The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-05-24

night In the morning they were on
the mountain bright and early, and the
first of horses sighted were. at once
rounded up and held and succeeding
punches run into them druing the day.
At the camp all We're about early in
the morning and by sunrise fifty or six
ty riders started out around the end
of the mountain with herd of extra
saddle horses to meet their comrades
about noon and give them all fresh
mounts. This plan resulted in nearly
900 horses being added to the wild band,
although quite number still eluded
the riders.
One bunch numbering from 100 to $50
all of them white or gray os spotted
black black and white, and bred from
Arabian stations could not be captured.
1t is known locally as the wild gose
1T was necessary to move them to other
band five from the gray color and
sraightaway runs they make. When
their leaders decided to pull out, riders
had to get out Of the way or be run
down, and no horses under saddle were
able to keep pace with them. 1t is said
that fully half the band have never
been branded or felt the swish of a
rope about them.
| 1t is beautiful sight to see the long
ranges, and accordingly the anchor
| line of grays swiftly rounding a slightly
| butte, or taking slide down passes
that seem bound to hurl them into
| depths below but the wild things are
| sure footed and climb like goats No
effort will be made to get them this
year, but with next season and the
| further encroachment of the farmers
on the range they will doubtless be
| ridden down with relays Of men and
horses until they are tired out
brand, belonging to Sam Gabriel, whose
ranch is on the Saddle Mountain, was
cut out, the colts branded and turned
loose, excepting those he wished to
| dispose of this season. When this work
was accomplished the wild band was
moved northwest some twenty miles to
natural corral and feeding ground in
what is known as Red Rock Couiee. A
| few riders stationed at the mouth and
| at the head Of this canyon can hold
any number of horses, for the sides are
so percipitous that 1t is almost i'm
possible for a man to scale them.
Springs furnish water, and the bunch
grass grows luxurlantly
The camp wagons still pushed on
ward toward the northeast some twen-
ty-fve or thirty miles till they reached
| the corrals at West Lake, a small sheet
of water west of the south end of
Moses Lake. These are the best cor
rails in the county, and the principal
work of cutting out, branding, selecting
holding and delivering strays will be
done here Up to May fully 5000
horses had been rounded up and
brought in and the work of cutting out
begun. This will occupy fully week,
and the big herd will not reach Ephrata
the shipping point, before May II.
1t is a picturesque sight to see this
| big band of wild horses with the young
colts coming down to water or grazing
on the prairie. And then to think that
| this is practically the last of them
that they are doomed to give way to
the tiller of the soil and their haunts
turned into wheat fields and fruit
ranches almost makes one for for the
moment, wish it were not so. The old
horsemen feel the change, too and are
specializing as to what they will do
now that their wild, picturesque and
withal happy life as horseraisers is at
an end. Many af them have ranches
and will fence them and continue to
raise horses In a small way, and grow
wheat and hay Others will leave the
I country and cast their lot with new
people and new surroundings. Some
expect to take the remnant Of their
herds to the bad lands of Dakota where
for few years they are sure to be un-
hampered with the advance of civiltza
ton