The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1893-12-29
Highest of all in Leavening u Govt Report
RH!A!:'!:!! B Bsxdss'
ARS0ll ITEM DlmE
ABSOLUTELY PURE
CAPTURING ANTELOPES.

CAPTURING ANTELOPES.
The Wholesale and MarSerous Process In
Vogue Among the NKraioes.
Few people in the west and scarcely
any id the east have any idea of the
unique manner In which the Navajo
Indians have from tins immemorial
caught antelopes, writes a correspond
ent from Heber, Mexico. Thousands
Of the beautiful creatures still abound
upon the vast table lands of this terri
tory. In the country just south of the
Navajo reservation, and between 1t
aud the Atlantic & Pacific railroadi
one frequently comes upon long,
straight rows of trunks of trees
stretching for miles across thesetreeless
plains In many places they are near
~ rotted away, and only the larger
limbs and trunks now mark these lines
These are the ruins of ancient antelope
corrals OF pens The large bands of
antelopes have long since been de-
stroyed in this part of the country, and
only small herds of from five to ten can
be seen. These are mostly hunted up
on the American or white mans plan.
However, directly south of Winslow.
about fifty miles distant. large bands
of these graceful creatures still roam,
and there is in existence new corral
that is in running order at the present
time. It is here that the old men OF
the tribe, WHO believe in the ancient
manner of catching game, enjoy their
annual hunt.
This corral was built in 1890 by the
order Of the old chief, Gano Mumcho,
and his soh Many Horses. AS the
workings of the order had nearly died
out, it was necessary to first hold
season of song to teach the lesser chiefs
their several duties, for, like the fra
ternitfes of to-day, they require their
ductors, guards, etc. After these had
been instructed thoroughly, party OF
nearly two hundred men and boys ON
horseback started to locate this spot
for the revival of their old sport A
place was selected where a light hill
was found upon the border of a wide
prairie. Not even a sage bush could be
seen, and trees for the corral had to
| be brought from the cedar-covered hills
nearly ten miles away. These were
cut and dragged to the place by the
men and boys OH horseback. A close
pen, circular in form and about one
hundred feet across was first built
against the steep ride of the hill so
that the tops of the posts used could
not be seen from the opposite side.
Two lines of trees were then dragged
and laid loosely upon the ground, but
close enough to appear like brush
fence. These lines at the pen are
about twenty yards apart and run al
most parallel for one hundred yards or
so and then spread apart at an angle
of about thirty degrees and extend
across the plains for four and a half or
five miles. When the party reaches
the corral for the annual hunt the
chief first selects the officers, four
to watch each point of the
compass around the pen. For
each pit is dug deep enough
to put him out of sight The less space
required the more the occupant is es-
teemed and considered worthy of pro-
motion later on. The chief and his as
sistant then take their places at the
right side of the entrance to the pen,
standing in hole dug for the purpose
and just deep enough to hide all ex-
cept their heads. From five to eight
Indians on the feetest horses are sent
out at daybreak to surround band OF
antelopes and head them toward the
corral An antelope when started
keeps as far as possible away from any
place where an enemy might be hid
ing, hence they keep as far away from
the wings of the corral, which are on
either side of them, as they can. At
ter being closed in. upon they cannot
turn back, as the drivers are in hot
pursuit, and they make dash for the
top of the hill, which, to them, appears
to be the only opening between the
horrid lines Of brush fence. But. alas
for them, they find themselves inclosed
in stout pen, around which they run
in circle, never trying to jump over.
The shouts and yells of the Indians at
length SO completely terrify the poor
animals that they stand trembling and
apparently unconscious of the Indians,
who now approach and kill them with
clubs, hatchets, stones or anything at
hand AS many as two hundred and
fifty have been caught at one time in
this manner, and for wholesale
destruction of game it surpasses any
numbering process in vogue, and
should be stopped entirely.-St Louis
Globe Democrat.
What shed Wear.