The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-04-26

COWBOY life 20 years ago in Texas
" was very different from what it is
to-day. Then the big ranches were
unknown and tbs 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 saw service as a cow
boy and was thoroughly familiar with
life on the trails. OF the incident itself
was not an eyewitness, but it was
tod to me by my friend, Mr.. NJ. b.
Davis. an old Texas ranger and cow
boy, who is to the early life of Texas
what Joaquin Miller is to California.
give the story as nearly as l can re-
member it just as it came from his
lips. 1t chronicles one of the most
desperate stampedes ever witnessed by
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 SUI
perb condition, kept together by a
corps of % cowboys, mounted on bron-
chos-men experienced in the business.
The herd was not pressed, the object
being to let them Craze on the rich
heritage, with a 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 a 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 Sc;
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. a 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 a 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 a 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 q single throat. The Wilson
brothers and their cowboys who were
sleeping in their camp rushed to their
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 the
TANKS of the now disappearing mass,
headed in the direction of the Brazos
river.
The cowboys on guard took the usual
course in such cases; they kept out of
the way of the charging mass, and gal
Hoped on the tanks, moving toward
the head of the column, hoping to
point them off," as they call 1t, and
start them moving in circle. The
boys who formed the guard, in gal
Looping along the front of the STAN
pede, saw the eyes of the terrified
beeves emitting fire and their tongues
protruding. They uttered those low
notes of terror so familiar on the