The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-09-08
OUR WESTERN HORSES.
wonderful Test Of Their Pow
ers Of Endurance.
FROM SHERIDAN, WYO., TO GALENA, Ill.
r, Thousand Four Hundred Miles in
Ninety Days, Unshod and With No
Food but Grass and Water,
and Under the Saddle.

cmcAeo. Sept, Ono horses IN the
,rord excel the ranger horses of ouI
re,tern states for military purposes
and I think the trip just finished by my
aowboy friends here proves my asser'
ton.
The foregoing remark was made by
nr William A. Bruett, special commits
.ioper Of the bureau of anmafindustry
Il the department Of agriculture. He
was at his home in this city and with
. him were two stalwart, sunbrowned
roupc men. William and Bert Gabriel.
These young men," continued Mr..
Buett, 'have just demonstrated that
tbe bronchos and range hores of our
Mains can cover distance of =, 400
miles in 90 days and subsist on grass
and water along, the route, without
8 Grain and, more important still, from
smilitary point of view, without be-
Inc shod. can say without fear of
n eontradiction that no other hores in
Ne world could have made the trip un-
der those conditions.
"Tbe route, beginning at Sheridan,
4 Wyo., and ending at Galena, this state,
\ eoyered all kinds % country, turf,
sand, rock, clay, mud. When they
entered on the last 100 miles of the
.urnev the horses were in as good con-
ltion in every way as when they
started from Wyoming, but from
Dubuque to Waterloo, Ia, the road
along the Mississippi river was either
over Jagged rocks or through deep
mud. The heels and frogs of the
horses feet were so badly bruised that,
although they could have completed
the distance to Chicago, l telegraphed
4 the men to let the noble little animals
stop at Galena. Had the horses been
shol at Sioux City, Ia, as | telegraped,
knowing the roads over which they
would have to travel to Chicago, the
horses would have reached here in
fst-elass condition Saturday. The
telegram failed to reach the men, and
they brought the horses through un-
dermy original instructions"
"What were the Instructions"
ITO begin with, the department of
sgriculture, some time ago, Determined
to create, if possible, foreign demand
for our native western horses. 70 do
this it was first necessary to prove the
merit OF these horses, particularly for
avary and military use, as nearly all
foreign countries are now buying large
numbers of horses for military pur-
poses 1t was urged against the native
American horses that they were
lacking Gin size and endurance
for that work. To answer this
objection it was decided to have
horses Of the two types known as
Oronchos and rangers make a trip in
company from Wyoming territory to
Chicago, a distance of 2, 500 miles.
TO ride those horses we happened
10 have just the men in the local bureau
at the stock yards Of the department of
agriculture, two brothers named Will
liam and Albert Gabriel. They had
been cowboys for years, and were
Thoroughly familiar with the en-
tire western country. They were
Wiling to accept the task, fully
realizing its hardships, and on June 5
They started for Chicago. Their in
Structions from the department of agri-
ealure were to proceed to Sheridan,
hyo select from ranch two horses |
Which had never been bridled or sad
aIed, and bring them to Chicago with
Oai feeding them any grain so long as
was possible for the horses to find graz
ag making the trip as quickly as pos
Aole without injuring the horses"
Are you satisfied with the test of the
Aorses?' Dir, Bruett was asked.
!, Not entirely, because | wanted
laem to finish at Chicago he replied.
But that is my only regret. As a
Rst OF the endurance of the western
range horse, am sure the department
y agrcaiture will be more than salts.
aed with the result, as it demonstrates
We animal is all that has been claimed.
az sad before, no other horses in the
World could have made such trip un-
VT the conditions. | believe that it
VII change the opinions of the
lsents OF foreign governments who
ua'e felt that our range horses
we're too light for military purposes.
~Vehd to take some of the. e.buyers Of
IVrses \ Tor export down to Ghlena and
!. :. 'nem see the horses, ju$ as they are
'''ef Their unqualified Journey
/. ~ ~ IS fact not knoWp. rs it should
= mat the western range horse has
: ms veins the blood. of thorough
u 'rsu and standard bred Percherons,
,,ssosle, Hambletonians and other
auoas \ strains. Stations of these
,@sses have been sent to : the
auches, and the results an Increase
n n 'ne SIZE and quality Of the horses.
iae lao range horses, as they -Fre called in
ssnetlon from bronchos, range in
,a 'rght from $50 to l,l5O pounds. The
~ ,Vnchos, which are of Spanish origin,
rs ra' nave no improved blood in them,
NJ Ign from $50 to 900 pounds.
ho s "Trip just made, however, 1
, '"s mat the broncho is equal
"a endurance to the larger horses,
~ y. iS a wonderful weight carrier, but
n -O' as pretty as the range horse.
~ ~0 uemand abroad for our western
,aIess ,aiIIes Is growing, and l believe it will
4 I
pel.
"a vase. is small,
oae Of the important f. the wear
''ee oy the range horse rv The
~ hoofs, which will standtit ambi-
paved streets or rough count than
y, -ss horse is more intelligent -mers
'uS Taetable and enduring In
'se ~ grown by breeders and faf hi.
n. N'e middle and eastern states , a.
y only 500 horses were sold IN q
so Tor export This year the nun
7 VII excsed 1900. or 90 per cent