The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-10-03
AN INACCESSIBLE RANCH.
AN owNBRLEss HERD IN A ROCK.
GIRT VALLEY.
Story OF the Most Wonderful Cattle
Range I'm the World-Indian Ira
ditions Concerning It.

half a mile in width roam q herd upon
whose sides the branding iron has never
been placed and around whose horns the
lariat has never frightened. But score,
or even fewer, of them have ever seen a
man or horse, or other animal than of
their kind, and in truth their kin, except
ut "a distance CT nearly 600 feet above
them.
The Ute Indians call them
"p'chek-up." or red buffalo, and yet if
an Indian who has seen them should be
asked about it, he would largh and
shake his head and all the information
obtainable would be "p'chek. up, 'em
red; no ketch EN-" There arc more
than four hundred of this nerd and yet
no man owns them nor is there a man,
white or copper colored, who has ever
been able TO possess a single hoof of
these fat and tempting beeves. The cat
tie are in prison. Out of it there is on
method of escape, but to travel that road
means death to the adventurous brute.
There is no way to get in, ex ept it be
by means of a rope a thousand feet long
AS the Indians say: Heap see 'cm, no
ketch 'em, no come away" On the two
long sides of the oblong space in which
these cattle roam rise precipitous and
even concaved rocks four, five and six
hundred feet, yawning black and ipsur.
mountable, and at either end seethes and
Tushes the lampa or Bear River. For
miles above it plunges and stumbles on
in its headlong haste to reach the arms
of its parent, the scarcely less tumultuous
but deeper Green River.
Like the wonderful fiat top mountains
of Colorado, this home of the imprisoned
herd has no likeness in the world. The
story of the way in which these cattle
came there is as strange as their existence
is curious.
Fifteen years ago, when the Govern
mcnt troops were pursuing the Mormon
murderers OF the innocent victims of the
Mountain Meadow massacre, the Danites,
or avenging angels of the Mormons, fed
for their safety into what was literally
the wilderness. A few of those who
had been the blindest followers of Lee,
the Mormon fiend incarnate. and whose
hands were red with the blood of women
and children, found in their wanderings
apretty valley on a stream which flows
from the Wasatch range in the Green
River.
They struck their stakes, built theii
camp fires and during the night the;r
sigacious leader had a vision which tod
HIM there to stay. They could hardly
have chosen in all Utah more fertile OF
more isolated spot They called ii
Ashley, and about them have since
gathered more of their sect, until where
the refugees posted their picket of
guards on the lonely nights of the first
Summer has grown thriving village.
1t is l40 miles from the Union Pacific
Railroad, south, and 1l5 miles north OF
the Rio Grande Western. Until within
five years it has been isolated entirely.
but now it is but thirty miles from the
Unita reservation, and furnishing sup,
plies for the agency forms quite bust
ness for the community. 1t is provel b
of the Danites that robbery or theft from
GENTLE is no crime So it was thought
TO be only cunning trick when John
Wycklitfe, one of the Mormon settlers of
the new town, and his three sons made a
night sorte on Henry's Fork, in Wyom-
ing, and carried away 800 head of cattle
ranging there. This was in 1876.
The owners of the cattle discoyere
the loss of their stock few days after
they were gone and started in pursuit.
The WycklilTes had their friends along
the trail and were warn by gnals of
the coming of the pursuing party. Ac-
cordingly they drove the catte as fast as
they could travel on eastward across
Green River and up along the Bear, with
the intention of reaching the Elk noun.
tain country in northwestern Colorado.
where they would be practic lily safe from
detection and their stock also would SC
cure the most succulent of feed.
The thieyes and their stolen herd
reached mesa of inviting grass at sun
down one day and halted to camp for
the night A terrific storm arose. The
Lightning flashed necessarily and the
thunder pealed and cracked with unye-
mitting fury. The four men desperately
held the terror stricken cattle by riding
about them constantly. But the wild
fearfuluess of the furious storm excited
the brutes beyond measure. They surged
and beloved, every moment growing less
subject to control. Ali at once, as if by
one mad impulse, they stampeded.
John Wycklilte aud his sons met their
fate amid the lightning's glare aud the
thunders roar. They endeavored to head
OIL the stampeding herd. InstcId they
ana their horses were swept on and driven
In the terror to escape the maddened ami
mails over the brink of the awful preci-
pee which frowns up from the waters of
the Fear. After them plunged the whole
crazed herd and down to the bottom of
the fearful fall went horses, riders and
horned creatures. Out of this plunge of
life to what was seemingly certain death
for all, few Of the herd were not killed
Those which had gone ahead formed a
cusAiop of death. Manned stunned
but stnl invested with spark of life.
when the storm was over the living cattle
.crawled out from the mass beneath them
and formed a nucleus for the herd which
now roams at will within their rocky
confines
To those who look at them from the
edge of the pricipice they seem small aud
as wild as deer. The progeny of the
surviving animals from The fall are fat
and sleek, and have sunny beds, deer.
like, where they e for warmth in the
winter As yet no man has been able
TO reach them.
The Utes have a tradition that savors
OF romance connected with this won.
derful spot. 1t is that a Young buck
who was of Piah's renegade band be-
came enamored Of a young Sioux souaw
and sought to take her to his tribe The
bucks drove Sc ne iaho and his bride
away. After weeks of outlawry, often