Cherokee County, OK, from The Advocate, 9/15/1883
Cherokee Co. OK Archives 
Copyright c 2003 by: Mollis Stehno, e-mail: shoop@orcacom.net
This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Cherokee Co. OK Archives. 
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The following was transcribed from THE ADVOCATE, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 


STOPPING A STAMPEDE

September 15, 1883-The Cherokee Advocate--"One of the slickest things I 
saw in my travels," said a passenger from the West "was a cowboy stopping 
a cattle stampede.  
A herd of about six or eight hundred had got frightened at something and 
broke away pell-mell with their tails in the air an the bulls at the head 
of the procession.  But Mr. Cowboy isn't excited at all when he saw the 
herd was going straight for a high bluff, where they would certainly 
tumble down into the canyon an be killed.
	  "You know that when a herd like that gets to going they can't stop, 
no matter whether they rush to death or not.  Those in the rear crowd those 
ahead, and away they go, I wouldn't have given a dollar a head for that 
herd, but the cowboy spurred up his mustang, made a little detour came 
right in front of the herd, cut across their paths at a right angle, and 
then galloped leisurely on the edge of that bluff, halted and looked around 
at the wild mass of beef coming right toward him.  He was as cool as a 
cucumber, though I expected to see him killed, and was so excited I could 
not speak.
	  "Well, sir, when the leaders got within about a quarter of a mile 
of him, I saw them try to slack up, though they could not do it very quick.
But the whole herd seemed to want to stop, and, when the cows and steers 
in the rear got about where the cowboy had cut across their path, I was 
surprised to see them stop and commence to nibble at the grass.  Then the 
whole herd stopped and began to straggle back, and went to fighting for 
the chance to eat where the rear guard was.
     "See, that cowboy had opened a bag of salt he had brought out from 
the ranch to give the cattle, galloped across the herd's course and 
emptied the bag.  Every steer snuffed that line of salt, and of course, 
that broke up the stampede.  But I tell you it was a queer sight to see 
that cuss out there on the edge of that bluff, quietly rolling a cigarette, 
when it seemed as if he'd be lying under two hundred tons of beef in about 
a minute an a half."-Ex.  
(fact or fiction)