The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-31
LASSOING Wild STEERS
Cattle That Have Run Amuck in
Chicago Stock Yards.
= star Roper of the wild Animals--
Trained Horses Used In Cap
turing the tnruiy BOvineN-The
Recital OF Lively Experience.


RecstaI OF II Lively Experience.
Nowadays wild steers do not escape
from the stock yards and frighten tn
PEOPLE of the neighborhood half out Of
their wits with as great frequency rs
they did few years ago, but just the
same mothers keep a nervous eye on
their children while the little ones are
out playing in the streets Of the packing
town district. Not long ago, however
these escaped steers furnished sensations
in that locality so very often that the
stockyards company finally employed
man especially to run down animals that
had gotten out OF the yards into the pub
lie tnorouGhfares. Niaducts connect ne
with the different pens and improved
methods Of driving the cattle from one
point to another have now reduced the
number Of escapes to a minimum and
The company on longer keeps a man in
constant readiness to chase the fleeing
cattle.
For over five years Harry Partiow. bet
ter known as wild Horse Harry gen
uine cowboy from Texas, was the oiii-
Cial steer catcher for the stock yards.
From { o'clock in the morning until or
4 O'Clock in the afternoon Wild Horse
Harry" used to remain stationed at the
big stone entrance to tine yards in EX-
changes Avenue. with his horse saddled
and bridled ready to trail the first steer
that made his escape. A few years ago
the company concluded that escapes were
becoming SO infrequent that it was not
worth while to longer employ a chaser,
and Partlow was relieved of his routine
watch. but he is still called upon occa-
sionally to lasso flying steer.
Is n he. ST
characters of the stock yards He has
been a professional cowboy, circus per
former. an actor and now he is commits
sion man. He left the company of Frank
l. Frayne. the actor. in Chicago in 1889.
and has made his home in this city ever
since He had not been in town very
long before his prowess as horseman
and roper Of cattle became known to the
Stock Yards Company, and at the first
opportunity he was given the JOB OF
watching out for escaped horses and
steers.
The different gates opening into the
stock yards are connected by telephone
and the moment animal escaped a
message was Immediately sent to the
main gate, where Partlow was always
stationed. and wild Horse Harry
would straightway mount his charger
Niger and gallop in pursuit. \ frequent
companion of Partlow was Chief of
Stock Yards Police Horner. for it often
required the services of two to effect a
quick capture The policeman would gal
lop ahead of the steer and endeaYor to
get the animal to chase him, for the steer
must be running away from the man who
IL trying to catch him. If the animal
runs toward the lassoer all the latter can
well do is to put sDurs TO mis- horse and
run away.
I have had some serious experiences
with steers and horses, but 1 have never
had any very bad ones since coming to
Chicago" said wild Horse Harry 10 a
representative of the Sunday Chronicle
the other day. On one occasion a steer
that had escaped from the stockyards
5erked horse cut from under me, but I
was not injured al all. 1T was a big steer
weighing about 2G09 pounds. and when he
started in the opposite direction he didn't
have any trouble in jerking down my
horse. for the latter only weighed about
half as much as the steer
''Onc of the liVeliest experiences ever
had was down on Fifty-ninth Street. A
steer escaped from the yards and ran
down there and I went after him in a
hurry. When | caught up with him ~
Was Looping along the ground at the side
or high board sidewalk / spurred my
hores along the board and Just as | got
even with the steer the walk gave way
and dropped us right at the side of the
brute. The animal turned. lowered his
head and came at rs. / jumped the horse
over the broken walk and the horn of
the steer graZed his hip. That was the
nearest | eyer came to having a horse
Eored under me here in Chicago. | gal
Hoped around a corner and the steer gave
up the chase. Then the animal dashed
Nlfl9lSiN at a little knot OF people on the
street and they scattered in all directions
in time to save themselves. The steer
pursued none Of them, but continued on
a sailop down The street.
BY this time 4 had taken up the chase
again and was going after the animals as
fast rs / could. Just ahead OF the flying
steer WAS a little short, fat Polish woman
with big bundle In her arms. yelled to
her at the top of my voice to get out Of
the way, but her head was all tied up in
a shawl and she didn't hear me. The
% luWNf ii Il
was powerless to save the woman. The
animal lowered his head, gave a trium-
phant snort, caught the woman on both
his horns, and tossed her into the air as
IL she had been bah of yarn. For a
moment the air near the steer was full
Of woman and fish. The little Pole had
been To the fish market and was carrying
home about half a bushel Of small fish
The animal was apparently satisfied with
the toss he had given the woman. for he
ran on without giving her any further at
tention- She was sitting up and waving
her arms was all ] noticed as ! dashed
past her In few moments / had caught
up with the beast and downed him with
in the least.
1t isn't very difficult TO lasso a steer
as he runs away from you if YOU have HAD
as much experience as have had. If YOU
are gong 10 dismount and rope the legs
OF the animal together after you have
lassoed him YOU must have a well-trained
horse. aand that is what I had. The horse
as soon as the lasso settles over the head
Of the steer comes back on his launches
at word. And the horse knows a Great
deal more than that If he is the right
kind. He stays on his haunches and holds
the rope taut while his rider disrnounrs
and ties the legs of the animal Nv old
horse, which is now owned by the stock
yards company, was near perfection and
! never had any difficulty in getting him
TO always do the right thing when a chase
WAS on.
One winter We had a great time try
ing 10 capture Il steer which had run out
10 some vacant prairie land near Thirty
NTH Street and Ashland Avenue The
snow was deep and badly drifted and the
animal had run out into drift where he
was standing belly deep. There was a
crust on the snow, but il was very thin
and heavy animal broke through il cas-
hH. Even man would break through
once in while So | could not get near
the steer and we could not get him to
bulge. He apparently felt he was safe
soon hunter came along and he thought
he could fire charge of shot at the steer
and start him The man aimed his gun,
but Just as he pulled the trigger he broke
through the snow crust and the charge of
shot was scattered impartially among
the by-standers. And the steer still held
has ground. We finally started him by
driving near a lot Of tame cattle lie IAN
away from them, however. and soon las
seed him.
''One Of the straugest things I ever say
q steer do IN my life occurred here in Chi
cago. was chasing an animal that had
broken away from the yards Suddenly
II shot around "A corner. As | came around
after n ! Was Mortified to see a little child
stIndinS IN the street right In front Of
the animal. The steer lowered its head
and ! expected the next instant to see