Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-02-13
A WILD HORSE HUNT.
Ranchmen Get Together and Kill
and Capture Mustangs.
Campaign 60 Clear the Ranges Of
Southern Utah mud Northern Me-
vada Of the Pests Herd
Driven Out preoipice.

Hundreds OF wild horses stampeded
in terror over hill and plain, one day
lately, pursued by q band of mount
ed ranchmen. urging their mounts TO
the utmost, and now and then taking
u 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, Ariz. The start was made as
soon as the sun first began to show
itself over the Kanab mountains.
Two score men, mounted on the best
horses at their command and sup !.
piled with relays 60 enable them to
keep up the pursuit, started, says q
Kanab (Utah) special to the Chicago
Tribune.
Although the mustangs seldom
make vicious fight. there is no
keener sport than q mustang hunt.
The only hunt OF the kind on record
in this locality was two years ago.
Then 800 mustangs were shot and
800 captured, and Indications arc
that this record will be surpassed.
The animals are believed 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 q
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 thia
section Hence the determination To
work their destruction.
Under the leadership of Mathoniah
Miles, one of the principal ranchmen OF
this region, the hunters started ON their
quest The party spread out SO aA
90 cover wide stretch of ground.
After nearly an hour had been spent
In uneventful travel the form of n
big stallion was seen. George Mil
ton, a cowmnn and an expert shot,
opened fire. The stallion whirled and
darted of. He was the sentinel for
n drove. The others, 30 or more,
could be seen and heard as they
scampered after him. The race
was on.
For miles the chase was kept up.
only n half dozen OF the hunters fol-
| ne
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 a larint was looped about
her fore feet, she stumbled and fell
to the ground. The colt wns quickly
roped. and both were tied TO rock.
Presently the mustangs swerved TO
the right
They were coming into a broken
country. The steepness of the ground
impeded their progress. But the
change in direction soon led them
into a trap They were driven into
canyon. 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 sight of the
mustangs
Presently the leader stopped. II,
had come to n deep gorge. Above
and below were precipices. In from
was this gorge. 20 feet wide and 81
deep. Behind were the pursuers. H'
leaped His forefcet caught th'
> other side. lie scrambled mndly fol
, couple Of seconds, but final ef
y fort enabled him TO regain his foot
[ hold, and he stood triumphant. Thei
, another tried the leap. His forefee
caught, but he fell backward TO Tn,
rocks below. Another and anothe
followed. Not a member of tn
drove failed 10 make the attempt
! Three succeeded. The rest fell upoi
0 the rocks below.
. The king OF the drove turned an
n the other mustangs who were snf
4 joined him. They saw the hunter
q coming, aud turned aud escaped. Tn
little party of hunters came to th
= edge OF the gorge and counted 2
horses on the rocks below. Bullet
, soon put an end TO this misery Of Tn
living.
Meanwhile the other hunters ha
1 broken up into small parties and
i number Of them had run into buncho
Of horses. Some had been oorralle,
4 some shot, and some lnssoed. Nor
\ had escaped.
II was estimated that 100 mustang
4 had been disposed OF in one way q
4 another.
4 The hunt was In progress severI
I days.