The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-02-20
LAST DAYS OF THE cAyUsE-
The szustans of the Plains Follow
Ing the Vanishine Buffalo.
From the Arizona Republican,

CFrom the Arizona Republican,
Twenty years ago, or even ten or FIVE
years since, the mustang and the jack
rabbit were two Of the commonest pests
in tae West. On every plain and mesa,
in each spot where q particle OF grain
feed found a livelihood, beneath the shell
ter of q dusty sagebrush or a thorned
mesquite. the little, hardy, shaggy cay
use and the Iong-eaFed, alert. and rapid
jack rabbit browsed IN peace and quiet
ude. = rider across the arid Wilds OF
the great Southwest could count, If he de-
sired, hundreds and thousands OF the
why. wild horses, and from every bush a
jack hurried away from the path Of the
traveller, grey streak, scurrying over
the sand and gracefully sailing over OBJ
structing brush-the kangarOOs OF Aneri-
Now not a mustang can be found in q
days travel or q weeks and only an in
frequent jack breaks in on the monotOny
of a desert ride. Ten years ago POO, 900
mustangs were scattered over the ranges
IN Texas. New Mexico. and Arizona.
As the bicycle grew n favor the horse
decreased in value. ana the mustang be
came an outcast and an outlaw He in
truGed on the cattle ranges and was shot
for his pains the ccwmcn intent on the
saving Of feed for their stock lie yentur-
ed amid the sheep fCcks and the coyotes
Toasted on his carcass Everywhere he
was worthless reprODete, an interIoper.
and valuable only as q target for the re
TolTer OF the vaquer0- By InbTeedIug the
species grew smaller. ana the mustangs
finish was perceiV8bIe The extremely low
price Of high grade Eastern horses put the
cayuse out Of service. and his only haven
OF refuge was among the Indians The
red men harbOrsd him, fed him. and tanned
him. and today on the reservations can be
found the las Of his race, disappearing as
did The buffalo. but from different cause
His determination was rapid and somewhat
Of q mystery. Many stockmau attribute it
merely 10 degeneration, but closer oJserv-
ers assert that many thousands Of the po-
mics Of the desert we're surreptftiously
converted into canned beef. and are even
now being served over Eastern tables and
army messes as a select product Of the cat
tie range Be that as IL may the mus
tang IS no more and has been replaced by
Of higher and finer breed Of the equine
species Over plains where once roamed
the vast herds Of mustangs-which. by
the way were doubtless the offspring Of
horses brought over soon after The Span
ish inVasiOn-nOw feed as fine h0rsefiesh
as can be found anywhere in the world
Several years ago great importation of
Oregon mares, the sturdy stock Of the
rough Northwest. was sent South
At the same time a number OF fine stall
lions from Kentucky and Indiana we're
shipped to the Southwest The outgrowth
has heen that Texas and Arizona are rap
idly becoming known as important factors
in he horse trade The offspring has been
a well proportional. strong. and extreme
~ hardy horse Over the rocky hills and
the graveIly plains the horse of the South
west has had his travelling. and developed
his lung power. @nd IN the South African
war English officers found the American
horse of the Southwest the strongest
hardest. and fastest in the rough work Of
the BOer campaign IN such esteem IN
deed, is ne held that Eastern buyers are
securing The horse ranges and paying the
highest prices for him, while British and
German army buyers give their prefer
ence to him. In many localities cattle
men are evolving into hOrsemen. and the
steady demand and high prices promise
we'll for a business that five years aga was
uudreamed Of
AS to that other pest, the Jack rabbit.
his extinction is only a matter of no
great length OF time. Civilization is
crOWding him out and the aborigfne fs
Strengthening him. and between two fires
he cannot last long. The dogs Of the set
tiers are th ming him out. and lack
hunting IS a popular sport. ! feet pair of
greyhounds in q half days hunt have beeu
known to Kill half a hundred rabbits and
the Indians slaughter them at even a more
rapid rate Rabbit hunts among the red
skins are frequent occurrences. and soI.e-
times hundreds of reservation reds viii
participate in the chase. Such a sight IS
one never TO be forgotten by an Eastern
er. Usually spreading over a wide terri
tory, the Indians gradually close into 4
small circle and as the afTighted lacks
scurry back and forth they are either kill
ed by the blunt arrows from the indian
bows or are finally rounded up IN a COM
pact mass. where they are dubbed to
death. Sometimes a different method is
pursued and with relays of horseman the
IA bbits are run down and killed In either
case the result is the same, and a great
feast is assured for the night Some
times many hundred rabbits are slaugh-
tered, and between this cause or decrease
ard the gun of the white hunter the jack
/ rabbit IN spite OF the remarkable fecun-
| dity of the species is doomed to eventu-
| ally become a past feature of the life OF
! the Southwest.