Volcano weekly ledger., 1856-01-05
Cantured at lat.

The Prairie Chief or wild horse of Yolo,
the best native trotter in the State, and the
most enduring animal, perhaps, in any coun-
try, has at last been captured. He has run
the gauntlet long and well-has banled for
years the repeated attempts Of many famed
Va9sisros to take him with the asso, but horse
flesh being but iiesiI, he had to bend to the
skill and enthusiasm of the multitude For
more than four years plans and plots have
been laid to ensnare him, every mode Of war
fare adopted that ingenuity could devise and
man execute, but throwing his tail aloft, Ike
a Moslem standard, he laughed at and deied
them all. Years ago, more than forty horse
men, mounted on the very flower of the ranch
es, have chased him time and again, often
running from sun to sun, and occasionally have
they hunted him the second day, when he pro-
we'd to be as fresh as on the first. And never
until Wednesday last so far as VIC can learn,
was he seen, even when hottest pursued, to
break his trot. Trotting, he could run down
most Of them galloplng. Once some two
years since was he corralled, but only for mo-
ment. The Barker brothers, the Wolfskill
brothers, Seper Luco and others, knowing his
great speed, and being impressed with his
strength and beauty, desired to possess him
One man or DOZEN could not catch him.
That had often been tried They collected
several hundred of their horses, drove them
in the drectia Of the Prairie Chief and
with fifty raqueros rushed the band into the
corral No sooner did the Prairie Chief"
see the enclosure by which he was surrounded
than, with one fierce bound, he cleared by
several feet the bristling posts of the great
corral The Wolfskills then offered q reward
of $500 for him in sound condition, and it is
said the Barkers increased the reward to ST.
500. He was then driven to the mountains
on the west of the plain in the hope Of forcing
him into a narrow pass when they could sur
round and lasso him. The attempt was made
several times during the year but only once
did they get the lasso on him, and then he
snapped it instantly. Since that many have
tried to shoot him. but none could accomplish
it, lie would keep on the open plain and let
no man or thing within gun-shot of him. This
fall number of farmers living in Yolo have
made bees" and given him chase The last
one succeeded.
Knowing for several days that he had been
ranging in the Potrero hills, lying on the west
bank Of the Sacramento, where il empties iu-
to the Suisun Bay, some thirty persons, well
mounted, assembled there last Tuesday, en-
camped all night, and by daylight next morn
ing up and gave him chase. The Prairie
Chief when be first discovered them broke
for the plains, and heading northward, at tire
mendous speed dashed over the reeling earth
right into the sink of Putah. To that distant
point only few followed, it being arranged
that they were to Jake turns in the chase, and
knowing, too, thasihe would have to turn
there and be f6rced towards his starting
ground AS was expected he took the back
track, and the horsemen scattered along the
plain for nearly thirty miles, dashed at him
by turns and thus run him at bis full speed
he trotuqg all the way--to the Protrero
hills lsagain.~ There they routed him once more
and started him north nearly up to west Of
Sacramento hack again to Cache Creek
slough then again nearly up to the city and
back TO CachesLreek slough again, where he
turned once more jaded and worn, and was
assoed some eight miles below the city by
Mr.. John Adamson. 1t was dark when the
moose was thrown upon his neck, and thus did
this wonderful horse run the entire day at full
stretch, (if we may so speak OF trotter,)
without moments breathing time. During
the last forty or fifty miles of his course, when
closely pursued, he broke his pace and launch
ed out into a gallop. 1t is estimated, by those
who know the ground well, that he travelled
from 100 to 10 miles, Mr.. Adamson has
him secure and fast with strong riattas, but
none have yet ventured within kicking or BIZ
ting distance of him. The old residents have
known him for ten years, and he is believed
u be about fourteen years of age lie is a
gray horse with darkish name and tail and
about fourteen hands high State journal of
22d.