Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-11-07
ANNUAL MARKET OF EoUINEs
EcLIPsEs ANY IN WORLD.
PICTURESQUE SCENES
Demand Greater Than Ever Before
Form a Feature of the West Of
Fiction and the Staoe-Variety of
6uyers-Three Sales Held Each
Year.


ward. The great herds Of horses
which once roamed over Ohio and
Indiana years ago moved west of the
Mississippi, where today they are
found, or their successors, ON the
broad plains of Montana. Mean
while, despite the trolley car and
automobile, the demand for horses
has increased until the industry IS
greater than ever before. Every
eastern city has its western horses,
but few people have any idea of the
country which supplies them. The
herding OF tens of thousands Of
horses, the difficulties of handling
them and the activity of the great
range sales supply some of the most
picturesque scenes in the far west
the west of the stage, the story
books and the Imagination which is
fast passing.
The greatest horse market in the
world in point of numbers is probably
the range sale in Miles City. Montana.
Situated as it is, at the center of the
1AGdbCSL AOASO AdO4AS 0COI1On vi IuO
country, it serves as a point of distrl-
button. Horses are driven in or
shipped in from the ranges hundreds
of miles in all directions, to be dis
played before perhaps as critical an
assembly of norsemen as could pos
sibly be found Here you may find
representatives of the British army
seated near a buyer representing sim
liar interests in Japan. There will
be buyers from Portland, Me-, to
Portland, Ore, and from Florida, in
short, from every section Of the
country, forming an exceedingly
mixed crowd of fasteners, cowboys,
Indians and ranchmen.
The great range sales suggest a
Wild west show on an enormous
scale, with bewi.dering variety OF
types gathered from all over the
world for inspection. More than fifty
cowboys are busily employed in herd
ing this great army of horses and
they are the pick of the plains No
| finer riding, no greater skill with the
lariat will be found anywhere in the
west than among these herders. AS
a rule, about ten thousand horses are
disposed of at a single sale, and there
are three such sales every year. The
work of herding these immense herds,
of dividing them into uniform lots, of
displaying them before possible pur-
chasers and finally loading them for
shipment is one of the great sights o.
the west.
One of the most interesting features
J of the market to the tenderfoot is the
ingenious system of pens used for
Iherding the horses. The system en-
ployed is the result of long eyolu-
! ton and much experience in the diff
cult business of handling horses.
| The judging of the horses is always
| done by the proprietor, A. B. Clarke,
who. stands on the platform at the
opening of the cutting out pen. The
value of a quick and accurate decis-
ion in grouping the horses is obvious.
The cutting out pen is also invalu-
able in separating the colts from
their mothers.
The pens cover several acres, with
many broad passageways running in
| all directions. From any point Of
view it is an exceedingly busy as well
as picturesque sight. Everything is
done on the run. Herds of horses are
constantly being driven from one
part of the enclosure to another, and
one sees through a cloud of dust half
a hundred horses careering madly
without halter or bride, while cow
boy who produces every detail of the
| familiar pictures of his type con
| trolls them with a witch of his bride.
Incidentally there are probably no
better riders in the world. Sitting
his horse with the easy cowboy seat
and loose rein, he appears to be IL
ways on the dead run and with an in.
slant control of his steed under ev-
cry condition which is fascinating to
watch From time to time some I'M
ruIy horse breaks away and can only
be brought down after hard chase
and the quick swing 0f the lariat.
| Exhibitions of he eLnen which
would bring thunders CT applause at
wild west show go UNDECIDED in the
great horse market. They are merely
details of the days work. A skill and
daring which layman can only mar
vel at and scarcely find words to
praise is summed up by the horse deal
ers in the phrase, "he can rope and
ride"
All this, however. is preliminary 10
the main business of the market, the
auction. The scenes attending one o.
these great ring sales. it is safe to say
have no counterpart in the world. A
covered stand is provided for the bid
ders on two sides of the pet or ring,
where the horses are displayed. OPP
posite this rough grand stand is the
seat Of the auctioneer, his bookkeep-
ers and assistants. During the sales
! the top of the heavily barred fence
also serves as a grand stand. The
horses are driven into one end of this
enclosure in lots of twenty thirty or
fifty. as he case may be, and after be-
ing Knocked down to the highest bid
der are driven out at the other side.
A group Of cowboys are in constant at