Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1908-04-03
WILD HORSES.

forests of Nevada aud neighboring
states, and the authorities in Wesh-
ington are besieged with petitions
from stockmen and farmers begging
them to put a stop to the nuisance.
\ recent dispatch from Reno convey
cd the intelligence that there arc
fifteen thousand of the untamed
boasts upon the Toiyaba, 1oquina
and Monitor forest reserves in Lsndor
county alone, and that orders have
been received by tire forest rangers to
begin a systematic war of extermina
tion upon them. This dispatch, al
though twisted as to facts, does not
eXaggerate the number of horses now
supposed to be roaming at large III
the districts mentioned. AS a matter
of probable truth there are good
many more than fifteen thousand wild
horses in Nevada and the ighboring
states, and every herd is a pest 30
the owners of vegetation and domestic
stock.
The part of the Reno telegram
which is not true is that relating to
the orders sent from Washington.
Neither the forest rangers nor any
other employees of the government
have been told to destroy the horses,
and unless they do receive such
orders they will contine their energies
to fencing crops from the trepassing
animals or rounding them sup when
they appear and threaten damage to
the range. Indeed, if half the stories
brought to the capital are true, all
the rangers in Uncle Sans service
would have little chance Of destroy
ing the big herds that are roaming
over the western states.
Within the last few years they have
increased to such an extent that in
many localities they are classed as
'varmints," with wolves, wildcats
and grizzlies, and every man S rifle is
turned against them. No fence is
strong enough to stop sthese horses.
and when they appear in force they
have even been known to knock down
and kill COWS and calves. After
each visitation from herd the ranch
man is likely to mourn the loss of his
domestic horses, and it requires only
a few days association with their
new companions for the best broken
animals TO become as wild as their
nomadic comrades.
A study of the wild horse problem
brings to light many interesting facts
about the animals. The legislature
of Nevada, it seems, passed law
many years ago specifically allowing
hunters to shoot wild horses and to
sell their hides for what they could
get in the open market. The law
opened the way to new and unusual
industry, and many men found the
killing of wild horses very profitable.
Besides the work was exciting and
gave the business the added Zest of
sport.
AS time went on and the business
of killing these "outlaws'' las the
wild horses were often termed on
the ranges assumed greater and
greater proportions, stookmen found
that the professional hunters were,
in many cases. abusing their rights
and were killing branded and shod
horses. This put an end to the bust
ness, for on complaint of the stock
men the Nevada legislature promptly
repealed the law. 1t is estimated
that ZOO animals we're killed dur
ing the time that the law was in
force. This figure gave the basis for
last week 8 story.
The report, however, had good
basis of fact, for the wild horse ques-
tion has grown to be as serious in
Nevada Legislature was forced to
enact the old law. The United States
forest service has not given orders
tor the killing Of single horse, be-
cause it has no right to do SO. The
forest officers of the Nevada national
forests realize how bad conditions
are, and will do anything to assis-
the stockmen to put down the NUS
ance.
Any one who finally discovers an
effective method to settle this pro-
hlem will have done a great service
for The stockmen of every state west
of the Missouri river, AS an old and
experienced stockmen, now in the
employ of Uncle Sam, said of this
wild horse problem: Theoretically
Ii saams a Naru sim nln lnattnr handla