Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-03-13
"Prarie Chief" or, the aWild Horse
of Yolo."

The following wellwrtten and interestin
account of the capture Of this splendid an
lfar.famed animal is from the Democrat
State Journal, (Cal.) and will be read wit
Imuch interest:
/ CAPTURED AT LAsr.--The Prairie Chiel
or wild horse Of Yulo, the best native trotte
in the State, and the most enduring anima
perhaps, in any country, has OF last beeI
captured. He has run the gau -tlet long an,
well-has bafiled for years the repeated at
tempts of many famed Yaqusros to take hin
with the lasso, but horse flesh being bu, flesh
he had to bend to the skill and enthusiasm o
the multitude. For mDre than four YER,
plans and plots have been laid to ensnart
hun, every gmode of warfare adopted that
| ingenuity could devise and man execute; but
throwing his tail aloit, like Moslem stan
dard, he laughed at them all. Years ago
more than 40 horsemen mounted on the very
RJwer of the ranches have chased him time
aud again. often running from sun to sur
and occasionally have they hunted him the
second day when he proved to be as fresh as
on the first. And never until Wednesday
last, so far as we can learn, was he seen even
when hottest pursued, to brake his trot.--
Erotting, he could run round most oil them
galloping. Once, soma two years since, was
he curaIled, bat only for moment. The
Barker brothers, the Woskill brothers
Senior Luco and others, knowing his gres,
speed and being impressed with his strength
ard beauty, desired to possess him. One
man or oozen could not catch him. That
had often been tried. They COLLECTED severa
hundred Of the horses, drove them in the vi
cinity of the "Prairie Che'," got him among
them and with fifty vaqueros rushed the band
into the corral. No sooner did the "Prairie
Chief" see the enclosure by watch he was
surrounded, than, with one fierce bound, he
cleared by several feet the bristling posts of
the great corral. The Wol(skils then Of
fered reward OF $500 for him in sound con-
dtlon, aud it is said the Barker's increased
the reward TO s. 800. He W IS then driven
to the mountains on the west OF the plain
IN the hopes of forcing him into a narrow
pass when they could surround aud lasso him.
The attempt was made several times during
the year but only once did they get the lass
on him, and then he snapped it instantly
Since that many have tried to shoot hlEl, but
none could accomplish it. He would keep
on Ihe open plain and let no man or thing
cone within reach of him. This fall,
number of farmers living in Yolo have made
bees" aud given him chase. The last one
succeeded.
knowing for several days that he had been
ranging 10 the Potrero hills, lying on the
west bank of the Sac: amento where it EN-.
pties into the Suisuh Bay, some thirty per-
sons well mounted assembled there last Tues
day, encamped all night, and by daylight next
morning up and gave hun chase. The
Prairie Chief, when he frs; discovered them
broke for the plains, and, heading northward,
at tremendous speed, dashed over the rcelnu
earth right into the sink of Putah. To that
point ony a few followed, it being arranged
That they were tU take turns in the chase :,
ana knowing too that he would .have to turn
there and be forced toward his starting
ground AS Was expected, he took the back
track, and the horsemen scattered along the
plain for nearly 80 miles, dashed at him BY
turns, and thus run him at his full Speed
he trotting all the way to the Potrero hills
again. Thence they routed him once more,
ana started him north, nearly DIP to ~est'
Sacramento; bach again to Cache Creek
slough, where he turned once more, faded
and worn, and was iussoed some eight miles
below the city by Mr.. John Adamson. 1t
was dark when the moose was thrown upon
his neck, aud thus did this wonderful horse
run the entire Day at full stretcn, Gf we
may 50 speak OF .trotter) without a mo-
menrs breathing time. During the last
forty or fifty mies OF his course, ~ hen closely
Pu sued, he broke his pace aud launched out
INTO gailop. IL is estimated by those who
know tue ground well, that ne travelled IRON
400 to 47O miles Mr.. Adamson has hun
secure anu last with strong realas, but none
have yet ventured within kicking or biting
distance of him. The old residents have
known MIN tor ten years, and he his believed
to be about Ia years OF age. He is gray
horse, with darklsh man and lail, unc four
teen hands high,