West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1894-04-12

A Big Cattle Stampede In the Rocky
Mountains.
nv xAxaAs cow.ax

OsAwAroNr, KAN, April 4, '94.
EDITOR ARors--As l promised
would give little sketch OF COW.
boys life on the plains. | will
change it little, owing to tho fact
that / have commenced the manu-
facture of greater and new
household, idle men instruct. and
that will take all OF the spare time
from the railroad shop where /
work. So as not to disappoint you
will give an experience in stam-
pede with 1900 head of Wild cat.
tie.
In my opinion Gabriel will re.
quire u club attachment to that
horn OF his when he comes to wake
the average cowboy, or he will never
be able to wake him on the morn
of the general roundup, because
there is no circumstances under
which u cowboy will not sleep, un-
less physically molested. In the
midst of mountain storm when
the crashing thunder comes stimuli.
taneonsly with gloring lighting.
the cowboy sleeps peacefully in u
dry creek bed with his head down
grade. He slumbers sweetly in
view of tarantulas, rattlesnakes and
centipedes for bedfellows he closes
his eyes and dreams of IA heaven of
unlimited plug tobacco aud un-
stlnted sleep. Gabriels trumpet
would indeed sound in vain when
the time comes to check the drove
OF cowboys. In tho year of 80 we
were driving 1000 head of cattle
over the Rocky Mountains by the
South Wyoming Pass. when run,
the terror of all cattle droves, took
place under circumstances which
showed just how sound cowboy
sleeps. There were fifteen of us
boys; (boy with COW preflxcd may
mean forty -year-old man with
prairie peoplc), it takes nearly that
many to start IA herd OF 1000 cat
tie, though ba'f dozen boys can
manage them after the first week
on the road. BY that time the
cattle know what is expected OF
them and give us very little trou Bile.
Well, we were campcd one night on
the very summit of the mountains.
Tue sleeping ground was five
acre patch OF grass. All around
was sage brush and rocks of vol
canic eruptive formation. You un-
derstand, that after cattle are set
tied at night on good sleeping
ground, three or four boys are all
that is required TO slowly ride in a
circle around them. This is done
by relays Of men in watches, the
watch being changed at midnight.
have many times seen cowboys on
a broncho riding round and round
a drove at midnight, fast asleep ia
their saddles. On the night in
question | happened to be on the
FIRST watch myself and only had
two other boys, and one Of them
was tender foot. The night was
overcast and dark, the few stars
that shoDe between the reefs OF
clouds that were drifting past,
serving TO annoy the sleeping cat
tie, the air seemed scourged with
electricity, and although there had
been no lightning it was just such
a night when runs always occur.
! have heard no end to the scien.
ti6c and poetic explanation Of rams
or stampedes, generally by men
who never saw one in their life.
1t is all we'll enough to say some
thing frightened them. if You know
nothing about it and want to ex-
plain it, but that don't explain II
IN any way. They say a cyotc OF
jack-rabbit On some prowling beat.
fughtens one Of the herd, and thai
one infects the other with panic
and the stampede begins and 90,
I il you have drove OF 900 o.
| 10000, the panic effects oycry ono
at the same time, and it is hard ID
account for their being frightened
oy some prowling beast, because a
run never occurs except on a night
ss this have describcd.
] leave IL TO those who know all
about atmospheric influence and
such 70 tell just what it is anyway.
4 oraa q Iffffo urr.-., tl..N .:..l.t