The state herald., 1897-10-08
z4gXNz
(seymour, Texas, Letter.)

was no sign at the reunion OF Texas
Sowboys a few days ago.
= was q picnic on large scale-a
picturesque, fantastic spectacle. There
was wild, barbaric dash about 1t.
vividness and enthusiasm such as this
country never saw before. There was
nothing ever like 1t except the first re-
union last year, and that was only hait
as big as the present one.
More than 5000 visitors came to the
little prairie town where the Wichita
Valley railroad ends. 1t is the nearest
railroad town to the heart of the cat
tie country.
OF course there was not room 10
house SO many, but this made not the
slightest trouble. The visitors didn
expect to live In hotels. They campcd
along Seymour creek and the Brazos
river for four niles.
Many came of the railroad. more on
horseback. few hundred In wagons
and some on foot. And it was worth
every sacrifice that was made.
Texas has had prosperous year.
The rains came a. the right time. The
cattle are fat and bringing good price.
There has been plenty OF work for the
cowboys.
Men who have lived all their lives
in cities or ON small and peacefui
farms can have no idea OF what this
cowboy gathering was like. To begin
with, they may think that there was no
end of trouble. During the three days
celebration there were only two cases
OF disorder. One man was arrested ior
cutting rope to keep the crowd back
and another for carelessly breaking the
wheel OF a wagon.
The cowboys came In all the glory oil
their adornment. They arrayed them
sci, es in new sheepskin leggins or cor
durcy trousers. which are matters OF
no particular moment. They had their
brightest kerchiefs knotted around
their necks. and these are important.
They wore the finest of sombreros,
heavy with gold and silver trimmings.
Their saddles were truly magnificent.
and more than one wore silver spurs.
And never, perhaps. was SO many
gorgeous revolvers to be seen In one
place. A cowboy never calls the weap-
on d revolver. 1t is pistol. gun. or
q pop. The initial cost OF the revol-
yers-and they are the finest that
money can buy-doesn't compare with
the amount spant on their adornment.
They are inlaid with gold, and many
are studded with diamonds. The
cowboys pride In his pistol exceeds
that in anything else that he possesses.
There were little cowboys and big
cowboys; men with soft, apologotlc
voices and terrible records and others
with staggering gait and brawling
voice that are as dangerous as dom
keys.
The features OF the reunion were the
cowboy games and the "broncho bust
in" and steer roplrg contests. The
ablest cowboys on the panhandle took
part in these. and II was an exhibition
that was worth going hundreds OF
miles to see. There was grand stand
erected that seated $500 people, and
It was crowded. Seymour is proud
Of its enterprise In building that stand.
The meanest, strongest, most evil
inspired horses that live were selected
for the contests. Those who know
something OF this dangerous and excit-
ing sport from the Wild West show
can have only an approximate idea OF
what this contest was like. 1t took
place on the prairie and the foremost
men among the mos- wonderful horse
men OF the world had h part In II. They
were not giving an exhibition for the
benefit OF lot OF people who knew
nothing about It. They had to please
the mos, captlous OF critics who knew
every point Of the game. And the cow
bows arc not afraid to orltlciBc.
Emelirc Gardonhlne, last years
champion. n slender active man. frat
came forth. swinging his lariat MS n
small boy waves ilag. From the pen
rushed n bay horse with white spota on
his side. n powerful and wonderfully
swift animal. He went by Mt top
speed.
The iarlat curled gracefully through
the air and settled over the Wild horse.
Gardcnhine's mount stretched out his
feet and wnl,cd,for the shock. II came
with such force that tho horse was
jerkcd from under It's rider.
Gardcnhlnc led the fractions broneho
in from, OF the grand stand. iIc walked
along peacefully and mcclily. II
seemed that any ordinary rider could
manage him.
but when fnddlc was thrown over
him there was trouble. and no end ct
Il. II seemed tina, the broneho had
At least twenty-lhrec feet and that they
shot out forwards. backwards and side
ways. 30 that his legs looked like the
Hpokes In u rapidly moving carriage.
when he wasn't kicking no was dane
ing. Really that horse would have
made n striking success In bnlle,.
Aftcr time couple Of cowboys
HraHpod the horse by the ears and Em-
cline tried to get the rnddlc In position.
They made two acrca Of ground look
like n piowed field before they sue
rccdcd
Gardcnhlnc climbed Into tho saddle.
For fif,y yards the hroncho buckod.
white Emclne sent hla spurs home.
Then the horse had enough. II was
perfectly willing TO behave
when Harper Young ropod his bron.
rho tho animal looked ut him rcproach-
fully. Tho horse simply nrched hts
back when the rlr,bs were being drawn
tight. Tho cowboys take no chances
with their girths Just aH Young pu;