Fred Dunn-101
The Man I’d Like to be.
Almost everyone wants to be a “carefree” cowboy. I’m no exception, but have certain particulars which must be included. The prime object is a large ranch – almost a small national park is more like it. To satisfy my personal whim, the breeding of purebred Herefords would be my specialty. Lastly a friendly and specially trained dog and a fine string of horses would have to be in my possession.
A ranch of several thousand acres pleases my fancies only if it contains sufficient acreage for pasture land, the raising of grain and hay, and a forest to provide superb hunting and fishing facilities. My ranch would be situated either in the Midwest or bordering the leeward side of the Rockies. Mile upon mile of wooden rail fence would border and criscross my acres. Line shacks would be built for the men supervising the cattle. For convenience sake, markers would be implanted at intervals stating the distance to the “home corral” and from the nearest line shack. Although vast, my ranch would possess many conveniences, both in the home and on the “work bench”, but not to the extent of extreme moder(n)ization.
White-faced cattle would dot the pasture lands. Herefords have become my choice because of their beauty and beef value. These cattle are hardy and grow swiftly to a marketable age. The barn area would find the best of Hereford cows and bulls. Experiments would be performed to make them more hardy and disease resistant. Possibly I would have my own packing plant for processing my yearlings and other cattle that I would purchase for beef. Furtherance of the Hereford breeding in all parts of the country would be aided by my strain. This breed of cattle still offers a challenge for their betterment.
I would own the finest “cow ponies” in the United States with price no barrier. I would supply my hands with two horses each and provide excellent saddle horses for those wishing to visit my establishment. A good dog, probably a shepherd or border collie, would have to be mine. He would have to be trained for driving cattle and police work. I insist on a well trained dog because riding the range alone, one wants more company th(a)n his horse. The dog is also invaluable in locating and restoring stray cows to the herd, as well as bringing experimental stock into the barn.
How many men wish they could own their own ranch outfitted with all their personal fancies? Yes, I would like to be a top breeder of Hereford cattle – on my own ranch, but presently it is still a dream. Someday, I may reach the goal of the man I’d like to be.
F.J.D.
{From an English-101 paper. Junior year @ Cardinal McCloskey Memorial High School, Albany, NY, when I was 16 years old. Not sure if date on paper is 4/5 or 1/5/1960. Printed here as written. Corrections made are in parentheses. One missed misspelled word, and one not capitalized, escaped notice. Scored 26; don't remember what that translates to.}
Freddie J. Dunn
would have liked the conditions of “today”, so they could have found the Northwest Passage, or sailed the now unfrozen northern water routes across the Artic to connect Eurasia.
And yes, I realize that our regional, actually continental, weather is also affected by wind and water currents in the Pacific Ocean.
