A Young Life Lost in the Yakima River
While attempting to drive horses across a dangerous crossing, an eighteen-year-old laborer is swept away in the swift currents.
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.
Last Sunday, Owen Sutton was drowned in the Yakima River at the second railroad crossing, twelve miles above town, while driving some horses across. When near the bank of the river he jerked on the reins of the bridle of his saddle horse, and the animal turned over backwards. The young man was unable to swim, and when his comrade stripped off and swam to the rescue, the body had disappeared and only the hat was encountered floating down stream. Many friends have been out in boats with grappling hooks, and others searching along the bars above and below town, but no trace of the body has been found. He was eighteen years of age. For some time he had been in the employment of Emory Taylor, he was a stepson of J. Nelson of Naches Valley. His comrade was William T. Nelson, and the two were driving 35 horses from the winter range on Coal Creek to the summer range in Tieton Basin. Deceased was a brother-in-law of Emory Taylor. His horse dropped into swimming water before the rider expected it. As the man could not swim he intended to walk across the railroad bridge after getting the band of horses started across.
“The young man was unable to swim, and when his comrade stripped off and swam to the rescue, the body had disappeared.”
This tragic incident reflects the immense danger inherent in the 19th-century livestock industry, where seasonal drives through treacherous rivers were routine. Even today, the Yakima River remains a powerful, unpredictable force in Washington, though modern infrastructure has replaced the dangerous fords used by early settlers.
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