The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-03-10
wlLp HORSES ON THE PLAINS.
Their Intelligent and Often Successful
Efforts to Entice Domestic Horses to
Their Ranks.

Their Ranks.
1t is surprising how easily and thorough.
ly domestic horses go wild under the infu.
ence of these wild stations. Many is the
emigrant or horse raiser who has gone to
bed at night full of confidence, and often
pride, at the condition and numbers of his
stock, only to wake in the morning to find
nothing left but the one horse on the picket
rope and the trail Of their fleeing animals,
driven or coaxed away by these wild horses
gone and forever. l recall to mind now
an acquaintance of mine in Nevada, one
Joseph Gilbert, who lived in Reese River
Valley, in Louder county, who took pride
in the quality of his horses His herd num-
bered about five hundred head and was gen.
orally considered to be the best in that Sec
ton. Joe was in good circumstances and
bore the reputation of being we'll of and an
excellent man; but somehow band of
wild horses began to prey upon his herd,
finally securing to themselves q beautiful
stallion recently purchased by Joe at an ex.
pense of 81, 900.
After his capture Joe's herd was of short
duration, as, with the assistance of this
stallion, they nearly all went wild, and
though rewards Of S. and afterwnrd $40
per head were offered for the horses in any
corral, with an additional $500 for the stall
lion, never herd of more than fifteen oil
twenty horses being returned. Some Next
cans hearing of il came to capture them
with twenty men and forty or fifty horses,
but after racing for them until their own
horses had giving out they only succeeded
in getting the fifteen or twenty above men,
toned, resolving to return last summer
t1SS4) and try them on the Texas plan,
with sioped corral, with wings two miles
long. The result was Mr.. Gilbert was
ruined. Many other cases of the kind have
happened.
Wild stations often become aggressive
and even dangerous. Mr.. Blossom, friend
of mine, was going on trip with his fami-
ly, partly hunting and partly to look over
the range to see the condition of his stock,
One night while in camp at Antelope Val
ley his team of horses two fine mares) dis.
appeared. Awakening tho next morning
he found himself without his horses, and
starting his two boys to follow some tracks
in one direction, he and his wife started in
another. Presently he came in sight of his
lost horses in company with several wild
ones, and to his horror he saw coming
toward him the stallion boss of the herd,n
and although he had his double barreled
cboifyt,,, he E,,a,f ,.,c. I1olol .u.&l.a a..
shot, and these two shots were the only
things standing between him and destruc-
ton. Had he been "tenderfoot' un-
doubtedly he would have been injured.
Being, however, an old timer, he stood
his ground, telling his wife to keep contin.
ually behind HIM. On came the infuriated
beast, head down, ears back and mouth
wide open, to within few PAGES of Bios
som, who, Mt this critical moment began to
swing his arms in the manner done when
throwing q lasso. This recalled to his
horseship the ~amercif..l .s=.a =s.s eantrolla.
bic character Of these ropes when once in
their fold and, fearing his own captivity,
se stopped ON his charge, but continually
circling around just out of reach of rope,
he endeavored TO scare his enemies away.
Blossom kept swinging his arm and yelling
constantly, working toward his own horses,
until finally he reached them. Fortunately
they were the gentlest possible, and moi
yet under the influence of their wild CON-
ranions.
Assisting his wife to mount one he mount
ed the other, and as he started back to camp
the stallion saw his efforts were hopeless
and went back to his wild herd in the dis
lance, assisted by the two loads Of small
shot before mentioned. Had Blossom,
when first attacked shot his horse and fail
ed to kill him, as he did after being mount
ed, he would undoubtedly never have lived
to tell the tale. Should he have shot him the
report Of the gun would have stampeded
The band, and In oil probability his team
would have followed, but once on thei;
backs he had them, besides forming com.
bination--yiz., "horse and rider" of which
oil horses and cattle are afraid in the Far
West. Dow Huntsman, at that time, about
1880, wealthy mining and stock man,
brought beautiful sorrel stallion from
California. called Patchen. This horse be-
coming nearly wild on the range, gathered
his band, and was so energetic in his en-
ieayors that he got to stopping the stage on
the road between Battle Mountain and
Tuscarora, in Nevada, endeavoring to drive
.he stage horses into his band. II required
III the efforts possible by the drivers tc
make him desst. One unfortunate night
for him he ran his head into lasso and
was deprived OF his liberty, assuming the
role OF the common saddle horse on the
range, on whose back I can recall many
pleasant days following the chase or in
quest of game, for he finally fell into my
possession.
should guess, from my observations
and the extent Of the country--viz., about
twelve hundred miles wide by nearly two
thousand miles long-thero must be at least
thirty thousand to fifty thousand wild
horses and ponies within the limits Of the
United States west Of the sIissouri River.
The Express Business Makes Elm All Rich.
Tho voat ovota,n ~ axuraaaino which ia