Lyr. Add: THE OLD CHISHOLM TRAIL
Myra Hull, KS Hist. Quart., 1939

Oh come along boys, and listen to my tale,
I'll tell you all my troubles on the ol' Chis'm Trail

Chorus-
Come a-ti yi youpy ya youpy yay,
Come a-ti yi youpy youypy yay.

On a ten-dollar horse and a forty dollar saddle,
I was ridi', and a-punchin' Texas cattle.

We left ol' Texas October twenty-third,
Drivin' up trail with a 2 U herd.

I'm up in the mornin' afore daylight,
An' afore I sleep the moon shines bright.

It's bacon and beans most every day,
I'd as soon be eatin' prairie hay.

Old Ben Bolt was a blamed good boss,
But he'd go to see the girls on a sore-backed hoss

Old Ben Bolt was a mighty good man,
And you'd know there was whiskey wherever he'd land.

I woke up one mornin' on the Chisholm Trail,
With a rope in my hand and a cow by the tail.

Last night on guard, an' the leader broke the ranks,
I hit my horse down the shoulders an' spurred him in the flanks.

Oh, it's cloudy in the west, and a-lookin' like rain,
And my damned ol' slicker's in the wagon again.

Oh the wind commenced to blow and the rain began to fall,
An' it looked by grab that we was gonna lose 'em all.

I jumped in the saddle an' I grabbed a-holt the horn,
The best damned cowpuncher ever was born.

I was on my best horse, aan' a-goin' on the run,
The quickest-shootin' cowboy that ever pulled a gun.

No chaps, no slicker, and it's pourin' down rain,
An' I swear, by God, I'll never nightherd again.

I herded and I hollered, and I done pretty well,
Till the boss said, "Boys, just let 'em go to Hell."

I'm goin' to the ranch to draw my money,
Goin' into town to see my Honey.

I went to the boss to draw my roll,
He figgered me out nine dollars in the hole.

So I'll sell my outfit as fast as I can,
And I won't punch cows for no damn man.

So I sold old Baldy and I hung up my saddle,
And I bid farewell to the longhorn cattle.

Text A. An old Kansas text. Myra E. Hull, "Cowboy Ballads," The Kansas Historical Qquarterly vol. VIII, no. 1, Feb. 1939, p. 39.

The Chisholm Trail stretched from west Texas to Abilene, KS.

Cattle drives from Texas to Kansas took place from about 1866 to the mid-1880s, at which time, the railroads had extended to Texas localities.
It was estimated that in 1866, some 260,000 cattle crossed the Red River.

The herd, some 2000-3000 cattle, was driven by about 12 men, under a Trail Boss ($125/mo.), a cook (cocinero) at $60/mo., and 9-10 drovers and wranglers ($30-dollar men).
The Trail Boss set the route, and knew good rest stops for the night, with water and grass.
A well-tended herd brought good prices at the pens at the railroad.
The wrangler(s) were generally less-experienced hands, they cared for the remuda (herd of horses, with about 10 horses/man.
The cook not only prepared meals, but was in charge of the wagon, which carried the coffee, bacon, beans, and flour, perhaps molasses, a water barrel, and rudimentary tools and medical supplies. Little meat was carried, since they had the cattle and sometimes bison, etc. could be hunted on the route.
Charles Goodnight is credited with the "invention" of the chuck wagon, which was usually drawn by mules.

Above note from the Texas Almanac, online.