The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1891-02-13
HUNGRY CATTLE STAMPEDE.
Penned Up on q Pile OF Hsy-An Hours
thrilling Experience OF Hair . Doxen
Ranch hers.

uUNAnV7 GAJVte STAMPSOE.
Penned Up on - Pile OF HAy-An Hours
Thrilling Experiences Of Hair . Doxen
Ranc hers.
Cattlemcn in Nevada will remember
this year rs the worstrthey ever exper-
fenced in their business. They wore
SO badly crippled by the havoc wrought
by last winters storms among the
herds that they have not yet recovered
from the loss, aud the business activity
of the entire State has been somewhat
hampered thereby. More on this ac-
count than any other several thousand
purchasers of land from tho Central
Pacific have been given a years extern
sion on their payments. OF some 4.O0C
OF these purchasers only half n dozen
made their usual annual payments.
Recent estimates of the loss of cattle
last winter run the number up to 25O.-
600, aud examples are numerous where
out of n herd OF {. 1000, three score or less
were alive i'll the spring. This was Mr.. |.
NJ. Strawbridge's experience, while G.
w. Crumb saved l, 100 ont of n herd of
10000. S. c. benson and Frank Mil
Ter Of Sacramento lost between 5000
and 1000, valued at 100000, whilo
others lost so many breeding animals
that this summer some ranchc..s brand
ed 1000 to 1900 calves where for sew
eral seasons past they were in the habit
of branding from 100000 to &c. 600.
John Bradley was another heavy
loser, and he had an experience with
some of his cattle that he will never
forget. One night in January last
5000 of his choicest, which had been
driven in close to tho headquarters of
the ranch, where they were between
500 and 1000 bales of hay stacked to.
gcthcr in Que huge pilt. and incloscd
by Il strong aud high board fence. made
a wild stampede and took complete
possession OF the hay. Daring the day
the cattle were given u small quantity
of it, the idea being to keep them from
utter starvation aud make the hay
last as long as possible. Men armed
with sticks and pitchforks were sta.
more completely guard the provcnder,
it being anticipated that in their hun
ger the animals would make M on.
s,aught on the fence to get ut the coyet-
ell food.
Darkness came on and it was bitter
cold. The night was clear, the snow
deep on the ground, aud ever and anon
sharp, piercing winds would mercilcss-
ly lash the poor dumb beasts. who, in
n solid phalanx on all four sides of the
fenced hay, stood a short distance
away, shivering in their plight, looking
Mt the hay and watching the men on
guard.
Two hours before midnight, the
winds increased in fury. 1t became a
hurricane, with the thermometer below
zero. The men on guard in their bum
dies of clothes were painfully cold; the
cattle presented q grim aspect, in one
great shivering mass, surging to aud
fro. restless with pain and hunger. but
with their eyes still fixed on The big
pile of hay.
Tncir restlessncss increased; the
came more noticeable. The cattle
in the rear, in a vain attempt to get
away from the cruel wind, struggled
wildly. rushing forward and fighting
to Dust those in front. until the whole
herd took alarm and began moving to-
ward the hay. Suddenly with one az
cord they beloved loud and long, as
if instinct told them death was near,
and then in mad career rushed blindly
and furiously toward the fence.
The guards having no avenue OF es.
cape but on top OF the pile of hay,
swiftly climbed the fence and scram
bled on top, just us the hungry herd
made its mad charge.
1t was a grand and terrible scene as
the cattle rushed up to the fence, those
in the front having their brains dashed
out and others being trampled upon
and killed by those charging OF behind,
The fence gave way. and around ant
mp the pile of hay the herd moved on
SO closely packed together that somt
behind were forced ON the backs o.
those in front, while here and Their,
were piles of dead animals, from the
top of which cattle stood frantically
grabbing their food. only the next mo-
ment to be savagely attacked by others
for q favored place.
For an hour the guards on top with
bated breath aud frightened looks,
watched this weird sight, and Their
yclls for help. rs the cattle pushed one
another up close TO the top, made
Bradley and others. who had run ont
of the house when the cattle beloved
think that the guards were being man
glcd beneath the hoofs of the cnrnget
beasts. For two hours they lnborcd tt
drive the cattle back to rescnc the
guards, aud finally succeeded in get
ting an opening for them to escnpe,
but the cattle finished tho hay pile AND
a week latter all We're dead from col,
and hnnger.-Saa Francisco Examiner