San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-12-29
A MEMORABLE STAMPEDE.

A Fifth of a Herd of $1,000 Cattle
Killed by Their Followers.
From the Globe-Democrat
One of the most desperate STAN
pedes of cattle ever witnessed by a
Texas cowboy, says Rev. j. b. Gran
fill, of Waco, Tex, occurred in 1876
on the prairie in the center of which
now stands the town of McGregor.
Fifteen thousand cattle and twenty
| five cowboys participated in the ex-
citing event. Mr.. Cranfill was not a
participant, but he tells the story, as
he got 1t from an eyewitness, in the
Independent. Late in the afternoon
of July 4th there had been a lively
thunder storm that made the cattle
nervous. At 10 o'clock at night, how
ever, they seemed to be sleeping pro-
foundly. Then the narrative proceeds
as follows:
The stars were all shining, and
there was no cause at all for the arous-
ing of the herd. They appeared to
get up all at once, with a single pur-
pose, and the roar that was heard
seemed to come from single throat.
The Wilson brothers and their cow
boys who We're sleeping in their camp
rushed 10 their ponies, which were
grazing with the saddles and brides on
and as fast as the bits could be re-
placed in their mouths they mounted
and gallOped to the TANKS of the now
disappearing mass, headed in the di-
rection of the Brazos river"
The usual course on such occasions
is TO get in front of the herd-a risky
piece of wOrk-and start it to running
in a circle. This attempt was made in
| this case:
''Some cattle can outrun others, and
| in this case there was a bunch of
| about fifty fully twenty yards in ad-
vance, and toward this ledmg group
| the two rescuers rode. OF the leading
| group, also, some We're faster than
| others, and this group ran in a dia-
| mond shape, with two immense steers
leading all. When Mr.. Wilson and his
| companion reached the two leading
steers they began shooting their re-
| volvers close to them, and in that way
the bunch of cattle obfiqued, the main
/ stampede obliqued, and the first step
/ III DCCh ldhths Atl lux
time cattle were getting tired. Near
ly i've miles had been coverd, and the
breath of the leaders was coming shor
and painfully; but they were rushing
on, because the front cattle at this
time knew as matter of fact theil
only safety was in keeping up the run
Those behind were coming and they
were in the majority, and the lead
ers Were compelled to run. There was
real danger for the forward members
OF the stampede.
"ln tie invoice of articles contained
in the regulation outfit there is al
ways some kind of stimulants; and
but for the stimulants contained il
MIR. Wilson's outfit, it is possible thai
the stampede would have been halted
without disaster. He had a Mexican
along, one of the best cowboys in the
southwest. This Mexican and hi,
horse always reminded those who
saw him ride of the tabled Centaur
He rode far forward and bent over, *
that he and his horse appeared TO b,
one animal. No horse, however rug
ged. wild and woolly,' had ever beer
able to unseat him. This Aztec haC
been to the little brandy runlet too of
ten, and had filled and emptied his til
cup with surreptitious intoxicants, S,
that his usual excellent judgmen
went awry. When he succeeded Il
getting mounted after having tumble,
with his Birdie a good deal, he was ia
; in the rear and the stampede had gon
past him, so that when he overtool
the rear end, he passed to the front o.
! the other side, and rode on the wron
flank. When he reached the head O
the herd he was just in time to defea
the maneuver then under executio
of bending the moving mass from
straight line to a semici-cle. Revolye
ia had, dlsregarding the other men, b
began shooting IN the faces OF the vii