Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1882 — TAROWING THE LASSO. [ARTICLE]

TAROWING THE LASSO.

An Englishmans Cheerful Experience Among the Texans. An Englishman’s cheerful experience among the untutored Texans: A rope or a lasso, is a harmless looking thing' but in the hands qt a Mexican It becomes a terrible weapon. A Mexican can yank a Yankee, or any other hostile intruder, he has a spite at, out of the saddle, as quick as the President of the United States can remove an unworthy office holder who is irregular in sending in his campaign assessment according to the civil service reform rules. The dexterity of a Mexican vaquero in handlinga rope has to be seen to be believed. During the war with the French, one of Maximilian’s best cavalry officers, a Pole, was caught out sb to speak, by the Mexicans, with a lasso, around Monterey and his neck and dragged to death. Every Mexican is dangerous when he has a lasso in his hands. Even a good natured Mexican who has been born without any arms, is not to be trusted when he has got a lasso in his hands—as we heard an Irishman once remark. In roping cattle and horses, the Mexican removes the calico remnant from the shrubbery A vaquero gracefully swings the lasso, gives it an apparently careless toss.and it is sure to encircle the neck of any particular animal in the herd he may have singled out. He, the Mexican, then throws his horseon his haunches, the lasso becomes taut, and so does the animal. It is taught that it is no use trying to escape from a Mexican with a lasso. Like most other harmlesslooking weapons, the lasso is dangerous to persons who do not know how to handle it. and to demonstrate this we submit the following: A few days ago, we met a newly arrived Englishman coming down Austin avenue on crutches. He wore his head in a bandage, his nose was skinned, and there were other indications of his having either leaned up against the propellor of a mule to rest himself, or having questioned the veracity of some native Texan. When you see an Englishman in Texas, who looks as if he needed medicine, you may be sure he is one of Dr. Kingsbury’s patients. At least, that is what all sick Englishmen in Texas clatm. This one told a touching story of how he met Dr. Kingsbury iu London, and atter they “ ’ad 'ad some ’arf and ’arf, ye know,” the Doctor had been giving him a florid description of Tekas, how pine apples grew on the prickly pear bushes, and boxes of oranges dropping ripe from the trees encumbered the Sidewalks, but what induced the young Englishman to leave his happy home and come to texas, to enjoy sport and to acquire great riches, suddenly, was the description of what sport it was to lasso cattle. “So you have been roping cattle, have you?” we asked. He said he had hired a horse, saddle, and “lassoo,” and had ridden up to a steer. As his bad luck would have it, he succeeded in throwing the rope over the animal’s horns. It galloped off. Johnny followed the doctor’s directions about reining in his horse, and the consequence was that the saddle, with ihe Englishman in it, went over the hdrse’s neck. He had tied the “lassoo” to the pommel of the saddle, like a dog with a tin kettle tied to his tail. It was worth sls, which the Englishman had to pay, but as the “lassoo” was gone too, he paid up cheerfully. He wanted to return to England to write a book about Texas sports and games. Jtie had already written a letter to the London Time's denouncing Kingsbury as unreliable. He also wanted the money returned that he .bad invested jn his Texas pleasure trip. We told him there was no trouble about getting his money. All he had to do was to make out his bill, go over to San Antonio, and present it to Colonel H. B. Andrews, who would hand out a check for that amount; that Colonel Pierce,President of the Sunse* Route, had given Colonel Andrews written permission to pay out of his, Andrews’, own pocket, any and all sums of money that he pleased to give to dissatisfied English immigrants. The Englishman called a hack to take him to the train bound for San Antonio, and as he disappeared from sight, who should come up but Bill Snort of the Crosby County Clarion and Farmer’s Vindicator. He is in Austin just now on important business. He is authorized by the School Commissioners of Crosby County to confer with Governor Roberts and, if possible, obtain his consent to the introduction of tbe Governor’s book, including the I “Texian hare,” into the public schools of Crosby County, to be used as a text book for the young. We told Bill about the bad luck of the Englishman who succeeded in roping a Texas steer, when he, Colouel Snort, spoke up and said that if he was properly encouraged he would give us some of his experience with the lasso. After having been encouraged twice, with a cigar thrown in, Bill settled himself in one of the editorial thrones, and let himself out as follows: “The first time I ever fooled with a lasso, or rather got fooled by alasso.was when I was a mere ooy, a playful child so to speak. As I did not want to put my parents to the expense of buying a lasso, I cut twenty feet off tbe clothes line. I then took position on the coon er and lay in wait for a victim. An aged Mexican came jogging along on a pacing pony, little imagining what was in store for him. I was nearly de’irious with joy at my lasso catching his horse by the hind foot. As I had tied the other end of the rope to my wrist, there was no chance for him to escape. The next thing I remembered was a erk at my arm that can only be compared to the shake of a candidate’s hand ou election day, after which I trotted mechanically behind the old Mexican who did not seem to know what a smart boy he had caught. ■ The people on the side walk took in the situation but were doubed up too much with laughter to render me such assistance. When the old Mexican traveled faster I humored him, and kept up with the Iprocession. I prayed, however, loud and earnestly, that be might stop before my arm came off. My prayerp were answered miraculously. He saw what was the matter. He dismounted and took the rope off his Worse’s hind leg. Then lie began to haul me in as u i re a'blg fish. I began to regret that my prayers for him to st« > had been so promptly answered, for there was an expression in the aged Aztec’s collection of features that filled me with me with gloomy forebodings. He was not in a hurrv to

take the rope off my wrist. He swun* the rope around his head, and the 1 began to revolve around him like a planet around the sun, he keeping up the centridugal force and the beat with the end of the rope? After he had taken more ex-rcise than was necessary for a man of his age. he took the rope oft my wrist, and I flew off into space at a tangent and high rate of speed. He did not give me back the rope either, but I did not miss it for I got some more rope at home—got it on the same place too—when my immediate ancestors discovered that the clothes line was too short. “That cured thedog of sucking eggs didn’t it?” queried one of the Sifters. “Well, my recollection is that it diii lor a while” resumed Bill, “but the cure was not permanent. About a year afterwards the city marshal issued a proclamation offering twenty-five cents reward for every unlicensed dog delivered at the pound. Here was a chance for a live, euergetic boy to turn an honest quarter. The recollection of myi former misfortune had faded out with the marks of the rope. I got another lasso and watched for a dog. The first dog I saw was several sizes too large to suit me, aud, besides,l was afraid he would not lead well. With my usual good luck the rope caught around the ueck, and I began to tow him iu the direction of the pound. At first he did not understand what I wanted,aud held back until I had nearly pulled his head off, when he suddenly came towards me, whereupon I abruptly sat down on the back of my head, and came very near impairing my future usefulness. But that was a splendid dog to lead. He not only came right up to me, but he went past me. The only fault that I ceuld find with him was that in passing me he carried off some of my clothes in his mouth. He must have got a taste of me in liia mouth, too. He weut on past to the end of the rope. This time, fortunately, I had not tied the rope to my wrist, so I did not have to follow him unless I wanted to. I thought I would ctieck up a little, sol pulled the rope. I hever saw such an easy dog to lead. He' turned right around and came back to me with his mouth open, as if he wanted the rest of my clothes, and another mouthful of boy. I turned the brute loose and fled. It was so easy to lead him. I led him right up to a tree, and the affectionate brute would have followed me up the tree if he had only had a ladder. Finally he went off with my lasso, and the two bits £ was to get lor leading him to the pound. Right then and there, sitting on the limb of that tree, I registered a solemn vow never to fool with a lasso again. But I must be going. I have au appointment with Governor Roberts to Bee about geeting his work introduced as a text book for the young into the Public Schools of Crosby County. I d go out with you again, but I reckon the Governor will set ’em up. Good bye,” and be was gone from our sight.

Crime and Sensational Literature. Saturday Review. The direct connection between “penny dreadfuls” and crime ha 3 been demonstrated over and over again by the annals of our own police courts. The mischievous lad who sometime since presented a pistol at her Majesty's head, and got well whipped for his pains, was found in possession of a collection of lived of celebrated highwaymen, and the various gangs of youthful burglars snd would-be-high-way men who have lately ai>peared iu the dock have one and all modeled their career upon the heroes of criminal novels. Only the other day a terrible illustration occurred of the actual effect of this gallows literature upon weak minds. A young man 19 years of age named Westby, shot his father dead at Nottingham, having first murdered a little offioe boy at the office of the solicitor where he was tmployed, “merely to strengthen his nerve,” and then took refuge in a fowl-house,where he was captumi will: a revolver in his possession, with which, as he fraukly owned, he intended, when the police came, to shoe t as many as possible. The key to this otherwise inexplicable outbreak of homicidal fury was afforded by the poor mother’s words: “My’ son was very fond of reading and would sit for hours at his favorite amusement, studying periodicals and sensational literature.” By this “sensational literature” his habits appear to have been formed, and they were eccentric enough. He would not. we are told, “allow any one to visit his bedroom, which was entered by an opening in the floor. To ’this opening he had attached a trapdoor, with bolts a id at night he always fastened himself in. He had ale o pulled down the bedstead and had been iu the habit of sleeping in a hammock slung up lrom the roof, while around the walls of the room were a number of pictures of the ‘Life of Dick Turpin,’ etc. A singular collection of cuttings from newspapers was found in his desk at Mr. Frazer’s office, including recipes for the manufacture of guncotton and other explosives, together with accounts of marvelous adventure: 1 .” Here is a direct instance of the.eftect which the modern substitutes for the Newgate calendar have upon weak intellects and crazy brains.

Patti’s Payne. A Boston actor wished to hear Patti sing without paying for it, and so he wrote to her enclosing a ticket of a lecture by somebody ou John Howard author ot “Home, tSweet Home,” stating that he wa9 an intL mate friend of Payne, having been present at his death bed in Tunis. He added that it was his sincere wish to hear her sing the beloved 9ong of his old comrade. Patti sent in response a ticket for one of the best seats in the bouse. But it struck the trickster that there might be au after <-!up of some kind. Therefore he politely gave up his seat to au old man, taking instead one that wa9 not quite as good. The latter was soon astonished by a message from Patti that she would be pleased to see him behind the scenes. Hhe desired to talk with him about Payne, but the conversation quickly turned to the swindle which had been perpetrated.

A plan for inducing the boys and girls of Worcester to read the instructive books in the public library instead of the trash has been successful. It consisted in inducing the teachers in the schools to make a practice of referring, in a casual manner, to the contents of interesting and solid works. Thus the youngsters have been led to choose a kind of reading matter which formerly lay unheeded on the shelves.