The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-05-24
ROUNDUP OF WILD HORSES.
LAST BIG ONE IN MOUNTAINS or
CASTERS WASHINGTON

in Bringing into CorraIs Three Thou
sand Horses, Many of Them Not Even
Branded.
The last big roundup of horses In
eastern Washington has been in opera
ton the past ten days, and about 5000
of the wild equines have been brought
into the corral. The country ridden
thus far has mostly been broken and
mountainous.
Each Washington has for long years
been known as the home of the Wild
range horse, and 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 horse raising on the open
range is about to vanish.
The southern half of Douglas county
has heretofore offered an inviting range
for horses, and there are thousands
still running at large there on the
sandy stretches of bunchgrass and the
deep green sloughs of the canons. The
first realization of the necessity Of a
complete roundup became known when
the ranchers began to build homes
around Moses Lake and over the top
of Frenchman Hills, clear south into
the canon of Lower Crab Creek. Wire
fences We're being put up, and the
danger Of injury to the range norses be-
came every day more threatening.
The natural result of these move
ments says the Portland Oregonian was
to show horsemen that there was a
market for their property and they
finally got together and agreed to
roundup all the horses that could be
got together. They began to realize
that the old prices of $3.50 to $40 a head
for horses on the range was thing
of the past, and many man found he
was really the possessor Of enough
horses to amount to quite fortune
In order to move coneertedly it was
agreed to organize into a legal body,
and Thomas Burgen of Ephrata was
elected foreman of the great drive.
Burgen is an old rider and horse owner
and enjoys general respect and conf
dence in the State. His plan was to
meet in the latter part of Auril, and
with from 100 to 200 riders sweep the
entire country of wild range horses
April % was settled as the date to be-
gin the work, and Ephrata was to be
the starting point.
The following Thursday morning the
first riding for horses began. Tower
ing up to the south was Saddle Noun
tain, or better known among the horse
men as Crab Creek Mountain. This
range rises from 900 to 1900 feet above
the level of the canon, precipitous on
the north side and gently sloping to
the south toward the Columbia, About
seven .y-five riders were detailed to as
cend the mountain opposite the camp
and ride westward toward the mouth
Of Crab Creek, endeavorlng to drive
the Wild horses before them, This
meant some forty miles Of rough noun
tain riding for them.
The main body OF the outfit,
Augmented here by the addition of an
other big camp outfit, drawn by six
horses, and several white men and IN
dams. pushed leisurely on down the
canon toward the Columbia. The last
five miles of this days march We're
through washed sand along the creek
interspersed with short stretches of
basaltic rocks, and 1t was not until
shutdown that the Columbia was
reached. Here were large corrals, and
the result of the ride on the mountain
was eagerly awaited by the camp
More men on fresh horses were sent in
to the mountain to assist the riders
to the mountain to assist the riders
there, and about o'clock the pounding
of hoofs and the neighing of mares and
colts beraided their approach.
Sweeping down the mountain through
a narrow ravine, out of the clouds it
seemed in the dim light, came the wild
band, followed and herded by the rid
ers, down to the water They were all
thirsty, and after drink it was a
short task to place them in the corrals.
Many of the riders horses had given
out with the hard work. Some came in
on foot and other had to camp on the
mountain for the night.
About 400 horses were the result Of
the days work. Fully 1900 had been
started, out in the afternoon, when the
riders and horses We're tired, 1t was
difficult to hold them and impossible to
overtake them when they once got I'M
der way in their efforts to escape. This
promiscuous gathering resulted in leav-
ing many orphan colts with the band,
and fully fifty were shot during the
afternoon. While 1t may seem cruel,
this practice is certainly more merciful
than to leave the little fellows slowly
to die of starvation on the range, while
their mothers are miles away in the
accustomed haunts seaching for them,
accustomed haunts seaching for them.
Several orphans were brought into
camp, and nearby settlers came and
took them to feed them on cows milk
till they were able to forage for them
selves.
The partial failure of the ride on
Crab Creek Mountain necessitated a
conference of the horsemen, and it was
finally decided to rest the horses and
try once more, Accordingly, the next
days work was taken on the south side
of the Frenchman Hill, lying to the
north of Crab Creek, and a gently roll
ing country. The drive extends only
about fifteen miles and about 600
horses were turned In at 4 O'clock in the
afternoon. The fact that sheep had
been through the country near the cor
rails now necessttated the driving of the
saddle horses and wild band some eight
miles from camp to forage and more