The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-12-29
CAPTURING ANTELOPES.
The Wholesale and Murderoas Process In
Vogue Among the Nsvajoes-

| The Wholesale and Murderoas Process In
| Vogue Among the Nsvajoes-
Few people in the west and scarcely
any in the east have any idea of the
unique manner in which the Navajo
Indians have from time immemorial
caught antelopes, writes . correspond
emit from Heber, Mexico Thousands
of the beautiful creatures still abound
upon tie vast table lands of this terri
tory. In the country just south OF the
! NavEfo reservation, and between it
and the Atlantic & Pacific railroad,
one frequently comes upon long,
straight rows of trunks of trees
and the branches of cedar and pine,
stretching for miles across these treeless
plains In many places they are near
ly rotted away, and only the larger
limbs and trunks now mark these lines
These are the ruins of ancient antelope
corrals or 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 a new corral
that is in running order at the present
time. Il 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 son Many Horses. As the
workings Of the order had nearly died
out, it was necessary to first hold a
season of song to teach the lesser chiefs
their several duties. for, like the fra
ternities of to-day, they require their
grand master, vice grand master, con-
ductors. guards, etc After these had
been instructed thoroughly, a 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 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
bcA ava AhCSC HCAC
cut and dragged to the place by the
men and boys on 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 a 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 a pit is dug deep enough
to put him out of sight The less space
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 |
aud Just deep enough to hide all ex-
cept their heads From five to eight |
Indians on the heetest horses are sent |
out at day break 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 AZ
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, 70 them, appears /
to be the only opening between the
horrid lines Of brush fence. But alas
for them, they find themselves inclosed I
IN a 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 1
hand As many as two hundred and I
fifty have been caught at one time in 4
this manner, and for wholesale 4
destruction Of game it surpasses any
numbering process in vogue, and /
should be stopped entirely.-St Louis
Globe Democrat.