Daily camera., 1901-12-10
A WILD HORSE HUNT.
Ranehmen Get Together and Kill
and Capture Mustangs.
CAnDaign to Clear the Ranges ol
Southern Utah and Northern Ne
vAAa Of the Pests - Herd
Driven Out PrssiDioS.

Hundreds Of wild horses stampeded
in terror over hill and plain. one day
lately, pursued by band Of mount
ed ranchmen, urging their mounts to
the utmost, and now and then taking
O SHOT at one Of the fleeing animals.
The mustang hunt was on. Ranch
men from all over northwestern
Arizona and southwestern Utah, with
some from Nevada, gathered at Pipe
Spring. Arfz. The start was made as
soon As the sun hrst began to show
itself over tho Kanab mountains.
Two score men. mounted on the best
horses at their command and sup
piled with relays TO enable them to
keep up the pursuit, started. says q
Kanab (Utsh) special TO the Chicago
Tribune.
Although the mustangs seldom
make . vicious Aght, there ts no
ksener sport than = mustang hunt.
The only hunt of the kind on record
in this locality was two years ago.
Then 800 mustangs were shot and
1900 captured, and indications are
that this record will be surpassed.
The animals arc beEeved TO have
sprung from the horses owned by the
victims Of the Mountain Meadows
massacre In 1887. When the party
was attacked . large number of the
horses escaped. For. nearly half s
century they have been breeding on
the ranges Of this region, mingling
with the stray Indian ponies and es-
capped horses formerly belonging to
cowmen. and multiplying at . pro-
digious rate. so numerous have they
become that they have been eating
up the none too rich ranges OF this
section. Hence the determination TO
work their destruction.
Under the leadership OF Mathoniah
Miles. one Of the principal ranchmen Of
thisrsgion. the hunters started on their
quest. The party spread out so as
to coyer wide stretch Of ground.
After nearly An hour had been spent
in uneventtul trsvel the form of a
big stallion was seen. George Nil
ton. a cowman and an expert shot,
opened fire. The stallion whirled and
darted off. He was the sentinel for
a drove. The others, so or more.
could be seen and heard as they
scampered after him. The race
vas on.
For miles the chase was kept up.
only . half dozen Of the hunters fol-
lowing. Finally a colt dropped out
exhausted. Its mother Joined her
offspring to defend it. Two Of the
hunters approached the mare and
her foal. The mother charged upon
them, but = lariat was looped about
her fore feet, she stumbled and fell
to the ground. The colt was quickly
roped. and both were tied to a rock.
Presently the mustangs swervsd to
the right.
They were coming into a broken
country. The stespness Of the ground
impeded their progress. But the
change in direction soon led them
into . trap. They were driven into
. canyon. A third Of the way up the
side was . ledge running parallel
with the bottom of the canyon and
affording practically the only course
where travel was possible. They
plunged madly along this ledge. The
hunters were still some distance
away. although IN plain hght Of the
mustangs.
Presently the leader stopped. He
had come to q deep gorge. Above
and below were precipices. In front
was this gorge, 20 feet wide and so
deep. Behind were the pursuers. He
leaped. His forefeet caught the
other side. He scrambled madly for
couple Of seconds, but . final sf-
fort enabled him TO regain his foot
hold. and he stood triumphant. Thsn
another tried the leap. His forefeet
caught, but he fell backward to the
rocks below. Another and another
followed. Not . member of the
drove fsiled 70 mako the attempt.
Three succeeded. The rest fell upon
the rocks below.
The king of the drove turned and
the other mustangs who were safe
Joined him. They saw the hunters
coming. and turned and escaped. The
little party of hunters came to tho
edge of the gorge and counted es
horses on the rocks below. Bullets
soon put an end to this misery OF the
hving.
Meanwhile the other hunters had
broken up into small parties and q
number Of them had run into punches
Of horses. Some had been corrallsd,
some shot. and some lassosd. More
had escaped.
It was estimated that 100 mustangs
had been disposed Of In ono way or
another.
Tho hunt was in progress several
days.
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