Arizona republican., 1901-01-31
PASSING OF THE CAYUSE
A Fine Breed of Horse Replacing the
 Mustang Demise of the Jack.

Twenty years ago, or even ten or five years, since the mustang and the jack rabbit were two Sf the commonest pests in the west. On every pain and mesa. in each spot where a particle of green feed found a livelihood. beneath the shelter -f a dusty sage brush or thorned mesquite, the little. hardy, shaggy Cayuse and the long-eared, alert and rapid jack rabbit brow sed in peace and quietude. A rider across the arid wilds of the gr at southwest could count, if he desired, hundreds and thousands of the wlry, wild horses. and from every bush jack hurried away from the path of the traveller, q gray streak scurrying ever the sand and gracefully sailing over obstructing brush, the kangarocs of America.
 Now not mustang can be found in a days travel, or q week; and only an infrequent jack breaks in on the mon- Ot1ny of desert ride. Ten years ago 100000 mustangs were scattered over The ranges in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. As the bicycle grew in favor the horse decreased in value and the mustang became an outcas. and an outlaw. He intruded on the cattle ranges ard was shot for his pains, the Cow-men intent on the saving cf fe7d for their stock. He ventured amid the sheep nocks and the coyotes feasted on his carcass. Everywhere he was a worthless raprohate, an interloper und valuable only as a target for the reval- Ver of the vaquero. By ln-breeding the species grew smaller and the mus tanG's finish was perceivable. The ex- tremaly low price of high grade east ern horses put Vhe cayuse out of ser vice, and his only haven of refuge was among the Indiana. The red men har- bored him. fed him and tanned him, and today on the reservations can be found the last of his race. disappearing as'did the buffalo but from different cause. His eXterminat.on was rapid and some what of a mystery. Many stock-m-n n attribute it merely to degeneration, but closer observers assert that many thorCands of the ponies of the desert were surreptit!ously converted into canned beef end are even now being served over eastern tables and army messcs as a select produce of the cat
 tie range. Be that as it may, the mus tang is nN more, and has been re- placed by highSr and finer breed of the equine species. Over pains where once rCamed the vast herds of mus tangs, which. by the way, were doubt less the offspring of horS2s brought over soon after the Spanish invasion. new feed as fine horse-nesh as can be found anywhere in the world. Several n t, a tt,,v1 tot ion nf gon mares. the sturdy stock of the rough north west was sent south. At the same time a number of fine Sta.- lions from Kentucky and Indiana were shipped to ;he south-wes';, The orl.- growth has been that Texas and Ariz- Oru are rapidly bccoming known as important factors in tn horse trade. The offspring has heen a well prJpCc- thNncd, strcag and extremely hardy horse, over the rocky hills and the sravcily plans the horse Of the south weS has had his travclinE and devel- oped his strength and c1pability for rough work. The dry, | althful climate has developed his jung power and tn the south African war English officers urd the American horse of the south west the strongest. hardest and fastest in The rough work of the Bosr cam paign. In such esteem, indeed, is he held, that eastern buyers arg securing the hu0-c ranges and paying the high 'at prices for him. while British and German army buyers give the!r prefer ence to him. In many localities cat tle-mcn are evolving into h1rse-men, and the steady demand and high prices promise well for business that five LSears ago was undreamed of.
 VI. to that othsr pest. the jack rabbit, his NAtinctnon is only matter of no