Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-12-01
SADDLE AND LARIAT.
Knight Errantry as Shown by q
Cowboy Tournament.

KNIGHT ErranCry as SHOWN Dy u
Cowboy Tournament.
Such a great tide of humanity had
never before ebbed and flowed through
the streets of the Texas city. The
ranges within radius of one hundred
miles from the center of attraction
had been almost depopulated, and dur
ing the forenoon of the day set for the
annual sports the people came stream
ing in, some in wagons and carriages,
some on foot, but the far greater num-
Der on horseback.
The annual cowboy tournament was
called for that day, and more than ordi-
nary interest was conferred on the
occasion from the fact that recognized
= champions from Arizona, New Mexico
and Texas would compete for the lib
eral purses offered, and for the honor
= of wearing the championship laurels
:. of the southwest. State pride was the
paramount feeling which animated the
breasts of all who had gathered to wit
ness the exhibitions of skill and dar-
ing. and the friends and admirers of
each fearless rider unhesitatingly
= staEed goodly sums of money on the
successful work of their favorite.
The drinking saloons of the town
were crowded to their utmost capacity,
and the many gam bling tables were
~thronged with those who sought to in
crease their store of wealth, but who,
in the ma jOrity of instances, left their
harcl-earned dollars in the keeping of
the nimble fingered artists who manip-
ulated the cards, dice, or gorgeously-
painted wheels of fortune.
The crowd upon the streets was such
an assemblage as only border city
r. can draw together. Wealthy cattle
owners brushed against the soiled
blankets of indolent Mexicans, dashing
~ COWBOYS walked arm in arm with gay
ly clad, bright-eyed senoritas, Mexican
-caballeros. in silver and gold-laced cos
tunes, wide sombreros and jinglin g
spurs dashed hither and thither on
their spirited horses amid the ever
moving procession of carriages which
bore the beauty, wealth and fashion OF
the Americana population, and stolid
Indians wrapped in their native woven
blankets walked slowly about and
gazed with stoical Indifference upon
the animated scene. To the eye of the
tourist from 1.-THE States" it was a
novel, bewildering spectacle, yet one
familiar to the inha bitants of the cattle
grazing county of the far west.
The tournament was called for two
o'clock, and long before that hour the
,capacious grand stand was packed with
an eager assemblage of men and WON
ZEN OF pale and dark skins, while the
grounds about the great Enclosure in
which the contest was to take place was
one moving mass of excited humanity.
In d close pen at one side of the large
arena dozen large horned steers, the
widest, fieetest, and most nervous
that could be culled from the herds
--on the various ranges, paved the earth
and beloved with rage at their con-
fnement.
Promptly at two o'clock the judges
and timeleepers galloped into the field
and took their places near the pen in
which the almost frantic steers We're
confined. They were all prominent
cattlemen, selected, with the approval
of the contestants, at a meeting of cat
tlemen the previous evening. Riding
to the center of the arena one of the
judges, who had risen from the cowboy
ranks to the proprietorship of great
herd of cattle. cried aloud:
Ladies' and Gents: / don't know No
mo- about maxim speech than a
IL
law an the prophets. but the job o. in
.troducin' this ropin' match has bin
sawed of onto me. an / won't make nc
sneak play outen n crar duty. One OF
my pardner jedges, Col. Thompson, the
-one on the pinto boss, has sarved two
farms in the state legislator O. Texas
an has made some torable fair speech.
es. an ort to "a bin run out to conduct
the jaw exercises on this occasion, but
the choice has fell on me, an amt the
man to beef on it. If I should make
any bad breaks in my photography,
geology, doxology or any o. them pub
lie speallin landmarks, 1 hope nobody
II make squeal, fur it might hurt my
feelings 1 am as techy as a funny
bone on my educational proclivities
As I've heerd the scholars speak in 6
piece at the schoolhouse down on the
Brazos:
You'd source expect one o. my age,
To speak in public on the stage,
An If / chance7o fall below,
The messy knees o. Sister Rowe,
Don't view with cricket's eye,
But pass my interjections by.
1.-THE most o. you are onto the rules
an regulations of ropin' match, but
see that lot o. tenderfoot friends hav.
honored us with their presence. an
faint crowdin' politeness a bit beyond
the limit to give them a pointer SOL
they kin keep cases on watts goin' on
Fur their enlightenment will explain