Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-08-21
A wild Ride for Life.

Hiram CasS, q farm nanC In tue employ
of Abner Whitney Of Clifford township, near
Scranton, Pa, had thrilling experience
last Wednesday. Since the latter part OF
May Farmer Whitney has been pasturing a
drove of large steers in fifty acre field on
the mountain about three-quarters of 8 mile
from his house. The lot is separated from
the main part of the farm by strip of wood
land, aud there is forest on the south and
west sides of the field. There are four good
springs in the pasture, and all the attention
that has been paid to the steers since they
were turned out was TO feed salt TO them
once a week. Owing to some neglect no
salt had been given 10 the cattle in more
than fortnight, and last Wednesday Farm
er Whitney told Cass to take q pallul of it
up there and feed it to the steers. The mo.
ment the cattle saw Cass enter the field they
galloped toward him at the top Of their
speed, and, before he had time to place the
salt on the ground in little heaps so that they
could all get lick, the greedy, long horned
animals completely surrounded him. They
were so hungry for salt that half dozen of
them tried to stick their noses in the pail at
once, and Cass had to kick them in the jaws
and yell at them to keep them from goring
him and trampling on him. While he was
doing all he could to make q passage be-
tween the uneasy 5rutes, the largest steer in
the herd rushed up from behind with his
head down, aud, in his eager search for salt
on the ground he knocked Cass's feet from
uader him. Cass lost his balance and
tipped over backward. sitting squarely
down on the steers head between his long
horns, and dropping the pail as he did so.
Up went the frightened steers head, and
Cass, fearing that he would be thrown.
grabbed u horn in each hand. The steer
then started to run like wildlire, and Cass
clung to the horns for dear life. The other
brutes became frightened at the strange
spectacle. and, with heads ana tails up,
they ran believing after the afrighted fu-
eitive. that also beloved ct every leap.
Cass's legs prevented the runaway steer
from seeing ahead very well, aud three
times in his terrible circuit around the field
the steer came within few inches Of run
ming his head against trees The hired man
is strong fellow, and generally courageous,
but he said that he had never before in his
life, been so thoroughly terrified, and be
knew that, while he was in danger of having
bis brains dashed out against tree at
any moment, he would be trampled to death
by the moving herd behind him if be threw
himself from the steers head On be hung
with all his might, praying that the steer
soon would stop, and round and round the
field the whole drove dashed like herd of
frightened bisons. At the end of what Cass
said seemed to be half an hour, but what he
supposed was in reality not more than ten
minutes, the steer painted as though his
wind was giving out, slackened his speed a
little, and dashed straight toward a strong
brush fence next to the woodland. He leap
ed part way over it, became entaugled in
the mass of limbs and saplings, and fell up
on his right side, where he lay struggling
and kicking long enough for Cass to spring
into the thicket at safe distance from the
sharp horns of the scared and half.exhaust-
ed beast. The other cattle did not follow
the fugitive steer, stopping in their mad
dash Just as he fell in the brush. Cass said
that he was as weak as q cat for several
minutes, and that his nerves were unstrung
from fear and the energy he had expended
in clnging to the steers horns. 1t was the
most perilous position he was ever in, but
he was not permanently injured, and in the
course of half an hour the steer was none the
worse for bis long run.