C&T Publications Eye on Fine Art Photography - July 2014 | Page 25

You never handled another cowboy's hat, unless given permission, otherwise this was grounds for a fist fight. Never set your hat on a
bed either, although I think this had more to do with superstition than manners of any kind. It's supposed to bring bad luck.
One summer while helping neighbors brand, they had a chuck wagon, which we gathered at for meals. One cowboy had been
consistently disrespectful and uncaring about the cowboy code, and one afternoon it all came to a head. He was introduced to the age
old tradition of chapping. Several cowboys grabbed him and held him over the tongue of the chuck wagon, while an older cowboy
took off his chaps and proceeded to whip him across the back side with the chaps. This hurt the ego, much more than the rear end. I
think the "chappers" got more out of it than the "chappee," as it certainly didn't improve his disposition, but it was a lesson for us all
in the code of the cowboy.
Cowboy courtesy is alive and well today, but the lines have been somewhat blurred by our permissive society. I've always felt it was
an honor to be a cowboy, something to be proud of. Mutual respect between cowboys should always be the norm. Let's keep the
tradition alive, and allow the dream of the American cowboy to live on.

Gene Autry's Cowboy Code
The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.
He must always tell the truth.
He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.
He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
He must help people in distress.
He must be a good worker.
He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
He must respect women, parents, and his nation's laws.
The Cowboy is a patriot.

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