From: george.kincaid@worldnet.att.net   
      
   Thanks. I asked that question awfully late...;) By "respectable", I meant   
   basically not criminal--an honest job. Modern usage is what I meant, but I   
   guess in Victorian times respectable meant a gentleman. So in Latin America,   
   the vaquero are a definite type of workman, drawn from a lower social class.   
   Argentina and Brazil both have large beef industries, so I guess there are a   
   good number of these men. I imagine in the 1800s when American cattlemen   
   came into contact with the Mexican or other Spanish-speaking vaqueros, they   
   picked up a lot of skills and technology. Are there any still in Mexico?   
   Enjoy talking with you.   
   "Al B. Traus"  wrote in message   
   news:426fa239@nntp.zianet.com...   
   > In article <2kCbe.132096$cg1.32841@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>,   
   > george.kincaid@worldnet.att.net says...   
   >>   
   >>So being a vaquero (looking after cattle) was a respectable job   
   >   
   > NOT necessarily. It has much the same "respectability"   
   > as any menial laboring class job might have anywhere   
   > in the world. Here are some South American equivalents   
   > of "vaquero" - which is spelled "vaqueiro" in Portuguese.   
   >   
   > In Argentina, they are known as Guachos:   
   >   
   > Noun 1. gaucho - a cowboy of the South American pampas   
   > [American Spanish, probably from Quechua wáhcha, poor person, orphan,   
   > vagabond.] cowboy, cowhand, cowherd, cowman, cowpoke, cowpuncher, puncher,   
   > cattleman - a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on   
   > horseback   
   >   
   > And in Brazil, they are often called "peões" - meaning "laborer" in   
   > Portuguese:   
   >   
   > Brazilian cowboys lead simple lives. Most had a father or relative who was   
   > one. They do not regret passing by other opportunities, because their life   
   > is   
   > handed to them at a young age.   
   >   
   > Cowboys, or peões as they are known in Portuguese, begin training very   
   > young.   
   > They accompany their elders until the day comes when they start the ride   
   > to   
   > herd beef cattle with other peões.   
   >   
   >   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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