Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-01-26
WILD HORSES DESTROYED.
So Numerous in Utah that They Have Become
Nuisance.

So Numerous in Utah that They Have Become
| Nuisance.
| Denver News.
On the undulating sandy desert
south of Milford, Beaver county, are
situated the warm springs of the old
wagon road which freighters used for
reaching Ploche in her palmiest min
ing days; and south of these warm
springs could be seen by these freight
ers twenty-five years ago bands of wild
horses scurrying away at the approach
OF man and raising q cloud of dust as
they rushed over the sand dunes and
rabbit brush hollows.
At that time the freighters were
compelled to pay toll for water at
these warm springs-and perhaps they
do still-becaufe the precious fluid
was run into large shallow wooden
tanks buried in the ground and allowed
to cool. For the privilege of serving
their horses and themselves with the
brackish water and filling the regula-
tion barrel strapped to the side of the
wagon the teamsters paid the man in
charge the sum of 25 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 water
ing places of the bands of wild horses
that were even then plentiful upon the
desert.
The western edge of the desert was
fringed 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 distance-any-
where from one to three miles.
Ingenious 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 each of them q strong
gateway of poles. Periodically the
cowboys of that country would go out
to replenish their stock of saddle
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 advantage of being riderless, that
they eluded their pursuers and easily
frustrated any attempt at their ap-
prehension by means of lasso. This
was the incentive which impelled the
cowboys to seek the aid of nature in
securing for themselves that which
they most coveted" the goldarndest.
orneriest. widest kyuse on the hull
darned range"
So it came about that these gate
ways were built in the precipitous can
yons. 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 one of the canyons,
up which the unsuspecting creatures
would clatter among the loose volcanic
, stones in the bottom of the big ere.
vase, bounding through the impro.
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 sufficiently tractable by
the time they had been handled
awhile by their captors-that is, tame
enough for cowboy.
Despite the large number thus
caught in those days these bands
have so increased that they are now
almost overrunning the country. Oc-
casionally of late the rangers down in
Washington, Sewer, Millard, Beaver,
Wayne and Garfield have been COM
PEELED to organize raids of extermina-
ton upon them. These wild horses
are SO numerous that they destroy the
range for cattle and sheep and other
more valuable animals. And this, to.
gether with the great drouth, is max
ing the outlook down there so gloomy
for sheepmen that many of them are
moving their focks into other locali-
ties. Grass is this fall an unknown
feed in some of the southern counties
and cattlemen have been obliged to
move out their herds. The few sheep
men who are keeping their flocks ir
such localities are taking great risks.
-Of course sheep will browse upon
brush where cattle would starve to
death, but even that is now SO dried
up in some parts that a very precari.
GUS existence is nibbled out by the
! woolly little animals. This winter is
likely to witness very fatal results to
the herds of sheep remaining in the
southeastern counties. The only sal
vation for the herds seems to be in an
escape in time to the Henry noun
tains, and even this hope is very likely
to overrun, rs already there are esti.
mated to be over 100000 sheep driven
to this browsing ground.
Comets Avoid the Earth