The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-06-04
WILD CATTLE IN CALIFORNIA.
Their Capture Requires Nerve and the
Best Horsemanshiu.

ocS1 hoFseulanSnlps
The youthfulness of the coast
range and its typically volcanic orr
gin doubtless explain tho occurrence
of localities which are literally mex
tricable mazes of narrow canyons
leading into and out of each other,
many beginning with a precipitous
waterfall and ending in much the
same fashion. When it is borne in
mind that in these recent formations
every canyon opening upon the
main valleys and potreros has a be-
wildering number of tributaries and
every tributary subcanyons ramify-
ing ad infinitum from both sides,
each an exact counterpart of the
other, the statement that there is a
great deal of country among the San
Rafael and Sierra Madre del Sur
mountains untrodden by man or
horse will be given ready credence.
Thus it happens that there are
wild cattle running among these
labyrinths which have never seen a
human being and probably never
will. Scarcity of water and feed
drives stock into unwonted places,
and percentage never finds it way
back. The exploration of these can
yons, therefore, is attended with
constant surprises, mostly unpleas-
ant, as steer s or 8 years old un-
accustomed to the sight of man is
as undesirable companion in q mar
row gulch as a grizzly.
Fleet as deer and entirely without
fear of horse or rider, their capture
and subjugation involved display
OF nerve and horsemanship surely
without parallel. Tail in the air, the
steer would race up the mountain
the moment he caught sight of the
vaqueros. Up the sleeps, through
the brush, over barrancas, the va
queros, neither sparing horse nor
| needing obstacles, would succeed in
heading off the fugitive, who would
Immediately show fight.
While making rush at one rider
| as quick as flash the steer is las
seed by another round the horns and
checked with jerk which filings its
hind quarters skyward Before the
astonished animal can gather it's
wits the vaquero who has him by
the horns turns his horse and begins
to drag the steer toward the main
band. Other vaqueros beat it on the
TANKS with their riatas and seek te
overcome the brute's reluctance by
jostling and kicking it from behind
with their heavy tapaderos. one o.
the multitudinous uses to which thu
ornamental leather covering of thu
stirrups on Mexican saddle is put
In this manner, with many wild
plunges from side to side, the opel
mouthea- bullock is snaked close t,
the rest of the cattle, lassoed by th
hind feet, stretched out, thrown
and the rope slipped from off it
horns. AS he rises the steers hint
feet are allowed to free themselves
AS rule refractory beeve aftel
such a dressing will at once join the
main band. Our 9-year-old FRIEND
does nothing of the sort. With ;
below and rush, seeing every Other
channel blocked, he cuts right
through the herd and is off across
the potrero at swinging gallop.
Before many yards are covered he
is again "lass'd," dragged back to
the herd, thrown and released.
Nothing daunted, with lowered
horns he makes q vicious rush at one
of the horses, which is either avoid
ed, or, it. unavoidable, received on
the thick leather flap from which
the stirrups and tapaderos are pend
ent. Recovering for another charge,
the now thoroughly Infatuated brute
finds himself strung up by the head
and heels and thrown on his side.
This time one horn is secured to a
front foot before the steer is allow
ed to rise 1t was found necessary to
handicap more than dozen head of
cattle in this manner, many being
broncho COWS, as wicked in every re-
spect as steers. Fifty miles and more
they travelled on three legs and a
hobble.
While the condition of the MAORI
ty of the stock was Indifferent, a
proportion being rejected by the
butchers with contumely, the wild
cattle We're sleek and fat, their flesh
firm, sweet and of splendid color. =
Overland Monthly.