Cowboys and Cattle Kings: Life on the Range Today

The cattleman didn't vanish with the fencing of the open range. He is very much with us today-this two-fisted, hard-driving citizen of the pastures from El Paso to Butte. He is a very special kind of American, not solely because of the romantic history of his kind, but because of the way he looks at things. C. L. Sonnichsen, who talks the language of cow country folk, has written an absorbing account of the modern cattleman-full of anecdotes and the good, profane dialogue that gives warmth and vigor to western conversation. Above all, it has the quality of wit and humor. Cowboys and Cattle Kings evaluates the cattle raiser of the High Plains and Rocky Mountain areas since the fencing of the open range-how he lives, what he thinks, and how he conducts his business. Sonnichsen considers the roots and background of the present-day cowman and describes modern ranch children, ranch women, cowboys, managers, and others in the business. He clarifies the cowman's position in recent controversies concerning grazing and lease rights and control of the range. From the enormous "ranch empires" to the small enterprises, from the strongholds of the old-time ranchman to the popular dude ranches for tourists, Sonnichson touches every segment of the industry. Most important, perhaps, is his sympathetic account of the troubles of modern ranching-blizzards, droughts, rustlers, financial burdens-and the counterbalancing advantages of ranching as a way of life. C. L. Sonnichson was Professor Emeritus of Southwestern literature at the University of Texas, El Paso. He traveled 15,000 miles visiting cattlemen while researching this book. Sonnichson was the award-winning author of thirty-four books on Southwestern history, including The Mescalero Apaches and Tucson: The Life and Times of an American City both published by the University of Oklahoma Press.