Part 3, Chapter 15 Glory Days Summary

The mythical figure of the cowboy was still emerging, when Theodore went west in the 1880s. Theodore stressed the differences between cowboys and ranchmen (or cattlemen or stockmen). A ranchman was distinguished by his attire, which was made of a finer material than a cowboy's, and his equipment was all first quality. A ranchman spoke of his men, his herds, and the quantity of his horses. He also had ample time to hunt and read good books. The great appeal of becoming a ranchman was the freedom and open-air existence. To be off to one's ranch in the west or just back from it was fashionable at this time and seen as a romantic, adventuresome undertaking.

Hundreds of ranches were scattered throughout the West. Theodore spent a small fortune outfitting himself with buckskins, a silver belt buckle...