwasoftenprohibitedandfined.Itwasoftenmonotonousandboringwork.Foodwasbarelyadequateandconsistedmostlyofbacon,beans,bread,coffee,driedfruit,andpota-toes.Onaverage,cowboysearned$30to$40permonth.Becauseoftheheavyphysicalandemotionaltoll,itwasunusualforacowboytospendmorethansevenyearsontherange.Asopenrangeranchingandthelongdrivesgavewaytofencedinranchesinthe1880s,theglorydaysofthecowboycametoanend,andthemythsaboutthe“freeliving”cowboybe-gantoemerge.