Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-02-08
WAR ON WILD HORSES.
ORGANIZING A PARTY OF HUNTERS
TO SHOOT THEM.
Herds Of Wild Horsss on the Plains Prov
ing Injurious 20 Ranch-Owners-
Skill and Patience Required
to Catch Them
lCheyenns Cor. New York Sun. !

in this vicinity have organized hunt
ing party whose object will be to thin then
out. The hunters are provided with long
range rifles, feet ponies, and supplies anc
!orage enough to last all winter, and they
will endeavor to make . clean job of it
These horses have existed on the plains fol
many years, but Of late they have been in
cressing very fast They are quick to seen,
the approach Of foes, feet as the antelope
! that may often b sean browsing in securit,
| at their side, and as unmanageable as the
wind Native animals when turned loose OF
the prairie soon become wild, and if allowed
to run without being disturbed breed very
rapidly. Horses continually break away
from their owners and Join the wild horses,
and this Is the reason why stockmen are
aroused over tbs subject Men who crossed
the plains in 1Sl9 encountered many wild
horses, and for years aftsrwaM they must
have increased rather than diminished
Horses stand the winter much better than
cattle. and unless the weather is unusually
severe will como out fat in the spring.
Every year Large numbers of domestic
horses escape from the settlerx Some of
them are found, but when mares escape they
are never reclaimed In wandering over
ths plains they encounter the wild bands
and from that time forward are as wild as
the others. The wild stations are the guard
isns Of the bands Always on sentinel duty,
they give the alarm when any enemy ap-
proaches. In moment the stragglers are
rounded In, feet footed stallion leads the
van and with others at the hanks away
they 90 in a laundering charge. Nobody
has yet been sbls to overtake them Some
times they are lassoed or shot, but such a
thing As heading them of In q race Is out
Of the question.
The range Of the wild horses at present sx-
tends from Texas to the southern Dakota
line. They are more numerous in northern
Colorado, Wyoming and western Nebraska
than anywhere slse On the plains On the
Republican river, ON the divide between the
South Platte and the Lodge Pole and the
North Platte, and q far east a. the heads Of
the Loup and Dismal rivsrs, the horsss ranSs
ct will Five or six yeaN ago they could Be-
found ON the divide between Sidney and
Sterling in bunchss Of fifty or seventy five,
but now a bunch Of twenty Eve Il considered
large Sometimes there 4 moro than one
stallion in q band, but one Of them Is always
acknowledged - chief, winning this distinc-
ton by many hard-fought battles with his
rivals One bunch Of eleven horses recently
seen near Sidney was entirely composed Of
stations, but this Is explained ON the theory
that they were probably driven out of
various herds when young, and gradually
herdsd together as old buffalo bulls are in
the habit Of doing. From the horse ranch of
N. E Post about fifteen miles north Of this
city, nearly 200 mares have wandered away,
and it l. believed that at least one-haK Of
them have joined the Wild horseA
The wild horses are compact little animals,
weighing from 500 to /, 100 pounds The ma
jority Of them weigh about 800 pounds and
stand about fourteen hands high In color
they are usually brown. sorrel, or bay. A
gray is seldom seen, unless 1t is horse that
has strayed away from civilization Their
tails grow long. sometimes dragging the
ground, but their names are like those OF
other horses and not flowing to the knees a.
they are represented in some books The
eye, probably from being constantly on the
watch, Is larger than the eye Of the domestic
horse, and even when tanned the eye remains
Q distinctive mark Of tho horses origin.
Wild horses, when captured and trained are
superior to any other horse Of the same sizs
Many Of them are used by the cowboys and
others are broken to harness and driven as
carriage horses, being entirely Trustworthy.
Several men living in Sidney make q
living by catching wild horses Until five
or sir years ago no one knew how to do it,
and very few outsiders now understand the
methods adopted. My. Livingston, Of that
town, describes the process as follows: 1.-TWO
men always work together. Let them start
out from Sidney, either north or south, and
they are almost certain to find q bunch
v,lar 10
pitch . tent and make q camp, and one Of
the men, mounted on his best horse, carry
Ing with him few cold biscuits or some
thing else convenient B TO eat, starts after the
bunch He does not ride very fast, and at
drst does not attempt to get near them, but
b content bo keep the bunch moving, not
allowing them to stop and Sat The horses
may 60 only ten or Q dozen miles, and they
may 20 fifty or sixty, but, no matter how
far they run, they will turn back and seek
The range from which they started. II they
70 far the msttle Of the rider and his horss
b kept moving, and there 10 no charcs to
change saddle horses until they turn, Of thsir
own accord, and pass near the camp
DAY and night on they go II the weather
b clear and the nights not stormy, the rider
win continue Close after the animals, some
times within 100 yards. It makes no differ
sncs whether it b dark or light, the horse
that Is ridden and that Is trained to the
business, follows after the srd When the
frst rider succeeds in turning the bunch and
bringing them back to the camp, he Is re-
hsved by the second, who with fresh horse
starts after them, while his companion turns
in and takes a much nssdsd rest This time
they viii not probably go 80 far. After a
while they become tanner, and the hunter
can turn them at pleasure. This may require
. week, or 1t may be done In a couple of
daya II the horses do not become scared
they will not run 50 far, and ara more easily
Whom the bunch becomes wor-
risd and starved out 1t il driven toward the
nearest corral Formerly corrals were
erected specially for the purpose, but now
ranches are 70 numerous that they are not
needed any moro.
"Oncs inside, the widest Of the band are |
caught, and chains are fastened to their |
lsga Men walk among them and treat |
them kindly, and they soon learn |
that there Is nothing to Be- feared They arc
turned loose in any ordinary pasture, and |
whom they are wanted they are driven to the |
corral and ropsd. II two mon can gather a |
bunch Of ten or dozen horses in week, |
hey, Of oourse make good sum Of money
out Of the transaction, a. the animals will |
ell at from 80 TO 80 each; but misfortune
DometiInss ovsrtakes them when In pursuit.
bunch may run away from their pursusr
sntirsiy, and not b found fer several days,
Or storm coming up in the night may pre-
vent his following them and compel him to
give up the chase, or possibly he will over.
estimate the strength of his horse, and rids
The faithful animal until he dropa Then he
,an only pack his saddle On his back and
eek the camp"
"ScOTCHED SALMON"