The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-12-17
THE STORY OF
=. A STAMPEDE.
BY J. B. cRANFILL.

y
was very different from what it is
to-day. Then the big ranches we're
unknown and the cattle were raised in
the open prairies, and the maverick"
il lad not become extinct. 1t was in
rsihe years just preceding the incident
here related that saw service as a cow
boy and was thoroughly familiar with
life on the trails. OF the incident itself
n was not an eyewitness, but it was
told to me by my friend, Mr.. NJ. B.
Davis, an old Texas ranger and cow
boy, who is to the early life of Texas
what Joaquin Miller is to California.
4 give the story as nearly as l can re-
member it just as it came from his
Ups. 1t chronicles one of the most
4esperate,stampedes ever witnessed by
cowboy.
e In 1876 the Wilson brothers. of Kan
City. having purchased over $4,000
III OF cattle in Hamilton, Comanche,
tplFell and Bell counties, and having
Dyanged to centralize the herd near
Dut buyefRe Springs, in McLennan coun-
ty, drove to the Bennett hills and went
into camp to await the carrying out of
their orders. These cattle were driven
across the Leon at various suitable
fords and converged on that beautiful
prairie, in the center of which now
stands the town of McGregor. On the
Fourth of July of that year the en-
tire herd was under way, headed for
Towash on the Brazos river. It was
a magnificent army Of steers, in SUI
perb condition, kept together by a
corps of rs cowboys, mounted on bron-
chos-men experienced in the business.
The herd was not pressed, the object
being to let them Craze on the rich
heritage, with view to keeping them
in good condition and reaching the
market in time to catch the best prices
in the fall of the year. At four o'clock
In the afternoon there were signs of
an electric storm. A black cloud
showed above the foothills, and the
sun shining against it painted a rain
how which appeared to touch the earth
at both ends. The entire herd became
nervous and showed their fear by those
low bellowings, ominous to the expert
enced cattleman as the muttering thun-
der. The cowboys were experienced
men, and they kept the moving mass
well in hand. so that when the sun set
all was well, and the cattle were bedded
on the plains near the South Bosque,
and night settled in with the promise
of safe crossing at the Brazos the
next day. A detail Of four cowboys
was made for the first watch. and these
mounted sentinels took their places
and rode silently around the sleeping
squadron Of long-horns. The first
watch ended at nine o'clock. and the
second watch went on duty. It was
during the second watch that the
memorable Wilson stampede occurred.
At ten o'clock the cattle appeared to
be sleeping profoundly. The cowboys
say that cattle dream and see ghosts;
It is certain that this drove of $4,000
was nervous. made so. perhaps, by the
thunderstorm Of the previous afternoon
and the rainbow which they had eyed
with suspicion. II Is likely that great
many cattle In that vast accumulation
had never seen such rainbow. II was
distinct throughout the arch and very
broad; the lightning. too. was very
vivid, and the thunderclaps that fol-
lowed were like sharp artillery. The
cowboys insisted long afterWard that
II was the thunderstorm and the rain
bow Of the afternoon that caused the