Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-10

thousand are burned every week from this
cause. The sheets are counted no less than
eleven times during the process of manufacture
ing, and so great is the care taken in counting
that not single sheet has been lost during the
past twenty years.-Scieatitc American.
Wild Horses.
HOW THEY CATCH AND MANAGE THEM IN THE
FAR WEST.
Some of the most fascinating scenes in the
boys book world being those in which the wild
horse figures. it was with something of the old
youthful thrill that party of us the other day
heard our driver exclaim: There is Wild Horse
Jerry and lot of wild brOncos in that corral
yOnder." Business was left to take care of it
self for the present, and We drove quickly over
to the place indicated. a rude Enclosure about
fifty feet square. in which were some dozen
horses, mostly about two years old, and in their
appearance well justifying the name applied to
the native horse of the west ''brOncOs," the
Spanish word for rough. The dime-nOvel prefix
to Jerry's name had led US to expect such look
ing character as adOrns the initial page of that
class OF literature or the secOnd-rate stage. but
we found him and his two partners certainly las
mild-mannered men as ever cut thrOat"-merely
dressed in the usual local costumes of men who
follow an Out-Of-dOOr life of any kind here
broad felt hat, blue flannel shirt, and OverallS
thrust into pair OF heavy cow-hde boots. And
they were quite genial and communicative; and
as we sat safely perched on the top rail of the
corral waiting for operations to begin they told
us how they chase the bands of wild horses on
the Platte, not taking them with the laSso at
full speed as they do in the books, but running
them with fresh relays until tired down suffi-
GENTLY to be driven into an Enclosure, the lariat
or lassO to be used only to ''cut OUT and bring
under control for branding, breaking and like
purposes.
The brand, by the way, is very important
thing to the cattle and the hOrsemen. owing to
the risk of the animals straying and the diff
Guilty of otherwise identifying them, and the
law here, in this respect at least, is ALWAYS vim
dictated both by the courts and Judge Lynch
with prOmptness and severity against any who
may dare attempt to infringe on the property
rights thus indicated. A brand when chosen
must be approved by the county authorities,
and then registered, care being taken to allow
none similar to existing brands or liable to be
altered into them. 1t is usually some peculiar
device, an H with an inverted V over it, for in
stance, and. having been executed i'm iron of the
dimensions of some four or five inches square,
more or less, it is applied red hot to the animals
side in some conspicuous spot. The herds that
Craze on the plains are gone over yearly for this
purpose and the annual "rOund-upS," or meet
ings of the herds and herdsmen to effect this,
and also to sort out and reclaim strays, are Occa-
siOns of great local interest.
To return to our wild horses We had arrived
just as the men were about to cut out a fine
looking black mare for the purpose of hobbling
her, she having shown a disposition to lead the
others into mischief and it was with no desire
Of changing places with the men that we saw
them enter the corral on foot among the wild
animals with their lariats, three quarter inch
ropes of great suppleness, with a running moose
some six feet in length, hanging on their left
arms. The horses seemed to know that some
thing was about to happen, and Immediately
began charging wildly around the inclUsure
and it appeared impossible that the men could
retain their places moment without being
crushed. but the brutes seemed to recognize
the higher power" and swerved from
the dreaded lariat, whose coercive powers
they had already felt, as the double
''tish-hook" brands on their TANKS testified.
And now the moose in Jerry's right hand began
to circle horizontally over his head at arms
length, and the horses plunged more wildly than
ever around the corral. Suddenly quick. for
ward motion OF the arm is seen, and the moose
flies toward the intended victim; but sudden
swerve causes it to fall short, and the whole
drove gallop wildly to a remote corner. But
now they are again started, the moose swings,
and this time drops over the mares neck. The
weight of second man is Immediately thrown
upon the rope and the struggle begins. the mare
wildly plunGing and rearing, and the men re-
sisting. until it would seem that the animal must
either strangle herself or break her neck But
In a moment another moose is thrown, this time
catching her hind legs, and as she plunges again
a sudden pull throws her fairly on her side her
head is caught. and she is vanquished. The hob
BILE, long chain, is then attached to her right
fore foot, and the ropes then being quickly and
skillfully removed. she scrambes again to her
feet, erect once more, but shOrn of her power
for mischief
The native horses raised by the herders are all
handled in this way, rough as it seems When
one is to be broken to the saddle he is blind
folded after being thrown, in which condition
he is perfectly submissive. The saddle, strange
complex Of feathers, fringed tassels, cOiled
ariat, ETC., is then strapped on the bride forced
into place, and the rider. armed with cruel-lOOk-
ing spurs, with barbed points of the circumfer-
ence Of silver dollar, leaps into place. The
bllndfOld is then removed and the struggle be-
gins preluded usually by the widest plunging,
rearing and bucking. the latter consisting of a
rapid series Of vertical leaps. with legs rigid.
very trying to the riders endurance and tenure
OF his seat. the best of them having no hest
tation i'm holding on at such times by strap
provided for the purpose. If he maintain
his seat through all this, wild gallop
usually follows, prOtracted by the squirting
of the reInorseless rider until the animal has
thoroughly learned, once for all. the power of
tie master. And SO dOcie are they that the
widest become in a few weeks as tractable as if
they had been In training Tor years, and will
stand for hours where left, saddled and bridled,
quietly awaiting their masters return.
Owing to their light weight and inferior
quality the use under the saddle is the chief
one to which they are put, and to which their
easy and untiring gait is particularly adapted
All the heavier draft and road-work is done
either by horses of eastern stock or by their
much-abused half-brother. the mule. who,
Though he may occasionally use his legs. as Josh
Billings said: 1.-TWO to stand on and two to
kick WITH" is when decently handled not only
as sagacious kind and affectionate as the horse.
but much harder aud simpler in his wants.
Fort Collins Cali letter.
How WOULD You like to buy tract of first
class land in Texas?" asked stranger the other
day OF Philadelphia speculat0r. We'll. l.
don't know" was the medlitatiye response