Show AN EARLY TEXAN INDUSTRY cattlemen who laid abe foundation of their fortuned Fortu neg by the foundation of the fortunes of many of the great texas cattlemen was laid in the years immediately following the civil war says a man from the lone star state during the four years in which the drafts for the confederate array practically de populated the country of its able bodied men the cattle on the ranges running cd and unbranded increased enormously in numbers bearing no brand of ownership these cattle which at the close of alie war had become practically wild were subject to be taken by any man who could sustain his attempt by force of arms against other claims of ownership there was a good commercial dc aana for and these were alie imes when so many got their start in life by riding pistol in hand up to the cattle wherever found cd shooting them down and tailing their skins the adult cattle then running at large were too wild to be disposed of in any other way and so the hide taking industry flourished but when in time through the catching and branding of calves herds had been collected on ranges the shooting of mavericks fell into disrepute and come under the ban of rustling those men who through the practice had become well to do cattle owners now were foremost in suppressing it through the instrumentality of the courts and more effectually by informal hannings hangings hang ings |