Table of Contents
How much did a trail boss make on a cattle drive?
An average trail boss would have earned around $125 per month. The trail boss rode at the head of the herd. He collected the money when the cattle were sold and was responsible for paying the crew. Cook: The cook was the second most important position on the cattle drive.
What was a ramrod on a cattle drive?
To be a ramrod during an American cattle drive was to be like the foreman or right-hand man to the trail boss, and the ramrod was paid better than the…
How much did Cowboys make in 1800s?
A working cowhand in the late 1800s was paid $25 to $30 a month “and found.” The phrase “and found” meant he also got his meals (and a bunk when he was at the ranch headquarters.) A top hand might even get $40 a month and a foreman $50 or more. On a drive, a trail boss was sometimes paid as much as $100.
How much does a ranch hand make?
Average Salary for a Ranch Hand Ranch Hands in America make an average salary of $26,087 per year or $13 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $32,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $21,000 per year.
What was the average age of a cowboy on a cattle drive?
Cowboys were usually young, white men, but some were African-American, Mexican, or Indian. Their average age was 24. They trailed cattle for a variety of reasons. Some were fleeing the devastation of the South after the Civil War.
How many miles a day did a cattle drive make?
The drive would cover about 10 to 15 miles a day and, depending on what delays were encountered, a drive to western Kansas would take between 25 and 100 days.
How much did a cowhand make in the 1800s?
A working cowhand in the late 1800s was paid $25 to $30 a month “and found.” The phrase “and found” meant he also got his meals (and a bunk when he was at the ranch headquarters.) A top hand might even get $40 a month and a foreman $50 or more. On a drive, a trail boss was sometimes paid as much as $100.
How many men did it take to drive cattle?
The nation got its much-needed beef, and in the bargain the cowboy attained the status of America’s archetypal folk hero. Traditionally, a trail herd of any size required a crew of 10 to 15 men.
How big was the cattle drive in Texas?
The situation called for mobile commerce on a grand scale. Within a year of returning home from the battlefield, Texas cowboys drove an estimated quarter-million cattle north, making Texas the world’s undisputed ranching and cattle capital.
What was life like for old time cattle drivers?
Old-time drovers sought adventure but often suffered long stretches of boredom, not to mention deadly lightning, accidents, sickness and choking trail dust. ‘Head ’em up!