Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-16
The Plains of Arizona Are Overrun
With Them.
THEY ARE HUNTED as GAME
A Herder's Story Of an Attempt to
Capture a Band.
A ST A Lion COU RA G E



FLAGSTAFF. Ariz.. September 21.-
We've got a new kind OF game now in
Arizona. said man at Flagstaff who
had just come in from the mesa. and if
you tenderfeet are after some sport, and
want TO be chased off the top of the earth.
1 can take you to the place. What is it?
Why, horses. Just plain bronchos. and as
ornery a lot of k:uses as you ever saw.
The fact Is that the whole northern part
of Arizona is overrun with them, and I'm
taking a petition to Attorney General
Fraser, signed by every one up in our coun-
try. asking that the territory either pay SO
much for their scaips or give the boys the
legal right to clean them out.
Its my private opinion" added the
herdcr, that the wild horses have got the
start. and nothing is going to stop them but
company of cavalry. They are just like
deer. and as vicious possible, and the
man that corners them has to look out for
himself They are ordinary horses that
have escaped from bands from time to
time. and formed in herd under the lead
OF "A stallion AS they have increased they
have broken up. so that hundreds of herds
have formed, and several thousand wild
horses are on the ranges eating good fod-
der, stampeding cattle and sheep and max
ing nuisance of themselves.
Last month i went out on a regular
horse hunt with party, and the animals
u.
our place there We're four or five splendid
mares, led by a stallion known as Black
Hawk. as black as night. We thought we
would take them in and break them; SO a
dozen of us started off with lariatS. We
Were all mounted on the best of stock
known in this section, and we thought it
would be a mere lark to run them in. The
band had been Stampeding our stock, and
finally got bold that they would come
up Eear the camp on the run. then stop
short and look at us, giving sort of chal-
ienge. as II were, and then wheel Off like
the wind
Into the Herd.
I'VE started early in the morning and
rode across the mesa for about ten miles
without seeing thing: then one of our
party thought he saw some antelopes over
by big butte. They were coming our
way. so we stopped. and in few minutes
it dawned upon Us that they We're a band
of wild bronchoS. They were moving along
in a bunch, and the wind had lifted col
Gmn OF dust SO that they looked like Zig
comet flying along the ground with the
tail in the air. They had evidently sighted
US. and were going to stampede our horses.
You know how Indians throw themselves
out of sight on their horses? Well, We
played the same game, and rode slowly
along, looking at the flying bronchoes just
under the neckS of our animals. On they
came-nearly fifty of them-like whirl-
wind, and presently We saw that they were
leu DN the DidCh StdillOH tl1dt 50 many
persons have tried to capture. 1t was with
the greatest difficulty that We kept our
horses quiet. and il was easy to see how
the wild horses could stampede other ami
mails When the drove were within twenty
yards of they separated, as though 10
surround u.s. Then We could hold our
animals no longer. and at the word from
the boss We dashed at the drove.
1T was the sight of my life, and I've
been on the plains for years in all kinds of
places The wild horses stopped instantly.
all except the black stallion. He came on
until he reached us. then threw himself on
his launches, paving the air. For a
nent his head seemed to be surrounded
with lariats. and | would have sworn that
two went over: but he lodged them all and
ran at us striking our horses. and after
beating his way directly through ne turned
and ran.
Great Run.
THE others had deserted him. and it was
row a race to the finish. I've seen some
riding. but this beat anything in my expe-
rience. 1t was a fairly good country, but
cut by washouts. SO that one moment We
were in the bed of wash and the next fly
ing along The mesa or leaping some creek
over the boulders circling around buttes.
Finally We ran down into the level country,
where big buttes rise up like ruins of houses
"a place the men called the Enchanted
City. Here the herd gained on us, and
after four hours of the hardest riding we
right up the slope that our horses half an
hour later absolutely refused, and so they
disappeared. We were dead beat and all
ready to acknowledge it. 1 don't -believe
there is a horse IN Arizona that can catch
that stallion"
The governor of the state has been re-
queStei to take some action. and undoub.
edly the curious exhibition of men trying to
eXterminate horses will! he seen. Arizona
Is not the only state where such horses are
found. Large herds are to be seen in Cali
tornia. and on the San Joaquin plains a
noted stallion has led the forces for years
a magnificent creature that has aroused the
cupdity of many a lover of horsefesh.
Oae man offered $1,000 for him and over
nifty men have laid traps to capture him.
After various methods had failed they
formed stations and ran him at full speed
TO one or near it. where new man would
start in. In This way he was chased by
fresh horses for over 100 miles at what
was supposed to be full speed. but the pur-
suers never got nearer than 500 yards TO
him.