News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-11-06
FUN IN A BORDER TOWN,
HOW 1T CELEBRATED ITS ANNIVER-
SARY.
The Sort of Festival Wichita Falls Hopes
will Awaken National Interest.
A letter from Wichita Falls, Texas,

A letter from Wichita Falls, Texas,
says:
which had no existence two years ago,
has Just completed its birthday celebra-
tiop. It is situated in the northwestern
part of Texas, near the Indian Territory
line. and is the northern terminus of the
Forth Worth and Denver Railway.
Wichita hes grown like weed because
it is the great trans shipment point IN
the Texas cattle trade More than
300, 600 head of cattle have been I'M
loaded here during the past season and
started northward on the drive. Stand
ing as it does on the very limit of civil
ization, and being thus able to draw
upon all the elements of life on the Dor
der. it will be seen that it had it In its
power to get up very unique celebra-
ton. This advantage it appears to have
improved to the utmost. Savage red
men and no less savage white men were
present in great numbers, and every
thing from the grand procession to the
Indian war dance passed off without
hitch of any kind.
The horse.raclng was unique but char
acteristic of the country Ordinary
mile-heat races are too slow for the from
tier. They take up too much time and
are not exciting enough. What is
wanted here is q homestretch british all
the way around. In order to provide
thoroughly acceptable amusement of
this kind the management arranged sew
eral races, the conditions of which were
that ten horses were to start and that
money was to be won at every quarter
post. Every one of them was a break
neck contest, which kept the crowd on
a mad run from one quarter post to an
other.
The performances of the cowboys
were quite as entertaining. They had
various contests of skill in the use of the
lariat, the rope, and the punch, and
later on engaged in sort of a cowboy
cake walk, which took the people by
storm. The prize for this performance
was to go to the cowboy who had the
finest saddle and horse, and made the
best appearance generally. The amount
of bear oil consumed in this town before
the parade was enormous. Every one
of the contestants had spent the entire
forenoon in polishing up his acquire
ments, washing his shirt or DOMINIC
new one, greasing his boots, and rubbing
down his pony. They were all freshly
shaver. and some of them had gay silk
neckties. Taken all together, they
made a very creditable display. All
uperbly mounted, and many of them
possessing saddles that an Emperor
might envy, they looked like the ideal
irontiersmen as they filed past the
Judges stand. This exhibition was pro-
nounced a success, and when the judges
announced that their decision would be
reserved for day or two, it was gener-
ally agreed that they would have very
a more difficult one to keep out of the
way of the indignant fellows who took
10 prize.
Three or four hundred Indians joined
in the grand street parade, but the chief
interest in them centered in the war
dance which they gave on the evening
of The last day of the celebration. They
had their camp just outside of the town,
and when darkness came everybody
wendell his way thither. There were
good many squaws with pappooses along,
but they got out of the way and left
clear field for the others. The savages
were daubed up to degree that made
them diabolical in appearance. They
had big fire burning and over this was
placed presently a kettle containing
plenty of water and two dogs. Near by
sat a big savage with bass drum,
which he sounded furiously while the
medicine man stirred the kettle. After
little the Indians formed a big circle
about the fire and began to yell and
dance. At first the noise was tolerable
but it became after a little positively
fiendish- When the participants be-
came thoroughly warmed up they threw
off most of their clothes and the drum
beat faster and the medicine man per-
formed many mysterious lamentations
over the fire. A good many of the spec
tators got enough early in the perform
ance and lett for town, but those who
stayed through saw remarkable finale.
Just as the Internal din was at its height
the drum burst, and with a wild yell the
savages closed in on the fire. The dance
ended with the consumption of the
dogs.
It is the intention Of the citizens here
to continue these celebrations yearly
with the idea that they will become of
national interest.