Oklahoma: A Story Through Her People

The Camp Cook’s Troubles by Charles M. Russell. The horses in the remuda were supposed to be broken and trained, but this was not always the case. In this scene a frightened horse
disrupts the morning meal of coffee and eggs. Although Russell portrays the cowboys on the left carrying revolvers, such was not generally the case. Few cowboys owned pistols. They simply
could not afford them on their wages of $25 to $40 per month. Those who did usually left them in the chuck wagon. They were too easily lost, and an accidental shot could start a stampede
or wound a cowboy, and medical aid was non-existent on most drives. In the event of a serious injury, the trail boss would send for a doctor from the nearest settlement while the cook did
what he could. When one cowboy was killed after falling from a horse in the Cherokee Outlet, his foreman had five other cowboys dig the grave. Afterward, the foreman asked
“Does anybody know the right words to say?” When no one answered, the foreman continued, “Well, throw some dirt on the son of a gun, and let’s get back to work.”
COURTESY OF THE GILCREASE MUSEUM.
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