Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-05-12
"CEEAsIyGr A MUSTANG.
SKILL DISPLAYED BY TEXAS MARKS
MEN IN CAPTURING WILD HORSES.

The Animals Formerly = Great Nuisance
TO Cattle Raisers--Catching an Untamed
Mustang with Rife Bali-Irreclaim-
ably vIcioas Drutes.
J. T. Hill. who for many years has been
engaged In cattle raising in Texas and the
Indian territory. remarked to q 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 q rule they
were q rough. i'll shaped set of beasts and
almost untar;able. so that few attempts
considered pest to shoot them on sight
and thus get rid of disturbing influence
In or horse herds. Sometimes, however.
a really fine animal W, ,uld be seen and the
ranchmen would tr, hard to secure 1t
But the ordinsry mode Of capture. lasso-
ing. could seldom be used against wild
horses and these beasts were very shy.
and even poor horse. carrying no weight
could outstrip u very fine animal with
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
u stable key will win or lose race.
NOVEL METHOD OF CAPTURE
I'm this extremity the Texans used to
resort 10 means of capturing the horses
which is. believe. exclusively American
It was discovered. | do not know how.
that blow upon a particular sinew in a
horses neck. Locale 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
3 rife ball 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 n way to capture
them. Taking his rife. a hunter would
CIdhl llC buiIh
within fifty or sixty yards of the horss he
desired to secure. Then. taking careful
aim, he would endeavor to send ballet
through the top of the neck so as to rfrike
the sinew When this was properly done
the horse would fall as II struck by light
ming aud remain insensible fer ten or tif
teen minutes. recovering completely in an
hour or two. with no worse injury than q
slight wound in the back of the neck that |
soon healed OF course many bullets went |
sstray and hundreds of horses were killed. |
but a good shot would secure about one |
horse i'll three that he attempted to |
crease as this mode Of capture was
,alled
The large calibre rifles commonly in |
lse were not adapted to this peculiar mode
,f hunting. as If they touched the sinew /
hey were sure to break 1t, and the |
the a or 81 calibre balls inflicted |
we're too severe The weapon universally |
Employed in creasing mustangs was the |
I'D Hawkins rifle. which carried bullet |
lot much larger than a pea, had set |
rigger and required but small charge Of
powder These weapons were wonder
ully accurate up to 100 yards. but in
licted a trihing wound. and the bullet
vas likely to take course through soft
esh around any hard object. instead of
earring through it, as 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