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[3Shantel]

Sedalia missouri, by spring in 1866 railroads were running regularly. After the civil war demand for beef skyrocketed because of grwoing cities. The cow town people found mor convenient routes the next year. Josepg McCoy approached westernd towns with plans to create shipping yards. Plan ws to have the trails and rail lines come together. McCoY Built cattle pens, and Two story hotels. A day in the life of a cowboy, Meeting of Chisholm Trail and railroad in Abilene Ushered in heyday of cowboy. Cowboys usually worked 10-14 hours a day on the ranch. 14= hours on the trail. Some as young as 15, Most broken down by age 40. Cowboys season began with spring roundup. Had to herd all the longhorns they found on open range into a larege corral. Kept herd penned for several days. Long drive over land transport of animal.s Usally lasted 3 months. Typical driva had 1 cowboy per every 250-300Head of cattle, a cook that drove the chuck wagon and a wrongler. Trail boss earned $100 or more a month. Railroads lacked in the south. Cowvoy would be in sadle all day. Slept on the ground. Bathed in rivers. Piled metal objects at edge of camp site due to lightning. Many things could cause a stampede, Inckuding a sneeze. Legondary figures of the west never really delt with cattle. James Butler Hickok, Served tas a spy during civil war, shot while playing poker. Martha Jane Burke was an expert sharp shooter. She was known as a spy she would dress as a man. Too many cattle let to over-Grazing no grass. Winter or 1886-1887 Was one of the msot severe on record. Cattled died by thousands. Cattle Operations Went Bankrupt and suffered financial loss. Ranchers began to fence off their land with barbed wire. Wise open west no longer existed. Gold rush Miners were incading Indian Territory. They Protested. Colonel George a custer. Black hills were supposed to have, gold from the grass roots down.