A Fatal Ride on the Range
A young, skilled rider is killed instantly after being thrown from his horse near the government ranch.
Friday afternoon, October 17th, Will Snipes, a nephew of B. E. Snipes and Mrs. H. H. Allen, was thrown from a bucking horse, while riding the range, near the government ranch on the reservation, and died from the effects of his injuries a few hours afterwards. The deceased was but 25 years of age, and was a fine looking young man and bore an excellent character. He was reputed a good rider and his companions are at a loss to account for his being unseated. When he was thrown he landed on his head, resulting in the skull being fractured. He was a member of Goldendale lodge, I. O. O. F., and his funeral was conducted under the auspices of that order at The Dalles on Sunday.
“He was reputed a good rider and his companions are at a loss to account for his being unseated.”
This tragic death reminds us that the rugged landscape of Yakima County was a working environment where a single misstep or a bad horse could mean life or death, illustrating the physical dangers faced by rural workers in the 1890s.
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