The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-03-22
MUSTANGS AND JACK
RABBITS VANISHING
All But a Few Scattered Bands ot
Wild Horses Have Dis
appeared.
FOLLOWING BUFFAL0's FOOTSTEPS
Two Decades Ago the Southwest swarmed
with the Wiry Little Horses-Ex-
terminating Sthe Pestlferous
Jack Rabbit.

Twenty years ago, or even ten Or five
years since, the mustang and the jack
rabbit We're two of the commonest
pests In the west. On every plain and
mesa, In each spot where particle CT
green feed found livelihood, beneath
the shelter of dusty sagebush or
thorned mesquite, the little. hardy.
shaggy cayuse and the long cared,
alert and rapid jackrahbit browsed ia
peace and pietude, says the Arizon.
Republican. A rider across the arid
wilds Of the great southwest could
count, If he desired, hundreds and
thousands of the wiry, wild horses, ana
from every bush n jack hurried away
from the path of the traveller, a gray
streak scurrying over the sand ana
gracefully sailing over obstructing
brush-the kangaroos Of America
Now not mustag can be found i'm
a days travel. or q weeks, and only
monotony of desert ride. Then years
ago 100000 mustangs were scattered
over the ranges in Texas New Mex
leo and Arizona. AS the bicycle grew
IN favor the horse decreased in value,
ana the mustang became an, outcast
and an outlaw. He intruded on the
cattle ranges and was shot for his
feed for their stock. He ventured
among the sheep fiocks and the coyotes
feasted on his carcass. Everywhere
he was worthless reprobate, an inter-
loper and valuable only as a target for
the revolver Of the vaquero. BY in
breeding the species grew smaller and
the mustangs finish was percaivable.
the extremely low price Of high
grade eastern horses put the cayuse
Que of service and his only
haven Of refuge was among,
the Indians. The red men haa'-
bored him, fed him and tanned him.,
and today on the reservation can. be.
as did the buffalo, but from different
cause. His determination was rapid
and somewhat Of mystery, Many
stockmen attribute 1t merely to degen-
Grafton. but closer observers assert that
many thousands Of the ponies of the
desert were surreptitiously converted
into canned beef. and are now being
served over eastern tables and army
messes as select product of the
cattle range. Be that as it may, the.
mustang Is no more, and has been re-
placed by higher and finer breed of
the equine species. Over plains, where,
once roamed the vast herds of mus
tangs. which, by the way. We're doubt
less the offspring Of horses brought
over soon after the Spanish invasion
now feed as fine horsefesh as can be-
found anywhere in the world. Several
years ago great Importation of Ore
gon mares. the sturdy stock Of the
rough northwest. was sent SOUTH At
the same time number Of fine
stations from Kentucky and Indiana
were shipped to the southwest. The
outgrowth has been that Texas and
Arizona are rapidly becoming known
as important factors in the horse trade.
The offspring has been well proper
toned, strong and extremely hardy
horse. over the rocky hills and the
gravelly plains the horse Of the south
west has had his travelling and devel-
oped his strength and capability for
rough work. The dry, healthful cli-
mate has developed his lung power.
and in the South African war the Eng.
lish officers found the American horse
of the southwest the strongest, hard
lest and fastest in the rough work OF
the Boer campaign. In such esteem.
indeed. Is he held that eastern buyers
are securing the horse ranges and pay
ing the highest prices for him, while
British and German army buyers give
their preference to him. In many To-
calities cattlemen are evolving into
horsemen. and the steady demand and
high prices promise well for business
that five years ago was undreamed of.
AS to that other pest, the jack rab~
bit, his extinction is only a matter
Of no great length of time. Civilization
Is crowding him out, and the aborfgina
is slaughtering him, and between two
fires he cannot last long. The dogs Of
the settlers are thinning MIN out, and
jack hunting is popular sport. A
feet pair Of grayhounds in half days
hunt have been known to kill half a,
hundred rabbits. and the Indians
slaughter them at even more rapid
rate. Rabbit hunts among the redskins
are frequent occurrences, and some-
times hundreds of reservation reds will
participate In the chase. Such sight
is one never to be forgotten by an
easterner. Usually spreadying over u
wide territory. the Indians gradually
close into a small circle. and as the
affrighted Jacks scurry back and forth
they are either killed by the blunt ar
rows from the Indian bow or are finally
rounded up in compact mass, where
they are dubbed to death. Sometimes
n different method Is pursued. and with
relays OF horsemen the rabbits are run
down and killed. In either case thel
result Is the same. and great feast Is
assured for the night. Sometimes
many hundred rabbits are slaughtered
and between this cause Of decrease and
the gun OF the white hunter the Jack
rabbit, in spite Of the remarkable fe-
cundity Of the species. is doomed to
eventually become past feature Of the
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