The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-02-05
AMEM0RABLES STAMPEDE
HERD OF $4,000 CATTLE RUSH AWAY
in THE NIGHT.

In THE NIGHT.
fhe Animals Suddenly Became Fright
cncd and Started Or OH Wild Rum.
An Intoxicated Cowboys B,under-
$500 Cattle Go Over Precipicc.
One of the most desperate STAN
pedes of cattle ever witnessed by
Texas cowboy, says Rev. j. B. Cranhll,
Of Waco, Texas, in the Independent,
occurred in 1876 on the prairie in the
center of which now stands the town
Of McGregor. Fifteen thousand cattle
and twenty-five cowboys participated
in the exciting event. Late in the Of
Eernoon of July 4 there had been q
lively thunder storm that made the cat
tie nervous. At 10 o'clock at night,
however, they seemed to be sleeping
profoundly. Then the narrative pro-
seeds as follows:
"The STAR were oil shining and
there was no cause at all for the arous-
ing Of the herd. They appeared to get
up all at once, with single purpose,
and the roar that was heard seemed to
come from single throat. The Will
son brothers and their cowboys who
were sleeping in the camp rushed to
their ponies, which were grazing with
the saddles and brides on, and as fast
as the bits could be replaced in their
mouths they mounted and salloped to
the TANKS Of the now disappearing
mass, headed in the direction of the
Brazos River.
"The usual course on such occasions
Is to get in front Of the herd-a risky
piece Of work-and start it to running
in circle. This attempt was made in
this case.
"Some cattle can outrun others, and
in this case there was bunch Of about
fifty fully twenty yards in advance,
and toward this leading group the two
rescuers rode. OF the leading group
also some were faster than others, and
this group ran in diamond shape,
| with two immense steers lending all.
/ When Mr.. Wilson and his companion
reached the two leading steers they
began shooting their revolvers close to
them, and in that way the bunch was
made to oblique, and as the leading
bunch Of cattle obliqued the main
stampede obliqued, and the first step
in milling had been taken. By this
time the cattle were getting tired.
Nearly five miles had been covered
and the breath of the leaders was com.
ing short and painfully; but they we're
rushing on, because the front cattle at
this time knew as q matter Of fact
their only safety was in keeping up
the run. Those behind were coming,
and they were in the majority, and the
leaders were compelled to run. There
was real danger for the forward mem
bers Of the stampede.
''In the invoice articles contained
in the regulation outfit there is al
ways some kind of stimulants; and
but for the stimulants contained in
Mr.. Wilson's outfit, it is possible
that the stampede would have been
halted without disaster. He had
Mexican along, one Of the best COW.
boys in the Southwest. This Mexican
and his horse always reminded those
who saw him ride OF the tabled Gen.
taur. He rode far forward and bent
over, so that he and his horse ap.
peared to be one animal.
ono horse, however rugged, wild
and woody, had ever been able to uu'
seat him. This Aztec had been to the
little brandy runlet too often, and
had filled and emptied his tin cup
with surreptitious intoxicants, SO that
his usual excellent judgment went
awry. When he succeeded in getting
mounted, after having fumbled with
his bride good deal, he was far in
the rear and the stampede had gone
past him, so that when he overlook
the rear end, he passed to the front OF
the other side, and rode on the wrong
flank. When he reached the head O.
the herd he was just in time to defeat
the maneuver then under execution
of bending the moving mass from
straight line to semi-circle. Revol
YER in hand, disregarding the othel
men, he began shooting in the face:
of the wild steers; and the effect o
this was to straighten the run anc
bring the advance straight toward
precipice. This precipice was wasE
in the prairie, forming o deep ravint
fully thirty yards wide; and in I
shorter time than it takes to tell O.
this contretemps, the head of the col
umn was pouring over, horrible cas-
cade Of beef plunging madly into d e
struction while fleeing from an i'm
aginary danger.
"When Mr.. Wilson and his lieuten
ants saw that it was impossible to saw
their cattle they saved themselves b.
l