Excerpt from: GREAT ROUNDUP by Lewis Nordyke.

1895-In their quick action, the cowmen prayed the Governor and the State Legislature to stop the cutting of wire and the killing in Texas.
They hammered at this-co-operating with the other cowmen of Texas-until Governor Ireland, in January 1884, called an emergency session of the Legislature. The resulting laws-those recommended by the stockmen-made wire cutting a felony, and they also requied the frequent spacing of gates in all fences of any length, thus preventing the fencing in or out of anyone. This legislation, enforced by the Texas Rangers, eventually ended in strife, and for a time in Texas it was alright for a man to tote a cocked six-pistol. But if he were caught with wire nippers he was apt to land in jail.
Barbed wire had a partner that received a very different welcome, however, on the plains and hills of Texas-the windmill. It's coming brought hope to the land where long wet spells were inevitably followed by long, long dry spells. The clanking, whirling giant with it's stream of refreshing, cool water made habitable and profitable, to ranchers and settlers alike, many of the dry, arid spaces that had been avoided previously.
Windmill salesmen followed barbed wire salesmen, and the shining wheels on the tall stiltlike tower became one of the prettiest sights a tired old boy on the back of a thirsty horse could see as he rode across the range.
One cowboy who was used to to riding herd on cattle down in the south central part of Texas, where often there was too much water and always too many trees and an overabundance of underbrush, moved out to work on C.C. Slaughter's range, where dry acre succeeded another dry acre on section after section. About the only growth was the low growing grass and weirdly branched mesquite. This boy's job had been to dig mesquite roots for the camp cook's fire and carry him buckets of water from a nearby windmill. One evening after a busy day of digging and toting he formed an opinion:
"This is a helluva country-you dig for wood and climb for water."