Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-11-29
A WALLED IN HERD.

| In lne WlluesJ pOlIIOH VI 'ii0 'NS''
seventy-fve miles northwest of Meak-
er, where, in 1879, the Utes massacred
the Meaker family and everyone at the
agency, is the most wonderful cattle
ranch in the world. Within a space
five miles in length and three miles in
width roams herd upon whose sides
the branding iron has never been
placed, and around whose horns the
lariat has never tightened. But a score
or even fewer of them have ever seen
a man or horse, or other animals OF
their kind, and in fact their kin, ex-
cept at distance of nearly 600 feet
high above them. The Ute Indians
call them "p'check-up,' or red buffalo.
And yet if an Indian who has seen them
should be asked about it, he would
laugh and shake his head, and all the
information obtainable would be, "P'-
check-up; EN- red; no ketch EN-.
There are more than a thousand of this
herd, and yet no man owns them, nor
is there a man, white or black or cop
per colored, who has ever been able to
possess a single hoof of these fat and
tempting beeves.
The cattle are in prison. Out Of
it there is one method of escape, but
to travel that road means death to the
adventurous one. There is no way tc
get in except it be by means Of rope
900 feet in length. AS the Indians
say: Heap see EN- no ketch EN- nc
come away" On the two long sides
of the oblong space in which these cat
tie roam rise precipitous and even con
cave rocks for 500 or 600 feet-yawn'
ing, black and insurmountable. Al
either end seethes and rushes the Yam
pa or Bear River For miles above
and miles below it plunges and STUN
bles on its headlong haste to reach The
arms of its parent, the scarcely les
tumultuous but deeper Green River
Like the wonderful fiat top mountain
of Colorado, this home Of the imprls
oned herd has no likeness in the world
The story of the way in which thes'
cattle came there is as strange as thel
existence is curious. Over twenty
years ago, when the Government troop
were pursuing the Mormon murderer
of the innocent victims of the Noun
tain Meadow massacre, the Danltes, O.
Avenging Angels Of the Mormons, tie(
for their lives into what was then Int
orally the wilderness. a few OF those
who had been the blindest followers o
Lee, the Mormon fend incarnate, whose
hands were red with the blood of wo
men and children, found in their wan
derings pretty valley or stream whlcl
flows from the Wasatch range into th'
Green River. They stuck their stakes
built their camp fires, and during th'
night their sagacious leader had Wis
ion, which told him there to stay
They could hardly have chosen In Utat
a more fertile or more isolated spot
They called it Ashly, and about then
have since gathered more Of their sect
until where the refugees posted thel
pickets on the lonely nights of the frs
summer has grown thriving village
1t is l4O miles from the Union Pacific
Railroad south, and l45 north ofthe Ri'
Grande Western. Until within few
years past it has been isolated entirely
but now it is but thirty miles from tn
Ute reservation, and furnishing sup
plies for the agency forms quite busl
ness for the community.
It is a tenet of the Danites that rob
bing or theft from a Gentle is N
crime. So it was thought to be onl.
. a cunning trick when John Wyeklitfe
one of the Mormon settlers of the neV
town, and his three sons, made a nigh
sortie on Henry's Ford in Wyomln
and carried away 800 head of cattI
ranging there. This was in 1874, Tn
owners of the cattle discovered thel
loss few days after they we've gon
and started in pursuit.
The thieves and the stolen herd ha
reached mesa of inviting grass at sun
down one day and halted to camp 70
the night. A terrific storm arose. Tn
lightning flashed incessantly and tn
thunder pealed and cracked with IL
termitting fury. The four men de'