The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1894-02-07
HUNTING THE ANTELOPE.
How the Navajo Indians Mercilessly
Slaughter Game In the Great
West.
Needless Destruction OF L life.

Few people in the West, aud scarcely
any in the East, have any idea of the
unique manner in which the Navajo In
| dians have from time immemorial caught
antelopes Thousands of the b autiful
creatures still abound upon the vast
table lands of New Mexico.
In the country just south of the Navajo
reservation, and between it and the At
lantic and Pacific Railroad one frequent
ly comes upon long, straight rows of the
trunks of trees and the branches of ce-
dar and pine, stretching for miles
across these treeless plains. In many
places they are nearly rotting 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 destroyed in this part of the coun-
try, and only small herds of from five to
ten can be seen. These are mostly
hunted upon 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 there a
new corral that is in running order at
the present time. 1t 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 work
ings of the order had nearly died out, it
was necessary to first hold season of
song to teach the lesser chiefs their sew
eral duties, for, like the fraternities of
to day. they require their Grand Master,
Vicc-Grand Master, Conductors, Guards,
&c. After these had been instructed
thoroughly, party of nearly two hun
| dred men and boys on horseback started
to locate this spot for the revival OF
their old sport.
A place was selected where slight
hill was found upon the border of a wide
| pIdlIlc' NOI CNch d sage puoh IOuiu NC
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 on horseback. A close pen, circu-
lar in form and about 100 feet across,
was first built against the steep side 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 almost
parallel for 100 yards or so and then
spread apart at an angle of about thirty
degrees and extend for four and 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 acquired the
more the occupant is esteemed and con-
sidered worthy of protection later on.
The chief and his assistant then take
their places at the right 81 lie OF the en-
trance to the pen, standing in hole dug
for the purpose and just deep enough to
hide all except their heads From five
to eight Indians on the heetest horses
are sent out at daybreak to surround a
band of antelopes and head. them toward
the corral. An antelope, when startled,
keeps as far as possible away from any
place where an enemy might be hiding
hence they keep as far away from the
wings of the coral, which are on either
side of them, as they can. After 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 enclosed 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 com
pletely terrify the poor animals that they
stand trembling and apparently uncon-
cious of the Indians, who now approach
and kill them with clubs, hatchets
stones or anything at hand. As many as
25O have been caught at one time in this
manner, and for wholesale destruction O
game it surpasses any process in vogue
and should be stopped entirely.-Globe
Democrat