The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-03-17
RABBIT DRIVES IN IDAHO

About 20, 900 jack rabbits and blacksaiI
have been killed with clubs on the broa.
sage-brush plains that stretch across east
efh idaho during the past six weeks, as
result of seven rabbit drives In whicl
The trembling little animals have been sur
rounded and driven into great corraIs ant
mercilessly dubbed to death.
Rabbits are probably the greatest pes
against which the Idaho ia rmers and ranch
ers have to contend. They are death tc
young orchards, to growing grain and
young vegetables. In one night they lay
waste field Of growing wheat or nibble
TO the ground the green alfalfa meadows.
In the sage-brush plains they are bred by
the hundreds of thousands. They multi
| ply with fearful rapidity section of
| country from which ), 900 have been driven
and slaughtered has been known to yield
| half as many more for second drive
| within three days
Your correspondent participated In the
great drive" at Market Lake. 1t was a
wonderful sight, but it can scarcely be
called sport. The drive was rather light,
but about 2, 900 timid little creatures were
driven into the corral by 800 howling,
shouting Hle and boys, and, screaming like
hush babies, were mercilessly hammered to
death with clubs. There was a wild ex-
element about the chase, a mad desire TO
kill, but the closing scenes were brutal and
horrible.
About 600 people had assembled at
Market Lake, and half or them participated
in the drive. A sage-brush flat about two
miles square, west OF the town, was driven
over, ending at the stock yards below
the town The drivers were divided into
three divisions, each under a captain, who
carried the Colors of the squad-w hite red
or black. The drivers spread out III line
forming great bailoon-shaped' circle, six
or seven miles ia circumference, and proha-
bly, two and one-half miles at it's greatest
diameter. The neck OF the balloon ended
at the stock yards From tower about
one-half mile from the stock Yards, in the
circle, the marshal OF the day. with red,
white, and black flags, directed the move
nlents of the different divisions, drawing
the whole line In evenly aud steadily
From the marshal's tower the sight was
a strange one. The growth of sage brush
over the field of slaughter was dense The
drivers came forward with an awful shout
ing AS the lines drew closer an occasional
appeared in the sage-brUsh. Soon rabbits
were seen running hither and thither
everywhere. Then coyote darted through
the brush, this way, then that, finally
heading for the line, breaking through and
disappearing in black streak.
Tue line narrowed down steadily, men
and boys yelling fearfully. All were armed
with heavy clubs Rabbits were darling
in every direction The circle was less
than two miles in circumference. Back and
forth and hitler and thither shot the
trembling rabbits, The sage-brush seemed
alive with them. Now they rushed this
way, only to be met by that awful shout
ing. Then they ran that way, and the
same frightful yelling met The din crazed
them. Some stood still, paralyzed with
fright. Some sprang into the air and fell
dead from terror. Some, cTaZed by the
noise, rushed blintily for the ever-narOw-
ing lines, and were Knocked over by the
cruel clubs.
The line had narrowed down to heif a
mile. Rabbits were everywhere The line
was now three or four feet deep, but the
frightened little creatures rushed ON to
them. Men and boys, wild with excite
mcnt, dubbed and pounded at the trembling
animals with hoarse shouts Hundreds
were slain, crying in their shriil tones like
little babies. Hundreds broke through the
lines and got away. Hundreds were driven
intotheinclosed stoc yards and then clubbed
to death. 1t was an wful sight-not sport,
but simply slaughter. Correspondence st.
Louis Globe Democrat