The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-08-23
ROUND, UPOF HORSES.
MORE EXCITING THAN A CATTLE
ROUNDUP, SAYS A STOCKMAN.
The Way the Lively Task Was Han.
died on the Hill Ranges Of Mon
tana In the Early Eixhties-Quick
Work and Hard Riding.

4
died ON the Hill Ranges Of Mon-
tana In the Early EiKhties-Quick
Work and Hard Riding.
"Did you ever see horse round up"
queried the stockman. "No? Well, you've
missed the sight of your life. A cattle
round up amt in 1t with horse round
up, and ought to know, for I've been in
some Of the biggest of both kinds. A cat
tie round up is exciting enough perhaps,
with the saddling up, the drive, the night
herd, the stampede and all that, but il
you want real action you want to see q
horse round up. guess 1t would be pref
ty hard to find horse round up nova
days. II horses are valuable, they don't
let 'em loose like that, and real wild
range horses are hardly worth rounding
up any more. When was up in Montana
in 1882, there was horse round up on
nearly every range.
Range horses were pretty cheap up in
Northwestern Some buyers used to put
out a standing offer of $25 head for
any, likely looking wild animal over 3
years old. They'd collect hundreds Of
these, take bunch of horse wranglers
and riders with them and drive overland
to Dakota. The men would be breaking
horses to ride and drive all the way
down. They'd go to some Dakota town
and rent corral. Here they'd have
headquarters. They'd break horses day
and night, and it wouldn't cost much for
feed, because they'd herd the bunch out
on the prairie.
"For ten years before this the ranchers
had been raising horses in northern Mon
tana just like they raised cattle-that Is,
they'd let them run loose all the year
round. In the summer they'd have colt
round up, just like calf round up, only
they'd pull it off toward fall, just before
. the beef gather. The horsemen would
hold meeting and agree upon the bound
aries of big circle, Say 200 miles across.
Each one would furnish SO many men
and saddle horses, and they'd start on a
certain day on the outside of this circle
and drive all the horses they found in to-
ward the center, where there vas big
corral.
'The men as they rode from the outside
Of the circle would start the bands Of
wild horses toward this corral. They'd
start them as gently as they could, but
the horses were as wild as deer, and
they'd run like the wind. Each day the
horse wranglers would get nearer and
nearer the corral. The circle would get
smaller and smaller, and it would begin
to look as though all the horses in the
world were grazing and running in those
hills and valleys. After two or three
days the wild stock would get more ac-
customed to seeing the horsemen, and
they were easier to drive.
by the time the circle" was drawn
within five or six miles Of the corral
things would get exciting. There would
be G,000 or 1000 head of horses inside
the line, and it puzzled the riders to keep
the lot from spreading. The bands which
had been accustomed to run together
would keep pretty well punched, but the
stations would break away once in
awhile and hunt fight with some stran-
ger. 1t was quick work for the Elders
and took lots Of saddle horses, for every
one rode at top speed all the time.
'"These horses were pretty sight, with
shaggy coats, long names and tails
sweeping the ground. Once in awhile a
range stallion would be found herding his
family and Offering battle to man on
horseback. Sometimes we had to shoot
them, they made so much trouble. Then
came the cutting out of the mares and
colts.
THE colts would be branded, and they
and their mothers driven outside of the
circle, back to the range. Next came the
cutting out of the 8, and 5 year old
81 fo, NJ 10 kbo h,,xyn ,hn
would drive them to Dakota. These were
kept In the corral until the corral was
full. Then the bunch would be started
out, closely herded night and day by the
horse wranglers.
at was an exciting time when 500 or
600 wild geldings were let out Of the cor
raj. The men would saddle their very
best horses and range themselves on
either side of the corral. The gate of the
corral was then opened. Out would come
the horses, wild with fright and eager for
liberty. All the wranglers could do was
to ride at their sides and behind them,
keeping the herd headed in the desired
direction. There is nothing prettier on
earth than q great band of horses in full
flight. Their hoof beats on the prairie
sound like rolling thunder and the earth
shakes when they pass. At the first burst
they go like the wind, and it takes good
rider and good horse to keep anywhere
near them. They run for several hours
after leaving the corral. Then they quiet
down, and the horse herders ride them
around in circle, holding them until an
other bunch comes from the corral the
next day.
"Sometimes 1000 of these wild geld
ings would be gathered before the start
was made for Dakota, and the herders
had their hands full day and night 1t
was all excitement, for men were roping
and riding wild horses all the time to
take the places of those which were play
ed out on the drive Behind the herd fol-
lowed the four horse grub wagon, with
the cook and camp outfit but meals We're
mighty irregular, and a man was lucky If
he found his bed at night.
after few days driving the horses
would become quiet, and the work was
easier, and by the time the herd had
reached Devils Lake. N. D., some Of
the widest were almost tame. There
used to be great deal of trouble about |
stealing horses on these drives, for II the
herd happened across little bunch Of |
horses somewhere on the prairie the
bunch was very apt to be absorbed by
the drive. and the rancher would never
hear of them again. Some ranchers used |
to go to the round up just to see that none
Of their horses were driven away, and
others would follow the drive through |
their own ranges to keep their horses
from joining the emigration to Dakota.
Cop atimac n faw hnrsa oyyDers Uould \