The St. Johns herald., 1895-07-25
ZINC ANTELOPES.
Methods Of the Navajo Indians in Capturing the Tlnnid Animal
Pens Tn Which Hundreds of the Wary Creatures Arc Corralet at Once-A Cruel Practice That Should
 Be Checked.

Be Checked.
 Few people in the west, ana scarcely any in the east, have any idea Of the unique manner in which the Naval jo Indians have from time immenorial caught antelopcs. writes a correspond- ent at Helen. Y. M. Thousands of the beautiful creatures still abound upon the vast tablelands of this territory In the country just south of the Maya jo reservation, and between 1t and the Atlantic & Pacific railroad, one ire quently comes upon long, straight rows of the trunks of trees and the branches of cedar and pine. stretching for miles across these treeless pialns. Tn many places. says thc Chicago Jour nal, they are nearly rotte1 away, and only the larger limbs and trunks now mark these lines. These are the ruin of ancient antelope corral5 or pens. The large bands of antelopcs have long since been destroyed in this part of the country, and only small her1S of from five to ten can be seen. These arc mostly hunted down upon the Amer
  directly south of Ninslow. 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. It is here that the old men of the tribe, who believe ia the ancient manner of catching game, enjoy their annual hunt.
 This corral was built in 1890 by the order of the old chief, Gano Muncho and his son. Many Horses. 4 place was selected where slight hill was found upon the border of a wide prai- rie. Not even a sagcbush cO1ld be seen. and trees for the corral had to be brought from the cedar-covcred hills nearly ten miles away. They were cut and dragged to the place by the men and boys on horseback. \ close pen. cir cular in form. about one hundred 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 cnough to appear like brush fence. These lines at the pen are about twenty yards apart and run almost parallel for one hundred yards or so and then spread apart at an angle of about thirty degrees and ex- tend across the plains for four and a half or five miles.
 When the party reaches the corral h., 1,a .l, fi-cf lects the officers. four to watch each point of the compass around the pen. For each q pit is dug deep enough to put him out of sight. The less space required the moro the occupant is es- teemed and considered worthy of pro motion later on. Ehc chef and his as Sistant then take tkcir places at the right side of the entrance to the pen, standing in hole du.F fer the pur- pose. and just deep cnOl.g;' lo hide all except their heads From f:e to eight Indians on the flectcat horses are set out at daybrcalI to surround a band of antelopeS aud 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 Gs far away from the wings of the corral, 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 inclosed i'll stout pen, around which they run in a circle, never trying to jump over. The shouts and ycllS of the Indians at length so completely terrify the poor animals that they stand trembling and appar- ently unconscious of the Indians, who now approach and kill them with clubs, hatchets, stones or anything at hand. As many as two hundred and fifty have been caught at one time in this man. ner, and for wholesale destruction of game it sUTpasses any murdering proc ess in vogue, and should be stopped en- tirely.