Jim Perry, the exceptional cowboy with outstanding skills
The American #cowboy is marketed as a white entity. But in fact, of the 35,000 cowboys that worked the ranches and rode the trails, nearly 25% were Black.
The 1902 book, The Virginian, did not contain one #BlackCowboy, nor did the 1903 book, The Log of a Cowboy. Black cowboys had to be exceptional to be remembered.
One exceptional cowboy was Jim Perry. Perry was mainly revered as a ranch-house cook and a chuck-wagon cook. A cowboy made $30 a month, but a cook would earn between $35-50 a month. The success of a ranch was built on cowboys that were well fed.
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Jim was also a driver who helped bring the first #Longhorns to the #XITranch (Ten in Texas) and erected fencing on the largest fenced ranch in the world. Jim branded cattle, broke horses, and was known to be a spectacular roping cowboy. In addition, he improved the cattle stock through breeding and introducing additional breeds to the herd.
Perry’s reputation included his ability as a rider, roper, bronco buster, musician, and the best cook of all the ranches. The fact that he was an excellent fiddler made him a favorite with the other cowboys.
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