The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13
ROUNDUP OF WILD HORSES.
LAST RIO ONE IN MOUNTAINS OF
EASTERN WASHINGTON.
Gulches Beaten by Force Of Vaqueros and
Thousands Of Animas-Resuitei IN
bringing. Into Corrais 5000 Horses.
Many OF VNhelu Not Even Branded.

Many OF Vhep Not Even Branded'
The last big roundup Of horses in eastern
Washington has been in operation the PAST
ten days, and about 1000 of the Wild equlnes
have been brought into the corral. The
country ridden thus far has mostly been
broken and mountainous ''tL4
Eastern Washirg ton has for long years
been kndgn as the home Of the wild range
horse, ana many are the markets Of the
Central and Eastern States TO which these
horses have been shipped. Now, with the
encroachment Of the farmer TO till the soil
the day Of range riding and horee raising
on the open range is aboutnto vanish.e-
The southern half Of Douglas county
has heretofore offered an inviting range
for horses, and there are Thousands still
running atlarge there on thesapdy stratches
Of ~bupchgrass and the deep green sloughs
of the oabons. The first realization Of the
necessity ~ complete roundup became
known when the ratchsrs began to build
homes around Moses Lake and over the top
Of Frenohman Hills. clear south into the
canon of Iower Crab Creek. Wire fences
we're being put up, and the danger ofiniury
TO the range horses became every day more
threatening.
The natural result Of these movements,
says the Portland Greg nien, was 70 show
horsemen that there was adnarket for their.
property, and they Rrally got together
and ag, eed to roundup all the horses that
could Q got together. They began to
realize that the old prices Of $3.50 to $40
a head for horses on the range was a thing
Of the past, and many a man found he was
really the pos SCISSOR Of enough horses TO
amount to quite n fortune.
In order to move ,conoertedlyr II was
agreedyyo organize into a legal body, and
Thomas Burgen Of Ephrata was elected
foreman of the greut drive. Burger rs an
old rider and horse owner, and enjoys gen.
eral respect and confdenoe In the State.
His plan was to meet in the latter part
Of April md with from i5o to 200 riders
sweep the entire country. Of wild range
horses. April % was settled as the date
to begin the work, and 7Ephrata was to
be the starting point. r. -' 7s,&
The following Thursday morning the
first riding for horses began: Towering
up to the South was Saddle Mountain, or
better known among the horsemen as Crab
600 to $500 feet above the level OF the
canon, ~precipitous on the north side
and gently sloping to the south toward
: the Columbia. About seventy-fve riders
opposite the camp and ride westward
toward the mouth Of Crab Creek, endeavor-
inc to drive the wild horses before them.
This meant some forty miles OF rough noun
tain ridinr for them.
The main BODY Of the, outfit, auamented
here blythe addition Of another big camp
outfit, drawn by six horses, and several
white man and indiana, pushed leisurely
on down the canon toward the Columbia.
The last Ave miles OF this DAVIS march
vera through washed sand alonEthe creek,
rocks and il was not until shutdown that
theCohImhia waG gHerew were large
onrrais and the res,ilt Of the ride on the
moAntsin vas az 9erly AWAITED by, the
camp. More men on fresh horses were
there. and about 8 O'Clock the bounding of