The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-12-02
THE STORY OF
=. A STAMPEDE.
BY J. 3. CRANFILL.

HOWBOY life 20 years ago in Texas
u was very different from what 1t is
to-day. Then the big ranches were
unknown and the cattle were raised in
the open prairies. and the maverick"
had not become extinct. 1t was in
the years just preceding the incident
here related that l saw service as cow
boy and was thoroughly familiar with
life on the trails. Of the incident itself
I was not an eyewitness, but it was
told to me by my friend, Mr.. M. B.
Davis, an old Texas ranger and cow
boy, who is to the early life of Texas
what Joaquin Miller is to California.
1 give the story as nearly as l can re-
member it just as it came from his
lips. 1t chronicles one of the mcst
desperate stampedes ever witnessed by
a Texas cowboy.
In 1876 the Wilson brothers. of Kan
sas City, having purchased over $4,000
head of cattle in Hamilton, Comanche,
Coryell and Bell counties, and having
arranged to centralize the herd near
Comanche 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. 1t was
magnificent army of steers. in su-
perb condition. kept together by
corps of 25 cowboys. mounted on bron-
chos-nen 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 rain
bow 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. 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. 1t 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. 1t is likely that great
many cattle in that vast accumulation
| had never seen such rainbow. 1t 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
| it was the thunderstorm and the rain
bow of the afternoon that caused the
stampede that night. Be that as it
may, it was stampede that the cattle
| men who witnessed it have never for
| gotten. and are still telling of to pos
terity.
| The stars were all shining, and there
was no cause at all for the arousing OF
the herd. They appeared to get up all
at once. with single purpose. and the
roar that was heard seemed to come
| from a single throat. The Wilson
brothers and their cowboys who were
sleeping in their camp rushed to theil
ponies who were grazing with the sad
dies and brides on. and as fast as the
bits could be replaced in their mouths
they mounted and galloped to thu
flanks of the now disappearing mass
headed in the direction of the Brazos
river.
The cowboys on guard took the usua
course in such cases; they kept out o.
the way Of the charging mass. and gal
loped on the TANKS, moving towart
the head of the column. hoping I,
point them off," as they call it. ant
start them moving in circle. Th'
boys who formed the guard. in gal
loping along the front of the STAN
pede, saw the eyes of the terrified
beeves emitting fire and. their Tongues
irotruding. They uttered those lov
notes Of terror 80 familiar on III