One Useful Rag

A cowboy in the old west wasn’t dressed until he tied on his kerchief. That little piece of cloth had so many uses: A dust mask when herding cattle; protection from sunburn; an earmuff in cold weather; a towel; a hot pad for a campfire pot or branding iron; protection from snow blindness, and it could be a tourniquet or sling if need be.

By the way, according to “The Old West Quiz & Fact Book,” cowboys really did sing to cattle at night, to calm them down. Favorite tunes? “Old Dan Tucker,” “The Texas Lullaby,” “Nearer My God to Thee,” “The Old Time Religion,” “In the Sweet By and By” and “Jesus, Lover of my Soul.”