A Dangerous Close Encounter at Priest Rapids
A local farmer narrowly survives a frightening accident after his team of colts went rogue.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Karl Becht’s father, who lives near Priest Rapids, met with a serious accident last week when a team of young colts he was holding by the heads became suddenly frightened and jumped on top of him, breaking two ribs and bruising him severely. Mr. Becht was taken in an automobile to the hospital in Yakima, where he is said to be mending slowly.
“A team of young colts he was holding by the heads became suddenly frightened and jumped on top of him.”
Farming remains one of the most hazardous occupations in the Inland Northwest, though the mechanical risks have largely replaced the unpredictable behavior of draft animals. The hazards of working alone with young, untrained livestock were a common peril for early settlers in the valley.
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