14() 



GLEANINGS IN J{P:E CULTUKK 



Feb. 



it is, aud any one then has a right to chiim it, and 

 lor just that purpose there generally is a lot of 

 sight-seers. 



One day, when we had been in California about 

 one year we heard that there would be a rodeo here 

 at Los Alamos, and we came down to see it. We 

 earae down the Santa Ynez Cailon. The hills 

 around us seemed to be alive with cattle and horse- 

 men. It made me hold my breath to see how those 

 riders would come rushing down the hillsides, often 

 on the full run. Sometimes a horse would stumble 

 into a gopher-hole, and over would go horse aud 

 rider, sometimes badly hurt, but more often only 

 scratched by the rough brush. Up they would get 

 and off they would go, may be to perform the same 

 feat several times, before the cattle were all gath- 

 ered in. 



At that time many of the cattle were Mexican 

 stock— long, lean-looking animals with tremendous 

 horns; aud if they found a person on foot they 

 would kill him if possible; and even on horseback a 

 person w;.s not always safe. Many a horse has 

 been killed, and the rider saved only by climbing a 

 tree, of which there fortunately was jilenty, or by 

 some other strategy. 



Well, they got all the cattle they could And on the 

 ranches of the three men who had called the rndeii. 

 There was a correl on the Laguna ranch, near a 

 large laguna that the stockmen liked, on account of 

 its nearness to water, and the cattle were within 

 that correl. Such bawling and mooing I it was 

 deafening. But the Spaniards there assembled 

 seemed to enjoy it. Two or three had built a large 

 fire, to heat the branding-irons in, and others were 

 riding around, swinging their lassos, ready for the 

 fray. Not liking to stay to see them wortc, I went 

 on to a friend's house, while my husband stayed to 

 see them, so I will give you his account of the way 

 they did it. 



As soon as the irons were hot, two Spaniards 

 went into the correl on horseback, and one caught 

 an animal l)y the horns with the lasso, while the 

 other lassoed it by the hind feet. It is surprising 

 how ((uick they can do it; and then each pulling in 

 opposite directions, the animal would fall, and the 

 owner's man would rush up with the hot iron and 

 press it upon the Heshy \mrt of the hip until it 

 smoked. It seems cruel, but it is not worse than 

 many a child gets burned. Then the lasso ropes 

 are loosened, and the animal springs uji and disap- 

 pears in the band. Sometimes, if the victim was a 

 steer, he would charge upon the horsenjcn. Then 

 how the outsiders would shout and laugh! As it 

 will not do to leave so many cattle together long, 

 they have to work fast, so that changes are made 

 frequently; and if any one is not expert, his time 

 for brave show is short. After all are done, then a 

 tine fat animal is slaughtered, and they gather 

 around the Are with the meat cut into long strips 

 with the grain, and roast it over the glowing coals 

 on long sticks. Then they feast and tell stories, 

 and generally make a night of it, as many have 

 come miles to see the rodeo. 



The glorious weather and dry ground make 

 camping-out a delight. The next year after that 

 rodeo was one of California's dry years, and the 

 most of those cattle either starv^cd to death or were 

 slaughtered for their pelts, and these ranches were 

 rented to American farmers, so that, for this part 

 of California, the rodeo is s\, thing of the past. 



Jjos Alamos, Cal. Aunt Katie Hxi/roN. 



■^^c^ 



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Every hoy or girl, under 15 

 *'■ years of age, who writes a 



letter for this department, containino 



SOME VALUABLE FACT, NOT GENERALLY 

 KNOWN, ON BEES OR OTHER MATTERS, 

 will receive one of David Cook's excel- 

 lent five - cent Sunday - school books. 

 Many of these bool:s contain the same mat- 

 ter that you find in Sunday-school hooks 

 ' , ' costing from Sl.OO to 81.50. If you have had 

 I one or more books, give us the nnmes that we 

 may not send the same twice. We have now 

 in stock six different books, as follows; viz.: 

 Sheer Off, The Gi.ant - Killer, The Roby 

 F.Tmily, Rescued from Egypt, and Ten Nights in 

 a Bar-Room, We have also Our Homes, Part I. .and 

 Our Homes, Part II. Besides the above books, you may have a 

 photograph of our old house apiary, taken a great many years 

 ago. In it is a picture of myself, Blue Eyes, and Caddy, and a 

 glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pretty little colored 

 pictures of birds, fruits, flowers, etc., suitable for framing. 

 You can have your choice of anyone of the above pictures 

 or books for every letter that gives us some valuable piece of 

 information. 



" A chiefs aniang ye takin' notes; 

 .\n' faith, he'll prent it. " 



ET me introduce you to our soocl friend 

 Mr. IJrone. He has had his picture 

 ' taken, and, like all big bee - men, he 

 must have it engraved. Doii't you 

 think it is a natural likeness of ourold 

 lazy friend? lie is more clumsy and big- 

 headed tlKtn the rest of his family, and, like 

 barking dogs that never bite, he will make 

 more buzzing Ihan half a dozen bees, but 

 never slings. His wings are 

 largf. and, for that reason, 

 he can easily be picked off the 

 combs. If yon are to learn to' 

 cage liees, there is nothing 

 better to practice on. As he 

 can not hurt you, you need 

 not feel at all "alarmed; and 

 if, by ail awkward movement, 

 yonshonld maim him, it will 

 not be a bee (M- a (jneen. .\fter pra,cticing 

 upon him awhile viiu can then try a bee ; 

 when you learn tlie knack of putting bees 

 into a cage successfully, without being nerv- 

 ous, you Can try a iiueen. I tell you, little 

 folks, it is a. real art to pick ii]* hundieds of 

 bees and ((ueens, day after day, and not 

 maim one. If your father is a (pieen-bieed- 

 er, see how usefid yon can make yourself to 

 him. Now a few words about bees that have 

 lost their stings. 



Reports are coming in (juite bi'iskly from 

 the juveniles, all showing invariably, so far, 

 that bees, after the loss of the sting, die 

 very soon ; but, as has been said, all the ex- 

 periments up to tliis time point to contine- 

 ment of the injured l)pe. Some of the older 

 folks have said that a bee, shut up alone on 

 (iood candy, would die any way, Avhether it. 

 had received any bodily injm-y or not. I 

 suppose they mean that the little bee gets so 

 lonesome and homesick that he would just 

 die of grief. Now, hereafter, Mdien a bee 

 loses its sting, do not cage him alone, but 



