CD010 Cattle Drive Cookie

On a cattle drive, the chuck wagon and its cook were as important to the drive’s success as a good pair of cowboy boots or a fine horse. With a ‘Dutch-Oven’, some sour dough, a side of beef and plenty of beans, a chuck wagon ‘cookie’ could feed an entire trail crew morning, noon and night. Beef, biscuits and beans made up the majority of what cowboys were served up with on a daily basis with an occasional pie dessert and plenty of hot coffee. On average cooks were paid about 30-40 per cent more than the average ‘cowpoke’ but would also administer some very basic medicine from time to time as needs required and time permitted. Our ‘Cookie’ bangs a wrought-iron triangle to tell the crew ‘Grub’s Up!’