Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-10-17
HARDY WILD PONIES.
HOW THEY ARE CAPTURED AND
tanned ON SABLE ISLAND.

Leads Each Gang.
Nature has thickened the coats of the
wild ponies of Sable island and given
the hair ON them almost woolly tend
ency. During the summer they fatten
ON the succulent grasses, and tie first
half of the winter they fairly hold their
own, but the cold northeast winds and
SHOWS OF March and April, when the
polar ice surrounds the island, drive
them clustering under the lee of the
sand dunes, where ICY stay till too
weak and chilled to move about iii search
of the scanty nourishment
A year ago, after ten days stormy,
sleepy SPELL no less than six dead ami
mails We're found huddled in nook be-
hind some sand hills. During the win
| ter of 1894, 81 wild ponies died from ex-
posure and natural causes OF course
where there are several hundred horses
or people--no matter how we'll cared
for, there viii be number of deaths.
So we cannot put the whole Ga deaths
down to exposure and starvation. T"
That winter began with 400 wild ponies
ON the island, and it was what the staff
there called "hard winter. -
The sand permeating their food causes
the teeth to wear away rapidly, so that
old age and inability to eat sufficient
come upon them sooner than with horses
on the mainland. Their battles also,
which, though not frequent, are fierce,
and at times to the death, tend to in
crease the percentage of mortality.
They go in gangs of from to 20, &C
cording to circumstances Each gang has
master stallion, who is patriarch, IA
ther, defender 1t was my privilege last
March, when visiting the island, to see
II gangs in one day when Superintend-
emit Boutilier drove with me from the
extreme eastern bar to the main station.
We came within 20 or 80 yards of several
gangs, but they moved independently
away as we approached.
Catching and shipping them is an inn
portant and. to all the staff, an exciting
incident ! witnessed it from the look
out platform Of No, station III the
early gray of an October morning Su-
perintendent Boutilier reused me al
dawn with the words, They are driv-
ing III the first gang, and in a few
minutes was Fastening from the house,
some 200 yards, to the lookout, :"
whence l saw dark objects moving over
the easterly hillocks. Soon could be dis
tinguished nine wild ponies racing hith-
er and yon, but kept we'll together and
trending west by aid of IL men on
horseback (native ponies that seemed to
enjoy the fun as much as the men on
their baclls) behind them, with long
whips and stentorious voices.
A corral 20 yards in diameter, strong
~ inclosed, with Il branch fence, extend
ing from one side some rs yards, maze
it not unlike fish trap or weir, into
which by judicious driving and heading
the gang was safely lodged, and the
riders were off for another gang of ~,
which the boss had located. End which
in an hour, despite most desperate eff
forts to break away, We're all safely cor
rallied with the first gang.
Then Immediately began a battle be-
tween the two patriarehs, which | wit
messed Teeth, forefeet and heels, min
gled with very positive squeals, We're
vigorously used. After awhile the weak
er stallion fed into the crowd, and the
victor's manner indicated his impor-
tance and foreshadowed his apparent
doom, for the remark was made, "We'd
better goo that big fellow out, as he
might hurt some one. So he was soon
lassoed, thrown down, Bonaparte bri-
die put i'll his mouth and line TO one
foot, and then let up to dash out of t.
corral through tho gateway purposel.
opened, dragging two Of the boys who
guided him to the beach for shipment.
Let me give the details: -Four or five
men enter the corral, and the horses
cluster to the opposite side. Then one
man throws moose around the neck Of
one, and two men pull that beast out of
the gang as the herds circle round near
the inclosing fence.
The difficulty Of breathing soon causes
temporary weakness, and the horse falls,
or is pushed.down, when one man seizes
his head, another the tail, and one
jumps on his body to keep him from
fioundering The boss puts the loop ~ a
line into the horse's mouth and round
his lower jaw, then up over his head
and down through the loop in his jaw,
SO that by pulling the line double pur-
chase is brought ON the mouth. This is
a bonaDarte bride.
Such 4 purchase at the mouth with q
line Oh hind foot held by experienced
men renders it impossible for the ami
NAL to 20 elsewhere than to the beach
When there. two sailors. holding the
ends Of line several fathoms long,
walk around him, folding the rope about
his legs. Then by tightening this leg
rope aud holding firm bis other fasten
ings the horse quickly falls and is held
down by head and tail, while his legs
are tied together with manila brought
from the ship. A layer or two IF this soft
rope lies between the feet, 50 that strug
Cling does not cause abrasion Then,
helpless, the monarch lies broadside on
the soft sand TIE bride is removed,
the Ieg line, and the boys hurry back 70
the corral quarter OF mile away,