Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-02
BANDS OF WILD
HORSES IN UTAH
Have Become So Numerous that
They Destroy the Ranges,
ARE HUNTED AND KILLED
ny Hangers Drouth In Southeastern
counties Assists IN Rendering
Range Rare for Winter.

on the undulating sandy desert south
Of Milford, Beaver county. are situated
the warm springs ON the old wagon
ROAD which frelghters used for reach
il6 Floche IN hes palmiest mining
Jays and eOuth OF these warm springs
could be seen by these freighters TWEEN
! " years ago bands OF wild horses
scufrylng away a the approach OF
man and raising a cloud OF dust az
they rushed over the sand dunes and
! rabbit brush bellows.
AZ that time the frelghters were COM
PEELED 20 pay toll for water az these
warm springs-and perhaps they do
! sIlIi-peeauso the precious fluid was run
INTO large shallow wooden tanks buried
IN the ground and allowed 10 cool. For
the privilege Of serving their horses and
! themselves with the brackish watcraud
ming the regulation barrel strapped 70
the side or the wagon, the teamstcrs
pald the man In charge the sum OF
twenty-five cents Der man and team.
Inc water mat ran away from these
springs 81 those days formed "A soggy
pool below the springs proper, and here
was one OF the watering places Of the
bands OF Wild horses that were even
then plentiful upon the desert.
Inc western edge Of the desert was
iflnged by very precipitous mountains
which were here and there deeply
scanned with canyons which were sim
ply mighty cleft In the black, rugged
volcanic rock. Usually these canyons
ended very abruptly after their course
had been followed for q distance-any-
where from one 20 three miles.
lngenius man at once saw a use for
these canyons and selecting those
which best suited his purpose he placed
away up near the abrupt ending OF
cach OF thom strong gateway OF pine
poles. Periodically the cowboys OF that
country would go out 10 replenish
their stock Of saddle horses from among
me bands OF Wild equines on the des-
erL so ileet Of foot were they, how
ever, ana 50 thoroughly familiar with
the ground over which they sped when
pursued, and enjoying the advantage
ot being riderless, that they eluded
their pursuers and easily frustrated
any attempt at their apprehension by
means OF lasso. This was the incentive
which impelled the cowboys 20 seek the
AID OF nature in securing for themselves
that which they most coycted--"the |
oneriest widest kyuse on |
the hull darned range"
80 1t came about that these gate |
ways were built IN the PERCEPTIONS can |
yons. knowing the location Of a big /
band OF the Wild horses the COWBOYS 4
would line out upon their Wiry ponies /
and gradually swing the band around |
IN the direction Of one Of the canyons.
up which the unsuspecting creatures
would CHATTER among the loose volcanic
stones IN the bottom OF the biz crew
asse. bounding through the improyised
gateway Then the poles were put up
after the cowboys had ridden into the
natural corall, and the rest was easy.
Usually the horses thus caught were
tractable by the time they
had been handled awhile by their can
-ors-that Is, tame enough for cow
boy.
pAsplte the large number thus caueht
IN ynose days these bands have so in.
'reased that they are now almost over
'unning the country. Occasl ,nallv of
ate the rangers down in Washington.
SEWER, AIillard. Beaver. Wayne and
fairfield have been compelled TO organ.
ze raids Of determination upon them.
'hese wild horses are so numerous that
80 NN"NtNf NAAN letutf Ahl A1lllF ana ]
heep and other more valuable animals.
md, this together with the great
routh, Is making the outlook down
here so gloomy FOR sheepmen that
lany OF them are moving their hocks
lto other localities. Grass Is this fan
n unknown feed In some Of the south.
m counties and cattle men have been {
bliged TO move out their herds. The
aw sheepmen who are keeping their
ocks In such localities are taking
reat risks OF course. sheep will
roWse upon brush where cattle would
arye 70 death, but even that Is now I
dried Up In some parts that n very
-ecarious existence IS nibbled out BIZ
h. WoOliy little animals. This winter \
likely 10 witness very fatal results ia =
he herds OF sheep remaining In the | 5
counties. The only sal. ::
alton for the herds seems TO De In an :
cape In time 70 the Henry mountains :
I'd even this hope is very likely TO :
'erIun, as already there Is estl- :
ated 70 be over a hundred thousand :
eep driven 20 this browsing ground. ! =