The Cowboy:

This job was not like what TV and movies have glamorized. The cowboy in the old west worked long hours, not our typical eight-hour day nor a forty-hour week. Their main job was to protect cattle. Thieves and outlaws stole cattle to sell on what we would call the black market today. These men (and some independent women) were today’s equivalent of a high-end security guard.

The cowboy’s job was a dirty one too, although the movies were probably truthful about the Saturday night bath, occasional haircut, and shave at the barber’s. Their $25-$40 a month pay would be the equivalent of today’s $1,000-$1,500. There was no overtime or regular days off, nor paid vacation time. If the ranch owner was a Christian, he might conduct a short religious service on Sundays or even give time off to the cowboy for church attendance, if it was convenient.

The cowboy originated in Mexico. They were called vaqueros. The job included roping, lassoing cows, fence mending, feeding the critters, and horsemanship.

The Lawman:

The old west was not as lawless as movies depict, but yes, there were bandits who robbed banks, trains, and committed murders. The sheriff’s job was considered prestigious and the man who held this position had to be fast with a gun and carry himself with authority. There were towns so far west that the eastern laws didn’t always apply, so bounty hunters were hired to protect innocent townspeople from outlaws. Later, U.S. Marshals would bring criminals to justice, but as towns developed, individual sheriffs and deputies were hired too.

Often, a town would be run by criminals themselves (much like gangs with leaders in a  prison). Perhaps the Earp brothers might be a close example. Even though legend has glorified them, they were not the total moral men that have been idealized in the movies.

I bring these tidbits to you from the website “Listverse.”

I hope you have enjoyed a little history about the old west this month. I’d love to hear your comments. And, please feel free to suggest topics that you would like to read in future blogs.

I leave you with this Irish blessing…

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
The rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, 
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.