St. Paul daily globe., 1889-06-25
SPOKANE'S LUCKY OWNER.
Couldn't Scare Noah Armstrong on
Derby Day.
$4,000 ASKED FOR THE MAJ
How the Old Man Watched His Mon
tana Horse Beat Proctor
Knott.

doubled up in one corner of the book
makers stand, complacently chewing
an immense cud of tobacco, says the
Chicago Herald. He looked like a
farmer, who ought to know more about
plow horses than anything else. His
ruddy, kindly face, his iron gray
whiskers, his slouch hat, and his care
less attire, all proclaimed the farmer. A
mighty shout went up, roar of voices
and a clapping of hands that sounded
like sudden discharge of artillery.
''They're off, they're off," came
from thousands of throats. Samuel
Word, DR.. S. NJ. Kennison, L. M. Platt,
all veteran sports. leaped to their feet.
''Proctor Knott's aheadw "Hey?' said
old man Armstrong. "Proctor Knott is
way ahead" The owner of Spokane
aimed a vOlley of tobacco juice at dis
tant nail head and hit it. He did not
rise from his seat behind the fence,
where he could see nothing. All was
silent for few seconds, which seemed
like an age. Then again rose
great uproar, ''Proctor Knott,
Proctor Knott" Armstrong removed
his cud of tobacco, deposited
it carefully in the corner. under his
seat, and rose slowly. The horses were
half way around, and Spokane was way
behind the lead. 81 knew il" said Arm
strong. "Yes, "said Samuel Word, "he's
beat, and it's too bad" BEAT nothin'." ;"
replied the old man, calmy. "He's too
d lazy to run. Wait till the jockey
licks him a little" Sure enough, as
they came in on the home stretch, a few
smart cuts of the whip sent the Montana
colt under the wire first. Proctor Knott
had literally tired out and given up:
He had set too hot a pace for himself
other chew Of tobacco. Shortly after a
young man came running into the book
makers quarters, carrying roll OF bills
nearly as big as ex-President Cleve-
lands neck. Spokane's owner took
them without counting and rammed
them carelessly into his trousers
pockets. Pm in about $4,000 on this
thing" he remarked. 1.-THE old man
don't do this for money" explained
his friend Word, also Of Montana.
Hes got his mine an things
up there, We know. He does it be-
cause he likes to.'' "That hOss Proctor
Knott" interrupted the old man. ''is a
great hoss. He ken outrun any hoss in
America except Spokane. The trouble
with him is he's weak. He's been phis-
licked and doctored, and hasn't had
time to get strong. Spokane is the
LATEST devil [ ever saw. You see l
know him. He ken run half mile as
easy as he ken mile and half. Only,
of course, if you was goin' to run him
half a mile you'd have to begin rushin'
him right on the start" A reporter for
The Herald ventured to suggest that
Spokane possessed the running quail
ties of Kentucky thoroughbred and
the wind of Western mustang. ''ken-
kane is Montana horse. The hull city
of Helena will be drunk to-night.l
There'll be rejoicin' there. tell ye."I
''Say," said Sam Ward, "Pll give you
$4,000 for that hoss. Pll draw up
check tonight, payable in the morning."
"Sam," replied the old man, ''Pd rutherl
see you own him than anybody else.
You can have him for $50, 900, not cent
less. Speakin' of Spokane's nativity,
continued he, turning to the Herald
representative, ''here's a little thing l,
cut from the Nashville American. Don't
lose it: l always carry it in my pocket -
The clipping read thus: ssse'
Speaking about Spokane reminds me-:
We TennesseeanS do not, as rule, pro-
nOunce the horses name correctly.
There is no use in distorting the name
of the Montana colt because he beat our
Proctor Knott. Now, most Tennessee
ans drawl out Spokane's meme very
much after the style of ''poor white
folks" and the Gossiper cannot
help having an antipathy for
these unfortunate poor people. You
have heard them say Spokane. and
suspect you have said it yourself. The
name of the great Montana colt is pro
nounced as if it were spelled S-p-o-k-a-n.
He is named after tribe of Indians in
Washington territory, now almost ex-
tinct, after whom was named Spokane
river, at the cascades of which is situ-
ated the thriving metropolis of the val
ley of the Columbia. Spokane Falls.
Now to deIve into history and ro-
nance. On the banks of the Spokane
river. few miles above Spokane Falls,
is what is known as Wright's b0ne-yard.
1t was there that Col. Wright, some
forty years ago, concluded the campaign
against the Spokanes, the CalispelS, the
CRur d'Alenes and the San Poulle In
dians, and taught the red men in the
great Columbia basin that the Caucasian
race would rule. There the colonel
fought battle and captured many thou
sand head of beautiful, sleek bunch
grass horses. that the Indians had
driven with them in their retreat from
the lower country. When the red men
saw they we're whipped each mounted
feet horse and fled, calling back to Col.
Wright that he could have their other
horses, that the white men were horse
thieves. anyway, rather than soldiers.
C1l srhf ,nhf h0n for fbr
next day he surrounded and shot every
horse the Indians had left.
There is a tradition among the SpOkanes
to the effect that in the evening, when
the plain was covered with the dead
bodies of their beautiful horses, lying
with keen limbs and shapely necks ex-
tended on the ground, the Great Spirit
spoke to wounded warrior who was
overlooked by the white men as he lay
among the heaps of slain, ana told him
that all was not lost, but that the spirits
of the free horses of the bunch-g grass
hills had blended themselves into one,
andl at :the time he was speaking this
spirit horse was snOrting and kicking,
neighing and holding his head aloft
among the cloud-capped mountain
peaks. "One day. said the speaker,
1.-THE spirit horse will return with the
speed, the endurance and the pluck of
all the horses dead ON the battlefield
He will enter into the body of colt
and that colt will be called Spokane,s
and will go forth to conquer all the
horses of the earth" The prophecy isE
fulfilled. /
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