Thank you for pointing out this possibility, Barbara. I will add it as an
update to the original post.

Martin. Based on the reading I did in newspapers of this era, it seems that
driving cattle through streets of even large urban Northern cities was
still a fairly common, though increasingly controversial practice. As such,
reports of goring were not entirely unusual. Presumably the herds were
relatively small and were being moved from cattle cars directly to markets
or butcheries. I admit, this was for me one of those scholarly moments
where I came to doubt whether I could really imagine the 19th century.

Also, “Texan steer” was a breed(?) listed in advertising and market
reports. Was a “Texan steer” necessarily from from the Alamo state or
merely the favored description for a bull with a bad attitude? Perhaps
Kevin M. could enlighten us? ; )

- MS

On Wed, Feb 13, 2019 at 10:00 AM Barbara Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> Thanks to Matt Seybold for posting an outstanding bit of research on "The
> Texan Steer."  His assessment  that the article might be an "excellent
> counterfeit" is also worthy of consideration.  The time frame for this
> article would have been in the midst of the time period when Frank Manly
> Thorn was also contributing to the EXPRESS under the pseudonym of "Hy
> Slocum."  More info on that controversy is available here:
>
> http://www.twainquotes.com/HySlocum.html
>
> Barb.
>
-- 
Matt Seybold Assistant Professor of American Literature & Mark Twain
Studies Elmira College