The sun., 1896-08-23
THE COWBOYS REUNION.
HoNDERFUL HoRsBMAEBHI
AT \ UNIQUE GATHERING.

| From the mountains and the iowlands. across
| the plains from every ranch within $50 miles,
the COW boys OF Texas swept into the little Oor-
| der town OF Seymour last month. Mon who
hadn't seen store q stone building In months.
boys who had never felt tho influence of clvili-
zation. save the kind found on an isolated Texas
ranch. others who had shone in earlier years in
the East but had wed the wild life of the plains.
and found they liked 1t better: all sorts and
conditions OF men, healthy, picturesque. and
skilful In their own peculiar employments, were
among those who descended on Seymour.
They came to aid in the celebration OF an
event tho like of which has never been seen In
this or any other country. The frat reunion OF
Texas cowboys was the:reason for the gathering.
It was q marvellous gathering Of fearless men.
who for the Amusem ent of their fellows and the
crowds that hocked to Seymour TO enjoy tho
novelty OF 4 cowboy reunion. took their lives In
their hands and participated In the contests
which had been arranged. The most vicious
horses that all Texas could produce were ridden
bareback by spurless riders. the Widest steers
in the State were turned loose to be roped and
brought to earth by men and boys who are as ac-
curate with their lnriats as q marksman with
his rife, and other sports equally dangerous
were INDUCED In. The reunion n glorious
succoss from start to finish. and strangers who
witnessed 1t saw things they will never SEQ
again. unless some time in the years to come
there is another cowboys reunion.
Seymour. tho town where this remarkable
gathering was hold. Is at the terminus Of tho
Wichita Valley Railroad. q spur q fty-one miles
long from the Fort Worth and Denver road. 1t
10 the nearest railroad town to all the great
stock raising country on the head waters of the
Brazos, and Is reached only after q trip which
is declared by those who havo taken 1t to be
1.-THE roliest, jerkiest Journey" in the country.
Thus 10 Seymour described by q correspondent
Of the Galveston Ddly N.ps who went there to
attend the reunion:
Seymour. like other towns in the West.
once enjoyed big boom which provided IL with
buildings that would be an ornament to many
towns ten times its size. A hugo three-s,ory
stone building with about so feet front stands
with sashless windows and doorless doors q
grim skeleton-like monument over the grave of
somebody's investment Not far from It is O
two-storv stone opera house with rooms for
business houses on the ground floor. II has
never had an occupant except dirt daubers and
bats. But as tho man who is intoxicated feels
sad and repentant the next day and begins
TO feel bettsr on the third day, Seymour has
reached her third day after her intoxication.
or perhaps her fourth: any way, she 10 feeling
all right again. as is demonstrated by her people
being willing to subscribe upward of s., 900 to
entertain the cowboys. When the project Was
started $500 was subscribed in half an hour"
Wednesday. July 20. the first day of the re-
union. found 1900 strangers In Seymour, NOR.
than half of whom were COW boys. They were
still coming in TOO. on horseback and in covered
wagons. Some OF them had been travelling for
days TO get into town on time and each batch
that fioated in was cheered by townspeople and
visitors. Alex. Benge, the best cook on tho
plains. who had charge Of the barbecue pits,
threw up his hands when he saw the way the
boys were responding to the call. Joe Dickson
and Judge GLASGOW came to the rescue. how
ever, and helped him out of his difficulty A
dozen more beasts were Slaughtered. new pits
were dug. and enough meat was ed to keep
all Of the campers supplied. All the wells and
springs In town. pub bile and private. were placed
at the disposal of the visitors. too, both for
themselves and their stock. and on Wednesday
night the reunion had been well started
Seymour rang with cowboy yells and shouts
The broncos and mustangs could be heard
nelghing all over the town. Their masters
watched the fireworks in wonder. while the
horses threw back their ears and trem bled
with fear. Everybody was good natured. AND
nobody got drunk enough to forget that the
new Texas Cowboys, Association, formed that
very morn!ng. depended very much on hia own
AZ Het:Sns ion That nigh. viii never be
t the grass in their blankets on tho outskirts OF
Seymour. Practical .okrs ot every kind were
played on those who tried To sleep: tents fell
around the ears of their occupants. horses Sc
curely pegged got loose in mysterious fashion. /
out for them by nature TO sneak around aud
under some batch OF sleepers protected only by
their blankets. Good nature prevailed every
where. though, and not an arrest was made in
Seymour that night.
Thursday morning opened tho contests. and
all Seymour, natives and visi,ors. went out TO
the depression west OF the "dogy" stock pens
TO see them. Dosy," means the cattle of East !
! IeNas IN cowboy pArlHnce. and in these pens tho
driven in to Seymour. For two weeks before
the reunion everybody, who could hit a nail
with hammer. manipulate a saw. or tit a strip !
OF board turned m to build grand stand. and !
packed to il. utmost Capacity on eTPe ThersSns mas
morning. The box cars long the sld!ngs and !
the fences OF the neiehborlng stock pens were |
crustcd with enthusiastic men and boys. The |
horseback crowd and the prairie schoone-s were |
ranged around the ground In circle half mile !
aides tlitted up and down. pushing the people /
back here and there. and seeing that the ronGh |
for the fret contest was to be between the most
skllful riders on the Texas piains-"bronk |
tackles bronco he either breaks him or gets |
broken himself. and II WAS well understood that |
the toughest animals IN the Southwest had been
procured for these contests.
From the crest Of the hill a half a mile back
OF the grand stand. the seems WAS one which
Sould only be presented in Texas border town.
The circle made up OF the canvas-topped wagons
ana the horsemen. the interior a mas. OF rough |
riders dashing up and down. whoo9ing and !
bowling a. they loosened up their legs for The
bronx Oust Ing which WIS to follow. They were
the best horsemca IN tho state. and they were
out TO do one another up In the contests or die
The Old chtt!cmen grnned Gs they watched the
Younger ones fooling around. and wondered. as
tney looked at the kicking and bucking nags in /
the pen: Just how many Of the boys were going ,
to be laid up before the day was over.
a pistol shot rang out in the air and out swept
Marshal Dickson and his aides
Clear the ring, Clear the ring" they shout.
ed and the riders left the enclosure with whoops ,
and yels.
Then the marshal announced that the first
contest would be in rough riding. The prize WAS
a suit OF clothes, and the cond itons were that |
the horses should be ridden with a slick saddle,
which means hat the saddle must be free from ,
the roll usually tied across the horse. that the /
stirrups must not he tied under the horse. and
that the rider must not wear spurs.
Those In charge made no secret of the fact
that all the horses they had were outlaws
horses which 1t had been impossible to break,
and the conditions made it dangerou, riding.
Many of the boys shook their heads. but VIII |
Con. a slim young cow puncher from Throck-
morton county, jumped out and said ned ride |
any hing they brought into the ring. A quiet !
looking bay pony was cautiously led out By Jack |