Milford chronicle., 1888-06-08
"CREASIyG' A MUSTANG.
SKILL DISPLAYED BY TEXAS MARKS
MEN IN CAPTURING WILD HORSES.

I HAIN NV OFN gFNNNa WILL ANCNaOLsas
The Animals Formerly Great Nuisance
to Cattle Misunderstanding an Untamed
Mustang with a Rifle BaIl-IBreclaim-
ably vicious BruteA
J. T. Hill. who for many years has been
engaged in cattle raising in Texas and the
Indian territory. remarked to 4 reporter
the other day; In the early days Of the
cattle business in Texas. from 1857 to
1860. the ranges were overrun by bands
Of wild horses. These animals were
great nuisance. as they would get mixed
with our loose horses and run them of
when any one approached. As a rule they
were a rough. i'll shaped set Of beasts. and
almost untamable so that few attempts
were ever made to catch them. il being
considered best to shoot them on sight
and thus get rid Of disturbing influence
in our horse herds Sometimes. however.
a really fine animal would be seen and the
ranchmen would try hard to secure 1t
But the ordinary mode Of capture. lasso-
ing. could seldom be used against wild
horses, and these beasts were very shy
and even a poor horse. carrying no weight.
could outstrip very fine animal with a
man on his back have chased wild
horses 100 times and have become thor
oughly convinced OF the truth of the
English racing saying that the weight Of
a stable key will win or lose a race.
NOVEL METHOD or CAPTURE
ssT, tI,f. o,,4,.a,,,f4,, flo Towo,g ,,ead o.,
resort to a means of capturing the hortes
which Is. believe. exclusively American
It was discovered. ! do not know how.
that blow upon particular sinew in
horses neck. located just above where the
spine joins the skull. would paralyze the
animal temporarily without doing It any
permanent injury In those days the
Texans were nearly without exception
fine shots. and at short range could send
rifle bali with phenomenal accuracy
The horses could not be approached ex-
cept on foot, and It was impossible to
catch them on horseback. But, not to be
overcome by any such difficulties. the
cowboys discovered a way to capture
them. Taking his rife. a hunter would
crawl through the thick chaparral until
within fifty or sixty yards of the horse he
desired to secure. Then. taking careful
aim. he would endeavor to send bullet
through the top of the neck so as to strike
the sinew When this was properly done
the horse would fall as II struck by light
ming and remain insensfsle for ten or IF
teen minutes. recovering completely In an
hour or two. with no worse injury than a
slight wound in the back of the neck that |
soon healed. OF course many bullets went |
astray and hundreds of horses were killed.
but good shot would secure about one
horse In three that he attempted TO
crease as this mode of capture was
called.
THE large calibre rifles commonly in
use were not adapted to this peculiar mode
Of hunting. as If they touched the sinew
they were sure to break It, and the
wounds the A or 81 calibre balls inflicted
were too severe The weapon universally
in creasing mustangs was the
Did Hawkins rife. which carried a bullet
not much larger than a pea. had set
trigger and required but a small charge Of
powder These weapons were wonder
'ully accurate up to 100 yards. but in.
iicted a triiing wound. and the bullet
vas likely to take course through soft
iesh around any hard object. instead of
earring through il. as a larger ball pro
,elled by a heavier charge of powder
would do Hundreds Of mustangs. al
Ways the best animals in the herd, used
o be creased every year. and this prac-
ice was kept up until the herds had en-
irely disappeared
NOT OF MUCH USE
Some of the horses thus secured were
cry tough and aeet animals, but few
we're of any practical use. Nearly all
we're stations. as a wild marc that was
'ood for anything was seldom seen, and
he captured horses were nearly. without
reception lrreclaimably vicious. even
ghen judged from the Texas standpoint
wen when broken to the saddle they
ould only be ridden by the very best
orsemen, and were always on the look I
ut to do their riders an injury Strange {
o say. they seldom tried to kick, but a
lan had to be continually on the lookout
or their fore feet and teeth They only
sed their hind feet when a man was
bout to mount, but nearly every one of /
hem had trick of kicking forward as s
Don as the rider put his foot In the stir. {
up. and unless he was wary he would re {
aive a terrible blow on the leg !
Il used TO own horse that, I believe.
ould scratch himself between the ears
18th his hind foot. his hind leg being ap
arently made Of India rubber The in {
.ant he felt foot in the stirrup his hind d
ooi would come forward with the speed i
lighting. in the attempt to inhict a :
lost vicious kick gave up mounting
i'm in the usual way. ard always used to
lult into the saddle without touching i,
le stirruPs, a feat easily enough per b
'rmed in my younger days. although ! g
oulo have some difficulty in doing II {
ow used to like to ride wild horses o
1t after one or two narrow escapes from c
ieir deadly fore feet. which they would 4
80 if man carelessly stood in front Of
lem. gave It up and stuck to the tame I,
ock. st. Louis Post Dispatch. b
Initiating Paris Millinery. Il
When. copied In vile stuffs and un. ID
tistic colors by clumsy fingers. the crea !, !.
'ns Of Partisan milliners reappear all !.
er the world. they are often eccentric al
ough. admit-another form Of French is