The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1901-08-09
ITS BED is oUIcksANo.
The Canadian River Is a Treacher
Gus Stream to Ford.


Gus Stream to Ford.
The Canadian river, which Is one of
the worst quicksand streams in the south
west, Is for that reason one of the great
eat sources of loss and annoyance to the
eowmen who have cattle anywhere along
the 400 and odd miles Of its course. Thou
sands of cattle are lost In Its "bogs" ev-
cry year, and thousands OF dollars are
spent in trying to keep the losses down
to as few head as possible, and besides
annoying the cowmen it Is q source of
danger and expense to the railroad COM
panies that have bridges crossing it's
treacherous bed. 1t is the bugbear and
horror, too, of every newcomer who has
to cross it ON horseback or In q waEon,
and at certain seasons even the men who
know 1t thoroughly fear to attempt cross
ing at the safest fords. Many a brave
fellow has won himself the respect of all
the country for swimming 1t when there
was need, and again many a brave fellow
has been lost In 1t; drowned In the water
and swallowed by the sands.
Occasionally it Is necessary to get
across with wagon when the food is
running, as where a trail outfit have cat
tie to deliver and cannot wait for the wa
ter to run down. In this event the herd
Is driven across, and if there are 1000
head or more they will pack the sand
solid enough to make the passage of the
wagon safe, provided, of course, the wa
ter Is not too deep. But in any event as
soon as the herd is on the other side the
cowboys all hurry back to the wagon
and, tying their ropes either to 1t or to
the teams hitched to 1t, give the word to
the teamster and dash in at a run, yell
ing and shooting to frighten their horses,
while he whoops and whips at his mules
and the big wagon bounds along, now
nearly upsetting over the uneven places
In the channel, now sinking to the bed In
the water and swinging down stream
with the current, but always moving rap
Idly over the course the cattle made
for It.
II a mule goes down in the harness.
there Is no help for him, for 1t would be
folly to stop the wagon. It would sink
to the axles in half minute, and In an
other the box would be washed away.
II the animal can get to his feet, good
enough, but IL he cannot there are his
three fellows to pull him and the wagon,
without counting the dozen or more train
ed rope horses that are each capable of
pulling and are pulling 900 or 900 pounds
apiece. II there should be a bad tangls,
30 that the wagon has to be abandoned,
the boys will stay with 1t to the last.
They will swing down In their saddles
among the struggling, foundering mules
and cut and slash to free them from thu
harness, but finally, when they have TO
give It up, they try, IL there is time, to
get their bedding out of the wagon and,
swinging 1t across the saddles, ride on
out to the herd. The teamster, having
no horse. catches a rope and Is glad to
have one of the boys drag him out. As
he is also the cook and consequently to
blame for the mishap, the fellow who
has the privilege of dragging him makes
the most of his opportunity. However,
IL no trouble occurs, they never think
they have done anything more than a
very mean job, which to them has no
pleasing aspect whatever.-Tascosa (Tex)
Cor. Chicago Record.