The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-15
FREAKS OF A STAMPEDE.
scENEs AMONG HERDS OF
wFsrERN PRAIRIE CATTLE.


r,or, the Nelo York Times.
since Washington IrvIng's "Tour
~ prairies." Kendalls Santa Fe Ex-
o. ~. w., or the beginning Of the drive"
P-, -.st herds of Texas cattle from the
" st TO the cold climate of the north
Sl'l ,bair horns were frozen off, and
Tls.o many an owners pocket book was
s .s.Dsd in death, lively interest has bean
si' SUI in what is called a stampede" or
o.. Us Of animals IN herds.
SI Sisdn that twenty-five years ago
icsh G'' Nv millions in the interior Of the
r'anleu was an every day affair. Now
eoA.ID occurrence has passed away for
SUCH a. what caused the huge beast, Rccus-
ever. 20 the tornado, the vivid lightning,
toneu nail that frequently accompanies
tne"-iisn. short storm of the prai-
tne - Stampede at apparently nothing. Is
RES nose problems that admits of no So
one ol Sometimes it is caused by flash of
luIiou;; rom a dark cloud; again, the ory
pll,paSryed wolf. or the appearance on
o. o. sarizon Of a single figure, or, perhaps,
tn teo hing as insignificant as the barking Of
s0 L.sire dog, sitting on the edge of its bur-
rev. s.sr,ed freouentIv the uboIa
bard once EbdTLeI AiO1 UChbig bhO " uOko
for miles became absolutely black
prsnn.. 10 Aeeing beasts. There was nothing
WV ;.njtascribably grand. yet SO awful in its
iI,Ie results. TIE earth. shaken by the
oss nD rhythmic tramps Of the hoofs upon
Len IIord ground, fairly reverberated as
we o- nassed a given point. Woe to him
w .l5, Tod in the way of the mighty throng
's W ;;nt,,riated animals; nothing but ami
vl.,ian absolute and complete, his portion.
Dii T'rsoneDtly the long army supply train Of
ifolfian expedition, composed of 6mule
.oons that OF the winter campaign Of
IsiS-6q was a mile long in four cOlumns,ior
t.or miles long when strung out in a single
ino, vas the scene Of 'stampedes." The
l,ntn presented when the frightened ami
Tsis dashed away from the trail" to be
,iaJ m in confused mass Of wagons, har-
sos. Inen and mules, cannot be portrayed
BY any pen. ,....
n one Of the infantry regiments of the reg
r1sr army. received from the writer, at
4 Eat HAYES. Kan, five or six teams of the
1bsracter described. in the winter of 1868,
~ transport some camp equipage from that
rost to Fort Dodge, on the Arkansas.
tTran the train had covered about half
n ,bs distance. forty miles, one afternoon,
s irst before going into bivouac, a portion
e ~ he animals stampeded, and nothing
4 c,uId he discovered of their whereabouts.
Y Twenty years afterwards some Of the set
tlar, near where now the town of Nc
q Cracker, Rush county, is situated, were
a surDrssd to find in a rav1ne or small canyon,
the almost disintegreted remains of several
81 6-mule army wagons, the skeletons Of over
thirty mules and the iron parts of harness.
# These fragments we're portion of the train
W JaH hoP1ro
Cattle have the "afiliction,n so to saw, to
break out when least expected. One may
travel for a week, believing that one's ami
mails have been completely cured, when
81 suddenly, from some atmospheric influence
orother unforeseen and unaccountable cir
cumstauce, away they go. The devices for
breaking 1t up are many. Lamp lights are
used, noises, such as singing. etc., are en-
plcyed but nothing has ever yet been dis
81 covered that is an infallible preventive.
1t was formerly the custom of vendors
n % send herders to help start from the
mighborhood Of "of the range" as it was
termed. These occasions were always con-
sidered holiday, and "night-herdingn was
an excitement eagerly sought. The
watch on one occasion, which consisted
Otwo or three reliefs, had donned their
lggins and spurs, partaken of a cup of ex-
otALb OJl4CC9 ann SUNK tIblE IOuT
through The cattle were resting very
Qjecly, as is their custom at first, only
rising to turn from one side to another. AS
the "1five' continued in its tiresome way,
tleduty became mOnOtonous, the herders
became gum, voiceless, eager only for their
watch to end
Untne nigntin question the owner of the
le'd remembering he previous quiet Of his
animals, bethought himself of what was
aiterWardknown on the "trailn as the bell
racket" He purchased a large COW bell
I]r eaca horse; to serve the double
purpose Of soothing noise for
the oattle, and, if the boys were
wak'ia, he would know by the melody OF
tle BELLS that they were in motion, attend
lug . their duty, riding around. Unfort-
laately In this outfit there was a big,
laiy negro, intent only upon sleep and
STNng He conceived the brilliant idea
VI al@n5asng the bell from his horses
eek sad fastening it to his stirrup, 30 that
N could Keep up the motion with his foot
Sll nap q little at the same time.
IN THIS Particular night he was slumber-
w SReetly. his horse, quietly cropping
l5 grass, happened to stray into the middle
u Tue peaceful herd. At this iuncture the
u5sro suddenly awakened, and, discovering
Slge ne was, began to shake his bell vic.
"lN!' Inc noise, of course, started every
t 70 his feet, and away went the
Msl'ened animals on the run. In q
sT every horseman of the entire ''out-
I'm Il was In pursuit, with each individual
we'll airing discordantly herd. The pur-
,YIs s'on became aware of the folly OF
lowing lying herd with such a noise
"e! abandoned their instruments.
vs nuoIner stampede was caused by a herder
o May . Varrled a cap and-ball pistol and ar
0 a. powder horn Ia his waist belt
dr nlgg1 1t bad rained very hard and
ru{peled his powder. He thought he
W. sGld dry it by his watch fire.n Ii dried
% Sse' but with such a noise that tht
'IUe nerd stampeded.
,,r 1IUsner stampede was caused by negro
Of Wv ~ %atch" dlsmounting in the middle
sorag ueru, and wrapping his blanket
ns suuG I ll Tor nap. When he had com.
GrboUe " snore d steer approached him for
Nean % az tne end OF his blanket; but aftei
no,, sn.'ilal mad succeeded in swallowing g
IA ' "tt VI II, inding that he could not ge
IAN M sne oaiance, he became frightened
esna .oto tae herd, started it, and day
G 9po before 1t was rounded up.n
ctto snVa herder rode too close to thu
lsen,ni -is morse stumbled and fell against 6
al tbSe I'eer. Then there was roar as il
Spoken 'uH1uuers of Mount Olympus had
eyerv vI T,o1 away went the frightened herd
don't b tlG1 running with it to the "trail,
clsr I baI a mile distant, where they me
hsbvu V re with herders singing theil
nss pI iu 'front.' of the infatuated AMI
Ea,s1 f,nnoSphorescent scintillations fairly
VS. redo ,Gln the black beasts, and the all
are ta aU.9ut with the odor of bruised horns
ton 'nole' but not as searching, as that
lsr western packing housa All at
n 't,ay futile, so the men were "oslleC
Ns.,s 70 sleep with their boots on ius
NJ. vi LQpV haDpanoI .. g. .