Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-11-30
A Wonderful Cattle Pen

lnuian lraultlOn rs We'll MS WHito
lore tells that seventy-fve miles north
west of Meeker COL. is the most
wonderful cattle ranch in the world.
Within space OF five miles In length
and half-mile in width roam a herd
upon whose sides the branding iHn
has never been placed. and around
whose hornes tho larat has never
frightened.
But score or even fewer of them
have ever seen man or horse or
other animal OF thoir kind. and, in
truth. their. kin except at distance OF
nearly 600 feet high above them. The
lutte Indians call them Up chek up"
or red buffalo. Aud yet il an Indian
who had seen them should be asked
about it he would laugh and shake his
head. and all the information obtain
able would be. "P' chek-up; EN- red.
no ketch EN-" There are more than
60 of this heard. and yet no man
owns them; nor is there any man,
white or black or copper colored. who
has ever been able to possess hoof
of these fat and tempting beevcs.
The cattle are in a prison. Out OF 1t
there is one method OF escape, but TO
travel that road means death to the
adventurous one. There is no way to
get in except it be by use of rope a
thousand feet in length. AS the In
dians say. Heap see EN-; no ketchum,
no come away" On the two sides of
the oblong space in which these cattle
roam. rise precipitous aud even con-
caved rocks of 500 and 600 feet At
either end seethes and rushes the
Tampa or Bear r YER.
For miles above and for miles below
il plnnges on in its headlong haste to
reach the arms of its parent the
scarcely less tumutuous but deeper
Green RIVER. Like the wonderful Hat
top mountains Of Colorado. this homo
of the imprisoned heard has no ike
ness in the world. 1t recalls, in its in
accessb lily the marvellous stories OF
the valley OF verdure INTO
which Mayne Reds adventu-
rers only found their way by the as +.
sistence OF the balloon.
The story Of the way in which these
cattle came there is as strange as
their existence Is curious. Fifteen
years ago, when the government
troops were pursu NJ the Mormon
mur,ierers of the innocent victims of
the Mountain Meadows Massacre. the
Canites. or avenging Angels of the
Mormons; fled into what was then
literally the wilderness. A few of
those who had been the blindest fol-
lowers of Lee, the Mormon tiend in
10 In
the blood OF women and children.
found in their wandering a pretty val
lev on a stream which flows from the
Was atch range into the Green River.
They stuck their stakes. built their
campfres and during the night the r
sagacious leader had vision which
told them where 20 stay. They could
scarcely have chosen in all Utah a
more fert 10 or more isolated spot.
They called it Ashley. and about them
have since gathered more of their sect,
until where the refugees posted the
picket OF the first summer has grown q
thriving village.
1t is l40 miles from the Union Pacific
Railroad south and AS m les north of
the Rio Grande Western. Until within
five years it has been isolated entirely
bnt now it Is thirty five miles from the
Utah Reservation. and furnishing sup
plies for the agency forms quite bus!.
ness for the community.
IL is a tenet of the Danites that ROB
bling or theft from a GENTLE is no
CT me. So it was thought to be
only cunning trick when Joe
Wvcliffe, one Of the Mormon settlers
of the new town. and II 8 three sons
made night sortie on Henry's Ford
in Wyoming. and carried away 500
head Of cattle ranging there. This was
in 1876 The owners OF the cattle d s.
covered the loss of the stock a few days
after they were gone and started in
pursuit.
The Wycliffes had Their friends along
the trail. and were warned by signals
OF the gang of the pursuing party Ac-
cordinglv they drove the cattle as fast
a. they could travel on eastward, across
Green X yer and up along the Bear,
with the intention of reaching the Elk
Mountain country in Northwestern Col
orado where they would be practically
safe from detection. and their stock.
also could secure the most succuent
of feed.
The thieves and the stolen herd bad
reached mesa Of inviting grass at
shutdown o"e dav and halted to camp
for the night. A terrible storm arose.
The four men desperately held the ter
ror-stricken cattle b. riding around
them constantly. But the wild fear
fulness of the furious storm excited tho
brutes beyond measure. All at oncsa?-
as il by one wild impulse. they stam-
peeled. A stampede of cattle by day is
calculated To strike terror TO anv heart
lest there be some human being in the
pathway. A stampede Dv night is one
Of the most appalling spectaces. John
Wyckl ffe and his son endeavor ed to
head off the stampeding herd. Instead.
ther and their horses were swept on
and driven in the terror to escape tho
charge Of the maddcned an mails. over
the br nix Of the awful precipice which
frowns up from the waters of the Bear.
After them plugged the whole frighten-
herd and down to the bottom of the