The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-04
WILD HORSES IN UTAH. i.
They Overrun the Country and De-
strOy Cattle Ranges.

AfEoiD inc Denver NeWsJ
On the unduIating sandy desert south of
Milford, Beaver county, Utah, are situated
the warm springs OF the old wage road
which freighters used for reaching Phoebe
in her palmiest mining days; and south OF
these warm springs could be seen by these
freighters twenty-five years ago bands of
wild horses scurrying away at the APP
proach of man. and raising cloud of dust
as they rushed over the sand dunes and
rabbitrush hollows.
At that time the freighters were compeIl-
ed TO pay toll for water at these warm
springs-and perhaps they do still-be-
cause the precious fluid was run into large
shallow wooden tanks buried in the ground
and allowed TO cool. For the privileges of
serving their horses and themselves with
the brackish water, and filling the regula-
ton barrel strapped 10 the side of the
wagon, the teamsters paid the man in
charge the sum of % cents per man and
team. The water that ran away from these
springs in those days formed 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.
The western edge of the desert was
frirged by very precipitous mountains.
which were here and there deeply scanned
with canons, which were simply a mighty
cleft in the black, rugged volcanic rock.
Usually these canons ended very abruptly
after their course had been followed for a
distance-anywhere from one to three
miles.
Ingenious man at once saw use for
these carons, and selecting those which
best suited his purpose, he placed away
up near the abrupt ending of each of them
a strong gateway OF pine poles. Periodi-
caliy the cowboys of that country would
Lx1s, II.
horses from among the bands of wild
equines on the desert. So fleet of foot
were they, however, and so thoroughly
familiar with the ground over which they
sped when pursued. and enjoying the ad-
vantage of being riderless, that they eluded
their pursuers and easily frustrated any
attempt at their apprehension by means of
lasso. This was the incentive which i'm
pelled the cowboys to seek the aid of
nature in securing for themselves that
which they most coveted-''the goldarnest
orneriest, widest kyuse. on the hull
darned range"
So it came about that these gateways
were built in the precipitous canons.
Knowing the location OF a big band of
the wild horses the cowboys would line
out upon their wiry ponies and gradually
swing the band around in The direction of
ono of the canons, UP which the unsus-
pecting creatures would clatter among the
loose volcanic stones in the bottom OF the
big crevasse, bounding through the i'm
pr,vised gateway. Then the poles were
put up, after the cowboys had ridden into
the natural corral and the rest was easy.
Usually the horses thus caught were suffi-
GENTLY tractable by the time they had
been handled awhile by their captors-
that is. tame enough for a cowboy.
Despite the large number thus caught
in those days. these bands have so in
creased that they are now almost over
running the country. Occasionally, of
late. the rangers down in Washington,
Sewer. Willard, Beaver, Wayne, and Gar
field have been compelled To organize raids
OF determination upon them. These wild
horses are so numerous that they destroy
the range for cattle and sheep and other
more valuable animals