The times., 1901-03-31


KecstaI of Lively Experience
Nowadays wild steers do not esc3p,
from the stock yards and ffightsn Jh
people of the neighborhood half ont ot
their wits with as great frequency as
thes did a few years ago. but just the
same mothers keep a nervous eye on
their children while the little ones are
ont playing in the streets Of the packing
town district. Eot long ago, however,
these escaped steers furnished sensations
IL that locality so very often that the
stockyards company finally employed a
man especially TO run down animals that
had gotten ont Of the yards into the pub
lic tnorouchfares. Viaducts connect ns
with the different pens and improved
methods or driving the cattle from one
point to another have now reduced the
number of escapes to a minimum and
1he company on longer keeps a man in
constant readiness to chase the fleeing
cattle.
For over five years Harry Partiow, bet
ter known as Wild Horse Harry" a gen
uiue cowboy frcm Texas. was the oil
cial steer catcher for the stock yards.
From o'clock in the morning until OF
4 O'Clock in the afternoon Wild Horse
Harry used 10 remain stationed at the
big stone entrance to the yards IN EN-
change. Avenue. with his horse s3ddled
and bridIed ready to trail the first steer
that made his escape. A few years ago
the company concluded that escapes were
becoming so infreQUeut that it was not
worth while to longer employ a chaser,
and Partlow was relieved of his routine
watch. but he is still called upon occa-
sionally to lasso flying steer.
characters OF the stock yards He has
been a professional cowboy, a circus per-
former. an actor and now he is a commits
sion man. He left the company of Frank
!. FrayDe. the actor. in Chicago in 1889
and has made his home in this city ever
since. He had not been in town very
long before his prowess as a horseman
and roper Of cattlA became known 10 the
Stock Yards Company, and at the first
opportunity he was given the job of
watching out for escaped horses and
steers.
The different gates opening into the
stock yards are connected by telephone
and the moment an animal escaped
message was Immediately sent to the
main gate. where PartlOw was always
stationed. and Wild Horse Harry
would straightway mount his charger
Niger and gallop in pursuit \ frequent
companion Of PartloW was Chief of
Stock Yards Police Horner. for il often
required the services of two TO effect
a
iop ahead OF the steer and endeaVor TO
get the animal TO chase him, for the steer
must be running away from the man who
is irving to catch him. If the animal
runs toward the lassOer all the latter can
well do Is to put sDurs TO his horse and
run away.
- have had some serious experiences
with steers and horses, but [ have never
had any very bad ones since coming 10
Chicago" said Wild Horse Harry to a
representative Of the Sunday Chronicle
the other day. On one occasion a steer
that had escaped from the stockyards /
5erked a horse out from under me. but I
was not injured at all. 1t was a big steer
weighing about . coo pounds. and when he 4
started IN the opposite direction he didn't /
have any trouble in jerking down my 4
horse. for the latter only weighed about 4
half as much as the steer.
"Onc Of the liVeliest experiences ] ever
had was down on Fifty-niuth Street. A ]
steer escaped from the yards and ran
down there and ! went after him in A
hurry When / caught up with him he
was soUing along the ground at the side
o. high board sidewalk / spurred my
h"res along the boards and Just as | got
even with the steer the walk gave way
ana dropped us right at the side of the
nl lute- The animal turned, lowered his
head and came at us. j jumped the horse 4
over The broken walk and the horn of
TIE steer grazed MS hip. That was the
nearest / eyer came to having a horse I
sored under me here I'm Chicago. / gal 1
"uld around a corner and the steer gave /
ticiously at little knot Of people on the /
street and they scattered in an directions |
IN time 10 save themselves The steer ,
pursued none Of them, but continued on !
q gailop down the street
By this time I had taken up the chase l
tgain aud was going after the animals as 1
last IS I could Just ahead Of the flying I
steer was a little snort, fat Polish woman
with a big bundle In her arms. I yelled to /
her at the top of my voice TO get ont of !
-he way. but her head was all tied up in
I sH nj a. nd ii. 4 ffrrrH M
steer WAS half a block ahead Of me md
was powerless to save the woman Tho
animal lowered his head gave a triI-n-
5haut snort. caught the woman on hot 1
Z she had been Il bah Of yarn. For a
moment The air near the steer was fuII
81 woman and fish The little Pole had
jeen 10 the 1lSh market 4 nd was ca irving
loTne about half q bushcl OF small fish
ne animal was apparently satisfied with
lie toss he had given the woman for he
7tn on without giving her any further at
chti"n- She was sitting up and waving
ler arms was ali J noticed as ! dashed
iaSt her I'm q few moments / had caught
I'D Win the beast and dowued him with
NY lasSu- The woman was not injured
n The least
1t isn't so very difficult TO lasso a steer
IS NJ runs away from YOU If YOU have had !
5 much experience a I have had If Won I
re going 10 diSmOunt and roye the los (
y the animal together after you have 1
assoed him you must have a weII-traiuod /
2 HFs I
= soon as the lassO settles over the head
y the steer comes back on his bas1pcbog !
z word. And the horse knows a s.ra.t (
leat more than that If he is the r-ioi1f /
lhd. Tie stays on his launches and holds 1
he rope taut while his rider dismeunre
nd ties The legs OF the animal Nv old I
IorS". which IS now owned by the stock
ARDS company, was near perfection and
never had any difficulty in getting him /
always DO the right thing when a chase
vas on '''S
one winter we had great time fry
NJ 10 capture q steer which had run ON !
. some vacant prairie land near THIRTY
I IN street and Ashland Avenue. The /
no" was deep and badly drifted and The 4
nlmai had run out into "a drift. whore he l
vas standing belly deep. There was a
rust on the snow. but il Was very Thin /
20 neaFY animal broke through il cas- |
E. Even man would break through I
nee in while. So l could not GET pear
he STEER and we could not get him 10
udEe. DE apparently felt he was safe
pon hunter came along ana he thought
2 S"uid hEe charge Of shot at the steer
iu start him- The man aimed his gun ,
ht iusi as he pulled the trigger he broke .
trough the snow crusi and the charge Of :
hot was scattered impartialIv among +.
De- py-standers. And the steer SIN held ;
is ground. We finally started hir, b,- /
riylHs near a lot Of tame cattle a. 80, }
way from them, however. and soon las
bed him
''Dile oi the straugest things ( ever sa,- :
Nte,4 go il nay life occurred here iu Chi =,
go D was chasing an animal that had | /,
rokta away from the yards Sgddauit y
shot around "a corner. As came a~glfn5 -
Ter D. D was horrlled TO see q little child
3HdinS M the street right in front of
lf aIilA1i The steer lowered IFS head
ld ! expected the next instant 10 sec
boz child tossed into the air or .,orsd tp
@lH- Eut suddenly for some unknown
'i"i me steer stopped just as IT reached
H.H