The Galveston Daily News. (Galveston, Tex.), Vol. 55, No. 126, Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 28, 1896 Page: 4 of 10
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THE GALVESTON DAILY NEWS. TUESDAY. JUL f 25. 189&
TEXASCOWBOY REUNION
The Steer Ropigg at)d Brot)cho Riding Contest ao lospiring
and Unique Spectacle.
THE RIDERS AT FULL SWEEP.
A Five-Act Melodrama—Touroament of the Knights of the Lariat—Bar-
becue ar)d Oratory—Grar)d Bali Where the Ladies Thirty-
three Beaus Apiece—The flssociatior) Formed.
Seymour. Tex., July 23.—(Special corre-
^poncl^noe.)—Seymour has luui its first cow-
boys' reunion, and as is claimed by the
originators, the first ever held in the United
States, which practically means the lirst
ever held at all.
The project was started at Seymour,
which is a town that has all the push and
rustle tor which the west is famed. It Is
the terminus of the Wichita Valley rail-
way, a spur fifty-one miles long from the
Fort Worth and Denver. This makes Sey-
mour the nearest railroad town to all the
great stockraising country on the head
waters of the Brazos. It is re ached by a
rolling, Jerky train that is described in the
railroad advertising folder as "mixed."
Nothing strikes the traveler more focibly
<than the brutal accuracy of this state-
ment. Sometimes it is nearly all freight
cars and sometimes cattle cars and some-
times it is nearly all passenger coaches, but
it is always "mixed."
over the ridges from the long iron bridge
over the salty, turbid Brazos from the east
and south. Wednesday night the town was
crowded and Alex Benge. who was looking
after the barbecue pits, was luard to ob-
serve that nobody had expected such a
crowd, and if it grew much larger the sup-
ply of barbecued meat would have to be
increased.
After s coins about all the people there
were in attendance massed on the prairie
at the roping contest on Thursday morn-
ing the committee on barbecued meat got
together and decided that more beef would
ha v to be cooked.. Jo Dickson. Judge
Glasgow and Alex Benge then went to
work to get the beeves and soon had them
itaily for the slaughter. Campers were
supplied with meat free of charge by the
citizens of Seymour. All the wells, public
and private, were aiso placed at their dis-
posal for stock water. Wednesday night
the biggest crowd of the reunion was in
town. Fireworks were set off and the air
was laden with the shrill cowboy veils.
However, everything was remarkably or-
derly. Not an arrest was made or a dis-
turbance reported.
The scene Thursday morning at the rop-
ing and riding contests was inspiringly
Barnes, all old cattlemen, were selected as
judges and John Lasater of Seymour
called out a couple of boys to help herd
•the bucking "bronks" oui of the crowd.
Will Goff of Throckmorton county was
the lifst to ride, lie was a long, slender
boy with very high heels on his boots.
A rope was thr wn on a quiet looking bay
pony and he was led out for Willie's bene-
fit. Willie begged for Ills spurs, but Lasa-
ter was firm and said the pony hail to be
ridden without spurs or not at all. so Willie
pulled off his coat, threw off his suspend-
ers. look a cinch in his bell and crawled
on him, and slapped liim across the face
«/\
>v S,
A TYPICAL CAMP.
"n.
When this train pulls out of Wichita
Falls and heads away toward the south-
west up the Wichita valley one feels that
he Is getting into the heart of the cowboy
country. The prairie dogs gaze solemnly at
the train as it clatters along, and they
have so far accepted this necessity of civil-
ization that they calmly continue to en-
deavor to maintain the parity between
dogs and dog holes without allowing it to
cause any interruption in their delibera-
tion^.
Seymour, like other towns in -the wMst.
cnoe enjoyed a big boom which provided it
with buildings that would be an ornament
H. T. DOUGHERTY
Of Guthrie, President Texas Cowboys'
Association.
to many towns ten times its size. A huge
thiree-story stone building with about 80
feet front stands with cashless windows
and doorless doors, a grim skeleton-like
monument over the grave of somebody's
Investment. Not far from it is a two-story
stone opera-house with rooms for business
houses on the ground floor. It has never
had an occupant except /irt-dpubers and
bats.
But as the man who is intoxicated feels
sad and repentant the next day aul begins
to feel better on the third day, Seymour
has reached her third day after her intox-
ication, or perhaps her fourth: any way,
shy is feeling all right again, as is demon-
strated by her people being willing to sub-
grand, and was in many respects a most
remarkable spectacle.
The spot selected tor the contests was in
a gentle depression west of the "dogy"
stock pens. "Dogy'' is the cowboy term
for east Texas cattle, and these pens are
where the east Texas cattle are kept in
quarantine when they arrive.
South of the pens a grand stand seating
about 1500 people had been erected. An
hour before the roping contest was to be-
gin this stand was jammed with people,
and the fences of the neighboring stock
pens and the boxcars on the sidings were
covered wfcth men and boys as thick as
beads on a string.
The crowd on horseback and in prairie
schooners were ranged around the roping;
ground In a circle about one-half a mile
in diameter. Marshal Jo A. P. Dickson
and his aids were kept flying back and
forth on their horses to keep the crowd in
order and far enough back to give plenty
of room for the wild and wooly "bronks"
and the equally as wild and woolly "bronk
busters."
This circle, seen from the crest of the hill
half a mile back of the grand stand, pre-
sented such a scene as could only be pro-
duced in this part of the world, and such
as none of the oldest cattlemen had ever
seen before.
The line of schooners with their white
canvas covers extended nearly all the way
round and the remaining arc of the circle
was filled in horsemen standing four or
five deep ki places. Up and down and
back and forth were galloping singly and
in squads the best and roughest riders
of the west. From every part of the vast
crowd came continually the shrill whoop
of the cowboys. As much a part of
stock in trade as his saddle or his spurs
is this whoop. There is no way to put it
in print that will give even a remote idea
of its peculiar characteristic sound as it
rings out on the cloudless western air with
its accompanying roll of horses hoofs on
the turf.
To see a squad of these cowboys sweep
by at full speed with their broad hats
flapping, their spurs Jingling and their
whoop ringing out and mingling with the
indescribable rushing sound of hoofs on
the grass puts a thrill in the slowest blood
and creates a wild desire to- mount
broncho swing your hat and join them.
The "bronks" provided for riding con-
tests were as a cowboy expressed it. "the
worst kind." They were In ranch vernac-
ular "outlaws." That is, horses that
couldn't be broken and the horse that can't
be broken by a panhandle cowboy is sure
ly a tough customer. They have been rid-
den enough to know all the tricks of
throwing a rider. They are always strong
and swift and combine with It a degree of
vlciousness, treachery ami cunning which
makes it dangerous for the most expert
BEN F. REYNOLD
Of Throckmorton, Vice President.
with his hat. The pony was In nowise
low with his part of the programme, but
troceeded to business at once, and pitched
'or about fifty yards about 300 revolutions
o the minute, and then started to run.
This brought a whoop of derision from
he crowd witn remarks such as:
"Why, 1 can ride him bareback."
"Take the bridle otf."
"That horse don't know how to pitch,"
and so on.
"Gimme my spurs and I'll make him
pitch," Goff shouted back, lie was given
his spurs and he tried to make the horse
pitch, but was only partially successful.
Drury Grogan of Fort Griffin, Shackel-
ford county, was the next "bronk buster."
His "bronk" was a skittish little sorrel of
the "Heart L" brand, who had thrown
•very-body who had ever tackeled him. The
sorrel pitched with saddle when it was
inched. It was against the rules to al-
low the "bronks" no pitch with saddle,
but the sorrel didn't mind the rules. He
was kicking and plunging when Grogan
climbed on him and he did some very hard
bucking and scattered the crowd near the
grand stand much to the satisfaction of
Jo Dickson, who had been talking his
lungs out trying to keep them back. Gro-
gan rode him successfully and v(as heartily
heered.
Emiline Gardenhire of the Tit) ranch in
Archer county, was the next rider. He se-
lected what was said to be the worst horse
in the pen. It was a blood-bay from the
Hash knife ranch, and known as the
'Montana Blizzard." The "Blizzard" was
fairly peaceable while being saddled and
seemed to know what was coming. He
has been outlawed for some time and
would be worth $100 if anybody could
handle him.
Emiline crawled on him with a rawhide
riding whip in his hand. He took off his
hat and slapped the "Blizzard" over the
head and for a few mjjjutes there was the
wildest mix up of pitching horse and cow-
boy imaginable. Gardenhire rode with his
big loop the steer ran through it. He
missed hta second throw, but caught his
third, the steer in the meantime having
ran nearly a mile. lie brought him down,
turning him end over ond, and tied him in
3 minutes and 37 seconds.
Ross Sloan of Seymour took the next,
a big, vicious-looking red steer. He
caught over file 'horns the first throw
and downed and tied bis steer in 1:40.
BukI Smith of Haskell got a big black
steer that ran like a jack rabbit. He
caught and downed his steer in 1:38.
Gus Lyles missed two tthrows at a pie-
bald steer, but downed him in 3:30.
Bill McLaren of Seymour got a red steer
with bonus as wide as a gate. Ills time
was 2:00
Dave Harris got a big, pie-bald steer that
was old at the business. He threw him end
over end the lirst jerk, but the steer was
on his feet the- next second, and he tripped
him twice more before he got him down
effectually. Then his horse jerked the
horn off the saddle and departed in the
direction of Mexico. Dave got his steer
tied in 4:10, and had his saddle rebuilt
next day.
John Carr's steer was also foxey. He
came down so hard on the first jerk that
he bounced like a ball, and the thump
was heard in the grand stand, a quarter
of a mile away. The steer was on his
feet in a second and John bail to ride
around him six times before he got him
wound up to throw him. Time—2:50.
John Chalk of the Matador outfit came
next and his roping was watched with
great interest, as he has quite a reputa-
ion in that line. His steer was one of
the largest in the pen and must have
weigh,d 300 pounds more than his pony.
He had the rope on him six seconds after
crossing the line and when the jerk came
the steer and the pony both went down,
while John slid off safe. Pony and steer
got on th ir feet together with John in
the saddle again. The second jerk parted
the rope a foot from the saddle horn and
the steer put in his best licks toward the
west.
John was after him and swung down
and picked up the trailing rope with his
left hand. The steer jerked jt away again
and the skin with it. but John was not
to be shaken off, but kept after him and
swung down and pi'ked up the rope a
second time. This time he got it well
around his saddle-horn and downed the
iteer again and tied lilin, all in 2:05. He
girls in their fashionable ball dresses
floating across the floor to the swinging,
dreamv tune of a waltz, or going through
the measured steps of the lancers. There
wasn't one of them who wouldn't have
given his last pony for a waltz, but many
of them went away disappointed for, oblig-
ing as the young ladies were, they couldn't
dance with them at all.
Ed Suddeth called the figures and chose
his position standing in a chair in the
middle of the room beating time with one
band and mopping the presplration off the
back of his neck with his handkerchief
while he shouted:
JOHN R. POWERS
Of Throckmorton, Treasurer.
"Swing your partner; ladies chain; all
swing, etc."
The festivities were carried on until a
early hour in the morning when the ball
broke up and the big reunion was over.
Sergt. W. J. L. Sullivan. Bill McAuley
and Dud Barker of the rangers took in the
reunion. Serg<:. Sullivan made the only
two arrests made during the reunion. They
were for old offenders and were made
cOplas.
yAiWNV
Lankford. W. F. Robertson, Dudley Benge, I sobs and the clank of chains. After this
J. J. Drew, L. W. Drew, V. W. Drew, Sey- j the procession returns to the moiacla, and
mour; W. Parks, Paducah; Tom Arnett.
King county: Nat Hines, Knox county;
the dcors are closed. So far as the public
is concerned, the services are over. The
G. S. Plants, J. O. Woodyear, L. P. David- j Penitentes are busied with prayer until
BRINGING DOWN A STEER.
was greeted with tremendous cheers for
, - , - — , his pluck and sk'll and the boys crowded
hands tiee and plied his whip over the around and stroked his little dun pony
horse's hips and shoulders. "Blizzard"
bucked and pawed and jumped from side
to side, but Gardenhire never moved out
of his saddle and seemed to maintain his
seat with perfect ease. After about fifteen
minutes mingled bucking, side jumping
and running "Blizzard" succumbed and
Gardenhire galloped around the circle I
swinging his hat with everybody in the i
crowd cheering him.
Goff here insisted that he be given a
horse that would pitch and be allowed an-
other trial. Lasater told him to get a
gray nag out of the bunch in the pen
which he did. There were yellow marks
on the gray's neck that looked suspiciously
aaggs:
A BUCKER.
scribe upward of 11000 to entertain the cow-
boys. When the project was lirst started
$530 was subscribed in half an hour.
The Idea of the reunion was taken up In
April last, and men from there went out
through the ranches of the panhandle tell-
ing what sort of an entertainment It wad
to be. The Seymour people expected that
there would be 2000 or 250o people in attend-
ance and were gratified to find that there
were fully that number In town o'li Wednes-
day morning, the first da\ of the meeting,
when the Texas Cowboys' association was
organised.
All day Wednesday the people kept com-
ing in. Cowboys on horseback, with their
camp outfit??, and prairie schoomrs with
6un-Dle*chfcd canvas cover* came drifting
horsemen to have anything to do with
fliem. When a horse is found to be of this
description he Is "outlawed" and "set
free."
Such were the ones the boys had to ride
for the suit of clothes which was put u:>
for a prize. The rules read: To be ridden
with a "slick saddle." That is, the saddle
to be free fr<m the roll usually tied across
the horn and the stirrups were not to tie
tied together under him nor was the rider
to wear any spurs,
When the conditions were made known
many of the boys who had been anxious
lo ride shook their heads doubtfully and
said they "wouldn't take any of it in
theirs." But finally tne entries were made
and J. H. Props, J. E. Fritz and Billy
J. H. GLASGOW
Of Seymour, Secretary.
like collar marks. The saddle was cinched
and Goff mounted. The old gray started
off in a long lope. Wheti he was turned
loose the lariat did not fall clear, but
tangled In the birdie reins, which discon-
certed Goff somewhat, but it finalJy fell
and the gray scooted across the prairie
in an easy lope amid yells of "Old plow
horse."
"The children ride hi in."
But the gray suddenly seemed to realize
that he was being ridden, and jumped
high enough to go over a ten-barred gate
and came down with his feet in a bunch
He had commenced pitching. The t'hmi
buck Goff lost his seat anet four feet of
daylight showed between him ami the sad-
dle. It was a clean throw, but Goff took
his rope with him and lit on his feet and
was back on the horse quick as a Hash
The old gr-iy seemed to think his contract
was performed and refused to pitch any
more. Goff rode down to the grand stand
and asked for his spurs.
Lasafter said "No," that the grav was a
plow horse that belonged to "old man
Henyon," and he wouldn't allow him to
be cut up with spurs.
This ended the "bronk busting," and
the prize, a suit of clothes, was awarded
to Gardenhire.
STEER ROPING CONTEST.
The steer ropli next. The steers
had been loaded into a cattle car and
brought up from the cattle perns. They
were also "outlaws," and were so bad
that nobody cared to have anything to do
with them. Ail big fellows, that would
weigh from 1400 £ 1700 pounds. Jo Dick-
son said they wei * the most vicious in the
country, and had been "gnatted" for a
couple of lays so they could run. And they
did run.
The roping created more Interest than
any other feature of the reunion. The
box car the steers were tin was covered
with people getting a look at the steers, siz-
ing them up. Those who were going in
the roping oontesit busied themselves in
locking to their saddles and testing their
ropes. Their method of testing a rope
was quite a show in Itself. A man would
take eadh end of a rope and tie it around
the horn of his saddle and then ride away
from each other aaxl let the ponies pull
on it.
The ponies entered fully Into the spirit
of the thing, and would surge and tug and
s!.t back on their haunches until the rope
was stretched like a flddile string. The
rules fo-r the roping contest were read to
the contestants as follows:
Ruile 1. Steers to be in tlhe pen and then
driven by a committee of two men out
at the west gate and turned due west and
run to a line thirty yards from stock pen.
Rule 2. The roper is to be stationed op-
posite corner of pen. Immediately upon
slew crossing above mentioned line, at
eaoh end of which will be a judge, the
word go wi'll be given.
Rule 3. The roper is to have rope ready
when word is given to go.
Rule I. Itoper may carry extra rope for
a tie rope.
Rule Roping steer by his feet posi
tively forbidden.
It,lie ti. If the steer Is kittled, that run and
i'l not be counted, and the party
-■!.< i ha\'■ chance at another steer.
Rule , St< . s to be kept tied until re-
leu se t b\ ' 1'iniUee, to be tied by not less
than three ieet.
The man who ropes steer and ties him In
the shortest time will be awarded the prize,
which Is i,'lie $7.1 flexible saddle.
A-■ Gardenhire had won in the riding
contest, he was given the first go. A big
speckled ste^r, with horns four fee>t across
was run out. Gardenhire threw such a
and shook his hand when he came in.
George Martin, sheriff of King county,
caught his steer on the second throw and
downed him in 2:10.
Billy Parks, better known as the "Pitch-
fork Kid," of the Moon ranch in Cottle
county, downed a strawberry roan steer
in 1:2%. making the best time.
John Arnold of Vernon took John Chalk's
little dun pony that had had such a hard
tussle a few minutes before and downed
his steer in 1:37.
This ended the steer roping.
The prize, a $75 il xible saddle, not a
Pueblo saddle, as was stated to The News
reporter the day before, was awarded to
the "Pitchfork Kid," and he was sur-
rounded by a crowd to shake hands with
him and congratulate him, while the
cowboy whoop tore holes in the atmos-
phere and the band played "Dixie."
In the. afternoon there was a ball game
between Semour and Wichita Falls,
which was reported In The News dis-
patches at the time. The Seymour ball
club has beautiful grounds. As smooth
a diamond as can be made, with a com-
modious grand stand. It was intended to
play a series of games between Seymour,
Wichita Falls, Throckmorton and Archer
Citv during the reunion for a purse of
$100. Archer City failed to show up and
the clubs not being able to agree on a
new schedule, the purse was forfeited and
game.-, were played each day and receipts
divided. Large crowds were present at
each game.
Thursday night the Seymour Dramatic
club presented the melo drama in five acts
called "Fielding Manor, or The Lost Heir."
at the Seymour opera house before a large
and well pleased audience. The following
is the cast of characters:
Lucian Glyre (an American adventurer),
L. W. Dal ton; Cuthbert Fielding (an Eng-
lishman), D. L. Kenan: Cyril Garland
(Edith's adorer), A. W. Price: Aber-
crombie Courtwell (In love with Rebecca).
E. A. McMath; Gen. Stanley, J. E. Luck;
Andrew (an old servant), Lee Hill: Bay-
ard, W. A. Bennett: Edith Fielding (be-
trothed to Cyril). Mrs. Ike Coll: Nina
Chauncev (divorced wife of Glyre), Mrs.
J E. Luck; Rebecca Stanley (in dread
of a. step-mother), Miss Lou Lewis: Eu-
genia Ma it land (one of the bon-tons). Miss
Bert Browning; Margaretta Maltland (her
echo), Mrs. W. A. Bennett; Lady Ogden
(aunt to Edith), Miss Alice Lewis.
Friday morning was set apart for tour-
nament riding for a $.*>0 flexible saddle,
but, owing to the crowded programme of
the day before, no list of entries had been
made and it was round impossible to make
the entries for the contest on the ground.
]i was arranged to run for a purse, which
resulted as reported in The News of Sai-
urday.
The barbecue and speaking began at 11
o'clock at McLean's grove. Capt. Mc-
Lean was the founder of Seymour and
the barbecue tooK place on Seymour creek
within 200 yards of his residence, which
was the first house built in the town.
Ex-Govs. Ross and Hogg failed to come to
make speeches. Sheriff L. B. Walkins of
Knox county, J. H. Stephens of Wilbarger,
•andIdate for congress from the thirteenth
district, and Dr. O. L. Fisher of Fort
Worth spoke in the forenoon and then fol-
lowed dinner.
It seemed as if there was enough bar-
becued meat and llght'brcad on hand to
slop a Russian famine, but there were
thousands of people there, and when they
got through there was nothing worth men-
tioning left over.
At night the crowning feature of the
reunion came off. A grand ball at the
The following Is the roll of charter mem-
bers of the Texas Cowboys' association:
H. T. Daugherty, Guthrie; Ben F. Rey-
nolds. Throckmorton; J. H. Glasgow, Sey-
mour: J. R. Power. Throckmorton; J. G.
George, Guthrie; J. P. Doggell, Fort
Worth; F. E. Lanier, Guthrie; H. L. Leh-
man, True: W. P. Clark. Munday; Dove
Ratliff. Guthrie: Jos. Dickson, Seymour;
B. J. Glover, Beniamin; G. F. Ratliff,
Benjamin; H. S. Ratliff, Benjamin; J. H.
Boatwrlght, Crowell, R. H. Germany,
Grand bury; J. C. Keller, Haskell; J. T.
Gibson, Guthrie; Geo. Gilkerson, Guthrie;
J. H. Reynolds, Albany; M. McGlnty.
Outhrle: W. D. Howsley. Throckmorton:
G. Beamer, Farmer; R. J. Johnson, Bel-
knap; O. .1. Jeffries, Guthrie; King Sloan
Guthrie: J. M. Patton, Throckmor-
ton; E. M. Tankersley, Profflt; J.
son, Seymour; G. W. Gholston, Archer
City: S. W. Mclrby, Dlantha; J. A. Broad-
en. Vera: R. P. McCord, M. P. Rongahn,
Archer City; Jack Q. Wroods, Graham: A.
F. Durham. Benjamin: H. M. Crawford;
Grady, I. T.: T. C. Thy, Seymour; A. L.
Chester, Wichita Falls; W. C. Goodwin,
Crystal Falls; M. P. Rantzahn, Archer
City; Burnett Stiles, Seymour.
The committe on transportation request-
ed the News to state that the railroads
which gave reduced rates to the reunion
were the Santa Fe. Rock Island and Fort
Worth and Denver.
JO A P. DTCKSON,
Of Seymour, Sergeant-at-Arms.
R. Power. Throckmorton; Carl Peters,
South Prairie: W. M. Moore, Guthrie:
John Arnold, Vernon; W. S. Vaughan, Sey-
mour; Todd Atkinson, Windthorst; A. A.
Porter, Estclline; 11. Colthorp. Goree; Lee
Lasater. Aberdeen; J. W. Amett, Guthrie;
L. T. Richardson, Antelope; H. J. Hensley,
Adington: T. L. Lemon, Haskell; G. II.
Relmer, Seymou-; Capt. Wetherby, Benja-
min; Bill Taylor. Crowell; A. I'. Donnell,
Seymour; L. T. Turner. Vera: Rod Sloan,
Guthrie; R. T. Randall. Vivian: E. L.
Rittle, Guthrie: Jno. F. Gibson, Guthrie;
J. G. Scott, Seymour; Gus Lyle, Dundee;
10. T. Terrell. Belknap; L. Ches-
ser, Benjamin; W. L. McLoren. HaskciT'.
F. L. Campbell, Dundee G. E. Turner.
R. M. llamhy, Truscutt; J. R. Craig, Ben-
jamin; R. S. Brannan. Benjamin: J. II.
Norrls, Spring Creek: C. Bordner, Raynor;
J. N. Millhollon. Haskell; J, M. Williams.
Pinto; Jim Stewart, Benjamin, Texas.
J. II. Tipps, Effie; A. G. Johnson. Knox
county; R. A. Logan, Archer county; J.
A. Proffett, Young county; A. P. Wright
Knox county; j. A. Shawver, B. F. Jrby,
Seymour; Dr. W. L. Rimmons, YVeatlier-
ford; G.J. Rimmons, Ward Humphries, Scv-
mour; .F II. Props, Vera; T. E. Ruse, L.
11. Jamison, Bert Jamison. B. C. Shanv
Seymour; W. A. Bedford. Benjamin; Jim
Bailey, Haskell; Dave Harris. J. N. Con-
dron. Throckmorton; Arch Brannan, Ben-
jamin; John L. Lynch. Seymour: J. W.
Carter, Fort WTorth; J. W. McDomall. Sey-
mour; Eugene May held, Raynor; Louis
Harchebacn, John Guffey, Ronda; J. E.
Murrie, John F. Lasater, Seymour: T. D.
Isabel, Benjamin: S. Edwards, J. R. Hen-
son, J. S. Foster, Seymour; J. A. Russell.
Vera: J. W. Proffltt. Proffltt; A. p.
Wright, Knox county; J. H. Proff, Vera;
J. P. Hart, Seymour; E. S. llart, Crowell;
BILL PARKS ("PITCHFORK KID"),
Champion Steer Roper of Texas.
opera house. A ball in the west always
has one drawback and that is too few-
ladles. This was no exception. There
were about a dozen young lady dancers
present and about 100 cowboys who were
anxious to dance "lust one set."
Alex Benge. Jeff Scott and George Tay-
lor were the floor managers and they were
kept busy introducing the boys to the
young ladles and securing partners.
Two tiddlers, a olano and an alto horn
furnished the music. It was not very clas-
sical. but it was the kind that tickles the
bottoms of your feet and makes them
shuffle even if you have both religious
scruples and corns.
It was painful to wat n the boys from
the plains as they gAz*d at the pretty
EM ILT NE G A RD ENHIR E,
Champion "Broncho Buster" of Texas.
J. W. HInton, Beniamin; J. H. Turbeville,
W. W. Man, Archer City; Jim Williamson,
Benjamin; J. N. McGaughey, G. P. Barber,
Seymour; M. S. Hudson, Archer City; E.
M. Gardenhire. Archer City; C. B. Dag-
gett, Duvall; C. B. Edwards, Antelope; J.
M. Chalk, Matador: R. Carron, Jones &
Carron, Antelope; W. R. McGill. Seymour;
Joe Cole, W. R. Estill, Dundee; J. II. Shar-
rock. Win. Gulliek, Knox county: L. A.
Dalton, S. Wr. Franklin, J. B. Self, Sey-
mour; C. R. Conner, Antelope; F. L. Fan-
cher, Seymour; J. c. Butler, Archer: VV
D. lstmberg, E. S. Craddock, G. W. Moore.
A. A. Harwell, M. Davis, W. B. Wear,
Seymour; T. H. Benson, Crowell, E,
Lawson, Dundee; B. M. Musser. N. H. Big-
ger, Bob Lunsford, J. T. ilamby, M. D.
AX AMERICAN PASSION PLAY.
The Strange Order of Penitent** of
New Mexlro.
Los Angeles Land of Sunshine.
Bigotry dies slowly; and iin spite of ex-
communication. in spite of the gradual
filling of New Mexico with people who
have changed the balance of public opin-
ion, the Penitent Brotherhood is not deael
yet. But <lt is on its last legs. You can
find the Brotherhood houses within ten
miles of Santa Fe, the capital, and Al-
berquerque, tihe central oily; hi the Taos
country, and in Tajique, and the Sandia
mountains, a/nd Cubero, and San Mateo,
and near Raton and Trinidad and many
other paces. But not in one of them does
•the old audacity persist. Most of these
p.aces still have Penitente process'; n-—
but only the shadow of the old sort. The
self-wnlpprrig and the'carrying of crosses,
the tortures with cactus and all the o'her
horrors survive only in the mos: reino e
hamlets, and eve-n there with considerably
secrecy. I or New Mexico has become a
very different country from what It was
ten years ago.
r Pfftitentes are active only during
Lent. The rest of the year they' have no
ih unions, unless to bury a broilier—ai mid-
night iin the solitudes, where no man shall
know his grave—or to sentence an erring
member. 1 he order is of course cathbound;
and a traitor to its secrets is buried al ve.
But these meetings are rare; the brethren
are extraordinarily tenacious of life; and
few betray the order.
With the beginning of the Forty Days,
■nowi-vw, the scattered fanatics rally to
tlie.r common center. Each region has its
1 termano Mayor (Chief Brother), who is
supreme, and a Brother hood house (called
the Morada) at some centeraJ point, but
apart trom pub.ic haumt. Besides the ac-
t:ve members who lorture themselves
(hermanos pen it eutes), there are what may
be considered honorary members'
(hormanos de luz or Brothers of Light.
<iwe\l by the slow, steady warfare of the
Church, the Penitentes who whip them-
selves or wallow in cactus or get crucified
d„ so with their heads bagged in a hang-
man s black cap. This keep', them uni-
dentified, but also unseeing; and the Broth-
c'f act as gnldes to the blind-
to. d self torturers.
A gieat many Americans now have wit-
nessed more or less of the Penitente cere-
monials. Myself 1 have seen many, and
on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, lKSM,
1 not only saw everything, but photograph-
ed the procession and the crucifixion—this
unprecedented privilege being obtained
partly by diplomacy, partly by the inliu-
< nee of a Colt's 44 and largely by the
stanchness of a Spanish friend, than whom
I want no truer man beside me when my
back Is to the wall.
On the first Friday night in Lent the
Penitentes assemble. As that is a pastoral
country, and their part of it largely wil-
derness, some of them come tedious dis-
tances. Fifty miles is no strange thing for
u Brother to trudge in from the sheep-
herd that he may square up his vear by
flaying his back. To-morrow he wili trudge
back to his flock. And next Friday he will
come again. And in Holy Week he leaves
all other things and is a Penitente pure
and simple; sleeping on the bare floor of
the Morada and verifying his devotion by
whatever tort nr. approves itself to his
mind sa most heroic.
These services of late years are carried
on at night, until the last two davs. The
belated traveler among the New Mexican
ranges is like to hear, then, the most
hideous sound that ever despoiled the
night—the unearthly screech of the plto, a
reed life with unparalleled carrying power,
and by caution may see the weird proces-
sional winding among the somber pines.
The Brothers of Light carrying Incompe-
tent lanterns and guiding among the icy
rocks of a New Mexican winter the bare-
foot devotees; the Penitent Brothers,
stripped to the waist, slowly and mechani-
cally beswatting their raw backs with the
frozen scourges, their white cotton panta-
loons stiff with the tricking blood, their
nake*d feet staining the frozen trail—and
ahead of all the pite.ro, torturing his life.
But on Holy Thursday and Good Friday
everything Is open and by broad dav, anil
within the confine* of civilization. Visitors
can look on—though I would not wholly
advise the "camera liend" to be visible, un-
less he is pre-pared to pay more than mar-
ket price for negatives. Since 18,SS there
has been a rather tangible prejudice among
the Penitentes against being photographed.
All through Holy Thursday there are
processions from the morada to the nearest
eampo santo (burying-ground) and back.
In these processions the lead is laken by
the pitero. After him come mo<st of the
women who live In the village, singing
lrymns under the leadership of the Chief
Brother. Last of all is the slow, stiff-step-
ping single file of the Penitentes proper;
their heads black-bagged, their backs and
teet bare. Some swing the heavy scourge
of palmllla first over one shoulder, then
over the other. It strikes about the small
of the back; and from a patch large and
raw as a beefsteak the blood dribbles to
their ankles. Some stagger under crosses
which only a very powerful man can lift
at all. Looking at their size one hardly
needs to be told that the greatest weighs
fuliy .00 pounds. Vet I have seen a si rain-
ing fanatic drag that cross upon his shoul-
ders from morado to eampo santo and
back (a third of a mile each way) twice in
a day. Small wonder that several times
he fell under the crushing toad. Others
Instead of whips or crosses, beai huge
burdens <>t buckhorn cactus, cinched upon
their naked backs with neavy ropes, so
that innumerable thorns explore their flesh.
Reasonably to measure this exaltation, you
may fancy yourself marching slowly,
methodically, solemlly. with 10,000 wasps
stinging you from neck to hips.
<)n Good Friday there the same morn-
ing processions with the same modes of
self-torture, added to which Is the an-
nual renewing of the "seal" of the order.
On this day the llermano Mayor, coming
to each member, cuts three generous
slices upon his bare back from right to
left, and then cross-hatches them with
three more from left to right. The im-
plement is a sharp flint like the prehis-
toric Indian sealping-knlfe.
Soon after noon a deep hole Is dug in
front of tin- morada, and the largest cross
Is laid beside it. Presently the Penitentes
and their helpers emerge from the build-
ing, leading one chosen by lot for the
highest honor that can befall one of his
order. His head is black-capped. Down
his aide a broad stream of blood leak
from the ghastly cut which profanely
symbolizes the wound of the Man of Naz-
areth. The victim is stretched upon the.
prostrate cross and lashed to it—for this
is as far aa the fanatics dare go, now.
A n w hempen rope Is wound about his
arms and legs and the wood, «uid is then
hauled taut with all the power of a mus-
cular "packer," with one toot braced on
the body of the crucified. A sheet is
wound around the purpling form to pre-
vent identiflcation, and the cross is lifted
to a perpendicular and p,anted in the
hole.
i no crucifixion I photographed at San
Mateo lasted thirty-one minutes by the
watch. In the llrst live minutes the vic-
tim's anus had turned dead black from
the constriction of the rope. He did not
groan nor move, but presently his muf-
fled h» ad drooped upon his breast, and
1 presumed he was dead.
The hush of death was In the air. The
chief brother and the assistants—all wear-
ing crowns of thorns from under wld :h
beads of blood stood out—were motionless
as carven images. The women stood mute
off at one side; and on the other were
ranged the breathless townspeople. I could
hear the blood pounding In my ears. All
nature seemed whist save where the obi
log mill shook the splashing water from
its locked wheel; and a fat, erect prairie
dog chattered petulantly. At the foot of
the cross a black-capped penitent lay bare-
backed upon a bed of cactus.
At last it was over and the cross was
lowered. The fainting wretch was un-
bound and dragged Into the morada, to be
brought to life again. Even since nailing
has gone out of fashion, it is by no means
rare for the crucified one to die; and of
course under the old regime the mortality
was much greater.
The procession reforms, with the singing
women, its cress-bearers and cactus-bear-
, ers and self-whippers and attendants; am*
its grisly marches between morada and
graveyard are kept up till sunset. In the
evening the tiniebla* or "dark" services
are held in a closed and unlighted room.
No one is admitted but the active mem-
bers; to the huddled watchers outside
comes nothing but groans and
midnight; then the door cieaks, and dark
forms slouch away through the night
toward their respective destinatiens. Th3
Brotherhood has balanced -its account with
God until another year.
These seem strange tidings of a. corner
of the United States; a Passion Fact be-
side which Oberammergau is a child's
doll play; a barbarity lit to ra-nlc with the
tortures of ?3a<t India fakirs—and a'l car-
ried on by voters of the foremost nation in
civilization.
Bu-t ohe anachronism is fast dying cut.
The thunders of the church, the pressuie
of a new public opinion are at work; and
the Penitentes grow fewer every year. A
little more, and the order which was once
invincible in the territory will have disap-
peared from off the face of the earth.
Even now, It draws more and more into
the fastnesses and the shadows, for sym-
pathy with it it, conflned to the few ig-
norant, outlying hamlets.
1111. I-AUOK HEHB ON XKWSI'APEHS.
He Sii.vh They ilo Xot Influence Opin-
ion, l»ut Simply Supply Phrases.
London Truth.
That "independent thinking is dying out,"
as» Lord Rosebery opines, is a somewhat
doubtful proposition, because independent
thinking has been the exception rather
than the rule from all time. In the Garden
of Eden Eve let the serpent think for her.
anil then used her Influence over Adam to
lorce on him what that serpent had im-
pnsseil on her mind. Men have always
been sheepishly inclined, and this charac-
teristic applies even more to their minds
than to their bodies. The aim of party pol-
itics just now is to crush out indepenuent
thought and to convert the many into the
pawns of the few. It Is the party machine
rather than the newspapers that strikes at
independent thought.
Lord Rosebery, however, ascribes this
decadence of independent thought to the
vast number of magazines and newspapers.
This might be correct if all these publica-
tions were themselves of the same way of
thinking. But they are not, and conse-
quently a man who takes his opinions
from them would have no opinion. 1 never
have believed in the influence of the press
on public opinion. What newspapers do is
to furnish each phrase of thought with
phrases wherewith to defend In conversa-
tion opinions already formed.
The London daily press is in the hands
of some dozen Individuals. Like majesty,
each newspaper assumes the grandiose
we" and postures as an oracle. But iho
fact that "we" is a vague and anonymous
entity is fatal to all influence. I should say
that a provincial newspaper, wnose pro-
prietor or editor is a known man in the
locality through which the newspaper cir-
culates, exercises far more influence over
public opinion In that locality than all the
London dailies combined. Provincial news-
papers are read in the localities they serve;
metropolitan dailies' articles are seldom
read, even In London, the purchasers of
London papers being fonder of news than
of articles.
What is a newspaper? It is a commer-
cial undertaking for making money by
means of advertisements. To obtain adver-
tisements circulation is needed, and circu-
lation it only secured by publishing the
news of the day. But the proprietor likes
to air his own views, for whet they are
worth. Those who agree with him regard
him as a wise man; those who disagree
with him, as an ass. But I never yet knew
any one whose own views were ever chang-
ed by an argumentative article, although
they may perhaps sometimes be by evi-
dence of fact. Whence, then, do Individu-
als derive their opinions, if they neither
think themselves nor allow others to think
for them? This is a difficult question
to answer. In politics, some seem to come
into the world with a bias one way or the
other, and this bias is confirmed, but only
in the rarest cases modified, by communi-
cation with their fellow men.
London Three Hundred Yearn Ago.
Gentleman's Magazine.
U is with difficulty that London life 300
years ago can be Imagined, and Ijondon
Itself has changed as much as the life of
her people In those days It was no exag-
geration to speak of "sll\er-footed Thame-
sis." The river was a place for bathing,
fishing, and boating. Hundreds of water-
men plied between the city and the south-
ern bank. Old St. Paul's dominated the
city and provided a recognized but unsuit-
able meeting place for business men ami
pleasure seekers; it was the customary
promenade for citizens, and co-urtlers, sol-
diers and poets, the fashionable and the
disreputable worlds. The citizen lived over
his shop with his family and apprentices.
The city was the center of an animated
and galyly colored life. In the afternoons
there were the performances at the thea-
ters on the bankslde, the Globe, the Hope,
the Rose, the Swan and Paris garden, all
of which were In the neighborhood of
SouEhwark, and might be reached either
by old London bridge or by taking one of
the crowd of small boats that were In at-
tendance. The traffic between the city
and the theaters was the mainstay of
many of these watermen, and when owing
to the prevalence of the plague, the play-
houses were closed, the loss of custom nat-
urally affected them severely. There is a
curious petition extant at Dulwlch college,
in which the "Servantes and plaiers" of
Ijord Strange beseech the privy council to
withdraw the restriction upon their thea-
ter and this is made one or their pleas;
"And for that the use of our ntaiehowse
on the Banckside, by reason of die passage
to and t'rome the same by water. Is a
greate rcleif to the poore Watermen
theare .and our dismission thence, nowe In
this long vacation, is to those poore men a
greate hindraunce, and in manner an un-
doeings. as they generallie complalne, bot'h
our and thelre humble petition a<nd suite
thearefore to your goode honnors is that
you w ilbe pleased, o-f your speclall favour,
to recall this our rest rain te. and permfctt
us to use of the saide Plaiehowse again."
Put llud llt-ea Sliuiiheriug.
Harper's Magazine.
It was a very small western town, and
the only train out of it that night left
at - o'clock. The traveling man had im-
pressed U|K>n the night porter of the hotel
the iinportatvce of calling him In time for
his train. Promptly at L.'iO a prodigious
knock rouses! the sleeper.
"Say! be yer the man what wants the
2 o'clock thrain?"
"Yes," was the sleepy reply from within.
"Well, yez can shtape an hour longer,
fer she's so much late."
The heavy feci shuffled off down the
hall, and silence ensued. Another hour
had passed, when Pat again knocked.
"Say! be yez the felly what >« d he
wanted tc> ketch the 2 o clock thrain?"
"Yes!" and there was a sound of the
■man hastily springing from his bed.
"Well," drawled Pal, "yez can go back
to bed again, fer she's another hour wte.
A forcible remark or two proceeded from
the traveling man's room, and were audi-
ble to his awakened neighbors, as wa«
the departure of Pat; but toon all
quiet again, and t'he few occupants of th*
hotel were left for some time to undis-
turbed repose. Just as the lirst faint
streaks of dawn were tinging the sky,
Pat once more made his presence known,
and, in tones giving unmistakable evidence
of recent and heavy slumber, remarked;
"Say! if yez was the felly what wanted
to ketch the 2 o'clock train, yez can
shlape till mornin', fer, bedad, the blame
thing's gone!"
A TurkUh Library.
Longman's Magazine.
We found a charming old Turkish libra*
rian, speaking no language but his own,
but proud of and devoted to the books un*
undei his care. He had six or eight InteHU
gent assistant,*. We were soon) seated at ai
table, carefully prepared and very full
catalogue before us, and our friend, Sadlk
Bey, at band as interpreter, it was touch-
ing to see the genuine anxiety of the old
librarian to flnd any book my husband
wished to see, and he was ably seconded
by his assistants. They first brought us
some exquisite Persian manuscripts, beau-
tifully illuminated and bound; and when
we made them understand that my hus-
band would like to see any books in the
library from India, they eagerly produced
ail they had, but they proved to be chiefly
modern works on music. After they ha»l
brought us some line manuscripts of the
Koran with glosses and commentaries,
they asked us to walk about and examine
the general contents ol the building.
The book cases were of the best construc-
tion, with movable shelves, and at one*
end we found a very good collection oC
English, French and German classics. The
center of the room was occupied by glass
cases filled with gorgeously bound, Illus-
trated works, chiefly gifts to the sultan.
While my husband, with the aid of SadiH
Bey. was talking to the old librarian, th«
assistants showe»d my son and me soma
fine photographs of ulaees In the sultan'j
domain, and of public buildings in Stain*
boul.
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The Galveston Daily News. (Galveston, Tex.), Vol. 55, No. 126, Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 28, 1896, newspaper, July 28, 1896; Galveston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth465695/m1/4/?q=music: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.