Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-02
A CATTLE FUNERAL.
Ono Of the strangest Sights That Are 10 Bs
Witnessed ON the Ranxe

One OF the Strangest Sights That Are 10 b
Witnessed on the Range.
| From the San Francisco Chronicle
A cattle funeral may seem an odd thing "a
i write about, but it is ten times more odd tc
witness II the observer happen to be on foo,
in the vicinity Of the scene Of the ceremonies,
however, he is apt to find IL anything but odd,
unless there be tree or some other place OF
refuge convenient or the curious onlooker be
unusually fleet Of foot
But doubtless the average reader does no.
know what cattle funeral is like, and perhaps
is not inclined to give credit to the possible ex-
istence of such thing. II he has never lived
in locality where cattle Of moro or less I'M
tanned disposition are wont to range he will
certainly never have had an opportunity to
learn by observation any of the peculiar and
notable facts connected with this remarkable
phenomenon of the range.
cattle funeral then, De il known, ia nothing
more nor less than exactly what the words
seem to indicate ceremony of mourning
over the untimeiv fate OF a departed herdmate.
IN which every Individual member of the band
that Is within .oEg-range ear or nose shot is
bound to participate. In detail this ceremony
consists Of q sort of walk around accompanied
with tue most doieful. ear-p;ercing and heart
rending means. shrieks and bellowings. and
varied by ponderous pawIngs in the ground
and the most singularly dexterous fingng OF
the resultant dust upon the backs Of the four
footed mourners.
To observe or participate in a cattle funeral
let the curious minded so out upon the range
select some spot which is open and affords no
obstruction TO the view and from which not a
''critter' is in sight. Just here, for the benefit
let it be explained that the word "critter" is by
common consent used on. the ranges as the
shortest possible means of defining the charac-
ter of an animal which walks on four legs by
contradis:inction from q horse or calf.
Having selected such a spot, let one of the
aforementioned critters be brought quietly
and secretly from a distance, and without I'M
due ostentation, as becomes poachers upon
another man range. let him be done to death.
Let the offal be secreted where even the coyotes
cannot find it, and let the hide and flesh be
carried carefully away. Then let earth be
disturbance, and let all this be done SO well
that even the human eve can detect nothing
that would reveal what had been done
Then let twenty-four hours. or even less,
pass, unless, indeed, there be cattle within a
mile or less at the time of the slaughter. But
for purposes Of illustration suppose that
twenty-four hours have elapsed.
Then suppose bunch of 100 or 200 head Of
cattle come drifting down over the range to
leeward of the spot where the slaughter o. the
day previous occurred The leader of the
bunch may be two or three miles perhap
further. from the scene of blood. Suddenly lie
commences to show signs OF uneasiness
Though the ass be deep and luxuriant he
only feeds few moments continuously, lifting
his head and tossing his horns as if an enemy
were neal. Suddenly there is strong puff OF
Wind. and as the rostrils of the leader inhale
the air transformation occurs like a flash of
lightning. He halts. throws his muZzle into
the air and then emits most unearthly pro-
longed. weird moaning shrek or below 1t
is like none of the various noises made upon
thxr l.,,t IL Al
own and which is evidently well understood by
the entire herd.
With another SHREK which can be heard for
mile, aAd even further. the leader breaks into
a run. with his tai in the air and with his head
shaking angriy from side 10 side, followed by
all the members of the herd, each adding to
the volume of sound that now fills the air As
other animals feeding quietly at distance hear
the peculiar sounds they too, prick up their
ears; then. with answering shrieks, they gallop
wildly toward the excited band and join 1t in
pursuit of the leader.
That animal quickly arrives at tie tell-tale
spot. He snuffs at the ground, meanwhile
lashing his sides with his tail and believing
III manner that suggests the
height of rage. His eyes flash wildly, the
froth drops from his jaws and flecks his neck
and body. He paws the ground angrlly with his
hoois and by dexterOus twisting manages to
cast great masses of the earth into the air and
upon his back.
lLe others come racing up and crowd closely
about the spot where their mate was slain. An
inner circle is formed by the excited animals,
with their heads all pointing to a common
center. and these below and paw the ground
ard race around and around until exhausted
Meanwhile the others are circling rapidly
about the central cluster, and finally displace
the earlier arrivals. whereupon they, too, go
through the same performance.
The scene Is a terrific one. Horns are clashed
Sf hnr fhsah hell h.
imals is deafening. the air Is filed with dust,
the beasts seem actuated each by some partic-
ularly malevolent spirit, and their actions APP
pear prompted almost by human understand
ing.
chances to be abroad on foot upon such an oc-
casion. If he have any cattle sense" at all he
will put as wide space as possible between
himself ana the mourners. or il he be DESTROYS
of studying the spectacle he will climb the
nearest tree or seek some other point of want
age inaccessible to the maddened beastS
If, on the other hand, he should be SO lack
ing in common sense as to be unable to recog-
niZe the apparent signs OF danger and should
approach too closely to the angry herd, his
awakening to the peril will be sharp and sud-
den. Some angry beas. will catch a glimpse
of him and recognizing in him the response
bility for the shedding of blood, will lower his
head and with a snort of defiance make a wild
charge for the object of bovine wrath. If that
object escape with his life he will indeed be
fortunate. Even horseman has been known
to have had anything but a pleasant half hour
from an encounter with a funeral party Of this
character.
The news of the death Of a comrade seems to
spread with the rapidity of the telegraph, and
fresh relays of mourners constantly arrive,
keeping up the strange spectacle for hours at
q time, nor ceasinG until the shades of night
descend.
Occasionally the scene Of bloodshed will be
discovered by some wandering ''critter" who
has that portion OF the range to himself tenn
porarily. There may be no other cattle within
two or three miles, yet the lone mourner will
commence the procedure already described.
and within q quarter or half an hour he will
have been joined by others. while inside Of an
hour there will be dense mass of excited cat
tie on the spot and from the range in every
direction others will be seen hurrying to the
scene
Altogether cattlc funeral is one Of the
oldest and most interesting sights that can be
winessed-by a man up tree.