The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-12-30
~ MEMOIiABLE STAMPEDE.
Herd OF 15, 90 Cattle Killed By
Their Followers

One OF the most desperate stanpcdcS
OF cattle ever Witnessed by II Texas
cowboy, says Ryv. j. Is. Crunill, OF
| Waco, TcX., occurred in 1876 on the
| prairie IN the center Of which now
stands the town Of MuGrcgor. Fifteen
thousand cattle and - cow boys partici-
patcd in the exciting event. MIR.
Craniill was not II participant, but nc
| Tolls thc story as he got IL from an eye
| witness, in The Independent. Late in
the afternoon Of July i there had been
~ lively thunder storm that maue the
Cattlc nervous. At ~ O'Clock at night,
however, they seemed To be sleeping
! profoundly. Then the narrative pro-
Cccds as follows:
"Inc stars wore all shining and
| there was no cause at all for the urOus-
lug Oi the herd. They appeared TO
! get up all at once, with Il single pur-
| pose, and the roar tNat WAS heard
seemed to come from Il single throat.
Tho Wilson brobhcrs anu their cow boys
who were sleeping in the camp rushed
TO their ponies, who were grazing with
The saddles anu brides on, and rs fast
as the bits could be replaced in their
! mOuthS they mounted and guliODud to
the Hanks OF the new disappearing
mass, headed in the direction Of the
BraZos river"
! The usual course on such occasions
is 70 get in front Of tho herd--il risky
piece Of work and start it TO running
IN circle. This attempt was made
! III this case:
Some cattle can outrun others, and
| IN this case there was u bunch OF about
| lllty fully 20 yards in advance, and
toward This leading group tho two
! rcScucr6 rode. or the leading group
I al ,
! This GiUIp ran III Il diamond shape,
with Two Immense steers leading alt.
! When MI. Wilson and his companion
rcachcd the two leading steers they
| began shooting their rcvOlvcrs close
! 10 SnGm, ana IN that way the bunch
was made TO oJ!IHuC, and ui the lead
! Ing bunch OF CatI'r ODliQuGu the main
stampede obliuuud, and the first step
| IN milling rad been taken. BY TINS
time The cattle were getting tircuA
! Nearly tive miles Lad been covered
and the breath OF the leaders was
/ coming short ald painfully: but they
I were rushing on, BECAUSE the front
cattle at this time knew rs a matter of
!&c, their only safety WIS In keeping
up the run. Those behind wen com
ing, and they were In the majority,
and the leaders were compelled TO run.
There Was real danger for the forward
members Of the stampede.
" In the invoice articles contained
in the regulation 'outiiL' there is
always some kind of stimulants and
! but for the stimulauts contained in
Mr.. Wilson's outfit, it is possible that
the stampede would have been halted
without disaster. He had Il Mexican
along, ono OF the best cowboys in the
southwest. This Mexican and his
| lN. r.I NIL
! him ride of the tabled Centaur. He
rode far forward and bent over, so that
he and his horse appeared to be one
| animal.
No horse, however, rugged, "wild
and woolly,' had ever been able to
unscat him. This Aztec had been to
the little brandy rnnt2t TOO often. and
had filled and cmr..ed his tin cup
with surrcptitiOns intoX icauts, So that
his usual excellent Judgment went
away. When he succeeded in getting
mounted, after having fumbled with
his Bride good deal, he was far in
tho rear and the stampede had gone
past him, so that when he overlook
the rear end, he passed TO thc fr0rL on
the other side, and road on the wrong
| Hank. When hc reached the mead Of
the herd he was Just in time TO def, q
bonding the moving mass from Il
straight line TO q armi.circic. Revolver
in hand, dlsr0gardng the other mcn,
he began shooting in the faces Of the
wild steers and the eject OF this was
to SlraightCn The run end brin! the
advance straight toward q prCrlriCn.
This prccipicc was wash in irC
prairie, forming ~ deep raNinc fully
thirty yards vide and in * shorter
time than it takes 10 tell Of THIS con
tretemDs, the head Of the cOiuu:u ~H~
pouring over, q horrible cascade Of
} beef plunging madly into dcst. ucCIon
while neeinG from an imaginary
danger.
when Mr.. Wilson and bis ncuton-
ants saw that it was .InpOaaIDl" 10 save
, their cattle they saved tNcms rlVcS by
dcXterOuely turning at right angles Mt
full speed and riding 0uL 0' tie way.
: They next rGtNrncd to the faIE und
hclC council OF war. f." seconds
decided them, ana al hanus com.
= mcnCgd shooting into the herd, the
+ object now being TO bGiiU a brcastWOrk
I Uf carcas8CS and save the ryu" end from
+ destruction That Lad UVcrtakcn tho
, front. The gull! wac b"arlY .uil OF
; cattle by this time. They we're snort
: ing and believing era hing and tear.
iHS, hi'u Sblil iItdp'I.S wy "iib y !i'iil
the firing began the wCunGCd ones
tumblcd over on the others, and in I,
E short time the gully ike asnnltcn road
III Waterloo, was bridgcd by carcnsscs.
; Tho hord snrgcd mp IL biIlows, Ike an
ocean, aud bent now, because it COulL
not do otherwise. The sCmicirclc was
, formed, and Wilson and his mon
crossed the gully below and rode
! around the opposite side and rccrOsscd
, and in Il short time they had the cattle
: halted, forming an incomplete letter
, O, and there they stood, blowing
, believing, shivcring. All hands re-
) manned on watch all night, and in LbC
: morning, when count was made, il
was asccrtaincd that eco head were
, missing. There were aftcrward 200
: lpair5 Of horns taken from that gully
: ii was called Stampede Gully for many
: years aftcrward, and perhaps vii