No self-respecting cowboy would refer to a lasso. A rope was a rope. Roping was the activity and rope was the instrument. However, the magic that could be worked fascinated Americans, and the Wild West Show for a time rivaled the circus as exciting entertainment in the nineteenth century. Fascinated, youngsters practiced at being Wild Bill Hickoks. In a later era, Will Rogers entranced audiences with his rope tricks accompanying his famous monologues. This short introduction to the basics of the lasso was almost a bible to generations of backyard enthusiasts. Certainly it is a reminder of a time when having fun did not require a flat screen.