by Patti Sherry-Crews
Running Iron |
But before we get into why the running iron became the cattle rustler's favorite tool, let's put it in the context of cattle ranching practices in the old west.
Back in the day of the open range, cattle would roam freely, often mixing with herds belonging to other ranchers. When it was time for a cattle drive, the cowboys would "cut" the cows belonging to them from the rest of herd. But how did they know which animals belonged to them? Like it or not, that's where a red hot branding iron came in handy.
Branding Iron |
In the early days cattle rustling wasn't quite as serious a crime as it was to become. In fact, that's how many ranchers started or increased their herds.
But then came the harsh winters of 1886-7. Ranchers caught unprepared for the deep snows that buried the cattle's food source, grass, for months had their herds almost wiped out due to starvation. After that, the disadvantage of open range ranching became painfully obvious. Instead cows were kept in fields behind barbed wire fencing, and hay was grown and stored for feed.
The emergence of the cattle barons in the late 19th century changed the landscape yet again. These large operations had no patience with the smaller ranch holders and their cattle rustling ways. They hired "regulators" to impose order. These regulators also known as "Stock Marshals" or "Stock Detectives" were man like hired gun, Tom Horn (later himself hung for murdering a defenseless boy in cold blood). These regulators used violence and intimidation to rid the land of small ranchers--cattle rustlers or not.
Now that we see why you didn't want to get caught with a running iron, you may be wondering how it worked. As "running" implies the hot iron was used to write on rather than stamp the hide. With a running iron an "F" could easily be turned into an "E" by the addition of a bar, for instance. Sometimes a wet blanket placed over the brand aided in blending the old with the alterations. In a pinch a running iron could be improvised using any metal handy: wire, horseshoe, saddle cinches, or railroad ties. But these crude attempts were less likely to fool the stock detectives who kept a book of registered brands on them for reference.
The ingenuity of the rustler to alter brands is illustrated in the theft of cattle from the XIT ranch in Texas. The XIT operation was run by a British syndicate owned by Charles B. and John V. Farwell. One would think the XIT brand would a hard brand to disguise. Think again.
Incorporating a star and a bar cleverly hid the cattle barons brand, reminding us that whether it's the old west or modern day, there's always going to be somebody who finds a way around rules and regulations. Folks are clever that way.
She stilled suddenly and swore under her breath, her
sights focused on something in the distance. Smoke curled
up in the air from an area a fire had no place being. She
strode over to Aces who was drinking from the trough where
she’d tied him and patted her shotgun shoved behind the saddle.
“Sorry about this. I know we just got back, but there’s
something I have to tend to.” She untied the horse, stepped
into the stirrup, and swung into the saddle.
She rode hard, closing the gap, all her senses on alert. But
as she got nearer and saw who was poking at the fire, she
saw this wasn’t a situation calling for a shotgun—just a
tongue-lashing.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she shouted.
Mack and another ranch hand, Zeke, had already stilled
when they heard the horse approach. They stood there now
like two errant schoolboys caught out. Zeke shoved his
hands in his pants pockets and lowered his head, a plug of
tobacco bulging in one cheek.
Mack waved around at the head of cattle corralled into a
box canyon behind him. “We’re fixing to burn brands into
these cows. What does it look like?”
Olivia looked at the implements used to change the
brands on cattle: the wet blanket, the lariat coiled on the
ground, and the running iron heating in the fire. “I’m sorry.
I asked the wrong question. The question I meant to ask is,
have you lost the sense that God gave you?” She pointed at
the running iron, a long rod with a curled end used for alter-
ing brands. “If you even get caught with that it’s hanging
offense.”
“No, look, Vee, this is real clever.” Wearing heavy raw-
hide gloves, Mack pulled the rod out of the fire. “You see
how it comes apart into two pieces so you can hide it easily.”
“You spent money on that? I always use a piece of bent
wire. That way, nobody can catch you out with something
made to alter a brand.”
“Yeah, but the results look crude, in my opinion. When I
use the running iron, you’d be hard pressed to tell it wasn’t
the original brand.”
“You should see what Mack does. It’s real artwork the
way he can turn any brand into your rocking star so nobody
can see it used to be something else,” said Zeke.
“I’m aware of Mack’s talent. That’s not my point.”
Mack frowned, disappointed to not be able to show off
his new tool. “What is your point?”
“The point is, Mack, that this is the kind of thing that got
my father killed. Those cows have a brand from the Lazy R
ranch. These fellas aren’t playing around. And you, with a
baby on the way. Who’d you steal the cattle from?”
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Fascinating level of detail here. Loved the examples of fake brands and picture of the instruments used. This was right up my street. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks C.A. I can't imagine such an undertaking as stealing cattle!
DeleteGreat post and loved the excerpt. Doris
ReplyDeleteThanks, Doris!
DeleteCattle rustlers were certainly creative in the ways they changed the brands on their stolen cattle.
ReplyDeleteI learned quite a lot from your post, Patti.
That what I thought too, Sarah! Some of those rustlers were talented and creative! You'd have to have a steady hand. Thanks for stopping by!
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