The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1894-12-25
A WALLED HERD.
STRANGE STORY OF AN mac
CksSiBLE BAND OF CATTLE.
Their Ancestors Fell Over Precipice
Twenty Years Ago-DwelI in
Safety Where Man Has
Never Trod.


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
tighened. But a score or even fewer
OF them Lave ever seen a man or
horse, or other animals of their kind,
and IN fact their kin, except at dis
tance Of nearly 600 feet high above
them. The Ute Indians call them
Up check-uI," 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.
check-up; EN- red no ketch 'em. "
There are more than thousand of
this herd, AMI vet no man owns them,
nor is there a man, white or black or
copper 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 to
get lii except it be by means OF rope
1000 feet in length. As the Indians
say Heap see 'em; no ketch EN-
no come away" On the two long
sides o. the oblong space in which
these cattle roam rise PERCEPTIONS and
even concaye rocks for 800 or 600
feet--yawn,ng, black aud insurmouut-
able. At either end seethes aud
rushes the Yampa or Bear River For
miles above and miles below 1t
p.unges and stumbles on in its head
long haste TO reach the arms ot its
parent, the scarcely less tumu5uous
but deeper Green River. Like the
wonderful fiat top mountain Of Colo
RADIO, this home OF the imprisonc
herd has no likeness in the world.
The story OF the way in which these
cattle came there Is as strange as their
existence is curious. Over twenty
years ago, when the Government
troops We're pursuing the Mormon
murdcrers OF the innocent victims OF
the Mountain Meadow massacre. the
Danites, or Avenging Angels of the
Mormons, he1 for their lives into
what was then literally the wilderness.
y few Of. those who had been the
blindest followers OF Lee, the Nor
mon tiend iuc1raate, whose hands
were red with the blood OF women
and children, found in their wander
ings pretty valley or stream which
flows from the WGsatch range into the
Green River. They stuck their stakes,
built their camp fires, aud during the
night their sagNcious leader had a
vision, which told him there TO STAY.
They could hardly have chosen in Utah
more fertile or more isolated spot.
They called it Ashley, and about them
have since gathered more OF theirsect.
until whore the refugees posted their
pic6ets on the lonely nights OF the
first summer has grown thriving
village. It is 40 miles from the
Union Pacific Railroad south, and 14j
north OF the Rio Grando Western.
Until within few years past it has
been isolated entirely, but now it is
but thirty miles from the Ute reserva-
ton, and furnishing supplies for the
agency forms quite business for the
community.
1t Is tenet of the Danites that rob
bing or theft from q Gentle is no
crime. SO 1T was thought to be only
n cunning trick when John Wvckliffa.
one OF the Mormon settlers OF the new
town, and his three sons, made NIGHT
sortlc on Henry's Ford n Wyoming
and carried away 800 head OF cattle
ranging there. This was in 1874. The
owners Of the cattle discovered their
loss a few days after they were gone
and started in pursuit
The thieves and the stolen herd had
reached mess Of inviting grass at
shutdown one day ana halted to camp
for the night A terrific storm arose.
The lightning flashed necessarily an
the thunder pea!ed and cracked with
intermittiuy FURY. The four men des-
perately hell the terrOr-stricken cat
tie by riding around them constantly
and chanting some weird tune. Buf
the Wild fearfuluess OF the furious
storm excited tine brutas beyond meas.
ure They surge and giuned, every
moment growing less subject 10 con
trOl. All at once, a. it by one mad i'm
pulse, they stampe led
John Wyckli1a aud his sons met
their fntc amid the jghtnints glare
AMI tine thluiers roar. They en-.
deayorci TO head on the stanreIlu.
herd. Instead they and their horses
were swept ON and driven, I'm the t.r
ror b. escape the charge OF maIdeneI
animpis. over the brink OF the awful
prc.ipico which frowns mp from the
waters OF tne Bear. After them
plunge the whole ir.sht-crlzsi herd.
AMI down TO the bottom OF the fearful
,oll went horses, riders, and horned
creatures. Out of this plunge OF life.
TO what was seemingly certain death
to all, few OF the herl were not
killed. Those which had gone ahead
formed cushion of death. Maimcl.
stunned, but still invested with "a
spark OF life, when the dread storm
was over, the living cattle crawled out
from the mass beneath them and formed
q nucleus for the herd which now roam
at will within their rocky confines.
On the bank of tho river. stretching
bacS "a icw hundred yards. grow sue
cuicnt grasses, and upon this the cat
tie have propagated and thriyed. In
looking over the edge OF The precipice
one can see that they are small and as