Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-12-20
Mistsllansous Rsaaing.
TRAGEDY OF THE RANGE.
Heroic Act Of Young Mexican During
A Stampede of Crazed Steers.


quietly resting. Some stood content
edly chewing, while many lay dozint
in the rank alfilleria, on the great leve
mesa and down through the mouth Of
1.-THE Canada Verdi out into the broad
flats that lie along the river near the
center of the Guyana Valley. Only
four days before they had been crowd.
ed into the mouth of the narrows OF
the Santa Maria River less than st
miles below, and with much urging
had been forced through. over and
among the rocks Of that fearful gorge
These were beef steers, bought and
owned by a noted buyer and drover OF
early California days, Luigi Marie
then Of San Francisco, and were gath
cred from the but slightly replenished
/ herds Of many ranches even below the
pueblo Of Los Angeles as far south as
the Mission San Juan Capistrano
Trailing along the Caminio Real. Luigi
Marie and 90 trained vaqueros driving
and guarding, more than half a hun
dred saddle horses in the caballada
ahead, went over the Conejo and
through the famous Caviota Pass, into
the head Of the Santa Maria Valley
Here they left the usual route that
followed the old overland stage road
and laid their course for the mining
towns on the Merced, Toulumne and
Stanislaus Rivers through the coast
range by way Of the Santa Maria River
gorge, known as the Narrows, through
the Guyana Valley and on over the
San Joaquin plains.
| Old Antonis, who was the chief
cook of the culinary portion OF this
outfit, had made camp beneath the
shade of a large white oak tree that
stands at the foot Of the mesa bluf'
where the Aqua Calliente Spring
pours down from the rocks and rushes
to the river just below. 1t was near
the noon hour, and over the Goals
broiled and baked the meat and the
crisp tortillas About lounged all but
three Of, the vaqueros, inhaling the
| pleasant incense of the all but ready
midday meal with the pungent smoke
of their cigarettes. Three stood guard
over the quiet herd, and one Of these,
Jose Calderon, a fair youth scarcely
out Of his teens-the pride and pet OF
the older vaqueros-stood beside his
| horse at the summit Of small knoll
that rose to the height Of probably 80
feet out of the smooth mesa, and
that commanded a perfect view Of this
characteristic southern California pas
toral scene Of that time.
OF toward the eastern horizon,
where the Sierra San Rafael meets the
sky and crowds close to the lofty Mt.
Pinos of the Sierra Pelona, there rose
to view in the otherwise clear sky a
small dark cloud that came on down
the canyon Of the Upper Santa Maria
River, and In a few minutes had
spread out into a great, dark mass
that filled the entire upper end OF the
GUYANA Valley, shutting out from
sight the mountains above. A breeze
blowing in from the Kern valley over
the low Paletta Hills drove the whole
mass off to the south, where 1t hung
low on the mountain ridge that forms
the south wall of the Guyana valley.
| A phenomenon Of nature, peculiar to
that section, then took place. The at
mosphere became oppressively sultry,
wind came up from the south and
lx,f cly
rolling, tumbling clouds. There was
barely percentible quavering reflex OF
distant lightning.
The youth, Jose, though young in
wears, had learned we'll the arts and
ways Of the range when a child watch
| ing the herds of his father down be-
yond the Colorado Desert In old Sono-
ra, and knowing we'll what was due to
happen within the next few moments,
| with a graceful swing sat lightly but
firmly in the saddle, his left hand
grasping the bride reins, his right
instinctively feeling for the heavy raw
hide quirt that hung at the pommel OF
his saddle, his bright eyes riveted on
the great quiet herd below. There
was vivid flash Of light. Some mighty
power had swung an unseen sword
that cut fearful zigzag cash through
the semi-twilight and left burning
red scar, that remained in sight for an
instant and then as instantly healed.
Jose began nervously and rapidly
counting, his yet brighter eyes ever on
that quiet herd. "Uno, dos, tr-'
With a crash the very heavens tore
apart. A rumbling roar swung off to
the south and the mountain Cliffs
there passed it back down the valley.
Jose's heavily mounted spurs raked in
the trembling fianks Of his restless
mount. He heard nothing only saw
those 1000 and more fear-crazed
steers plunge forward and sweep out
onto the level plain.
Directly across their course, short
half mile away, ran the small stream
of the Santa Maria River through the
deep alluvial soil Of the valley, be-
tween perpendicular banks hundred
feet apart and 40 feet down. Had that
onrushing bunch of crowding horns
and hide reached there, a fortune
would have vanished in an instant. A
score of proud vaqueros would have
lost caste among their kind and have
been classed as gringos, fit only to
companion with dogs and guard sheep.
| At their front, crowding in closely,
recklessly, rose young Jose. Swinging
far out from the saddle, lashing and
beating his quirt at the head of
brindle longhorn giant that as year.
ling cropping swamp grass and tule in
the cienegas down about the mouth OF
the Santa Ana had survived the
drouth of sixty-four. Close up rode
Luigi Marie with the doubled loop of
his reata desperately lashing the long
horned heads. Closely following were
20 faithful, fearless vaqueros. yelling