Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-01-25
! BADGER FIGHT IN TEXAS.

DR.. Porter gives an Interesting Narrative
! or Dog and Badger Fight, but Fails 70
Name the Delegate from Wisconsin who
Pulled the String to Loosen the Badger
/ Who Gould lie Have Been?
EDITOR CENSOR :-Leaving Houston
December 18th, we went first to Sugar
Land. where Colonel Cunningham has
$4,000 acres in a plantation, cultivates
$500 acres, employees, now, 1000 men,
480 OF whom are convicts, for whom he
pays the state $15 per month each dur
Ing the sugar seasoa OF four months
In four days he turns out million
pounds of refined sugar, besides large
amount of paper made from the cane
stalk.
The trees along the route from Hous-
ton to San Antonio are covered with
long grey moss and which our delegates
gather to carry home and throw over
their plants until summer, when they
will hang it on trees. Toward evening,
as We near the old historic Spanish
ground, we pass clusters of prickly
pears. Today we have passed through
a farming country and feen large fields
of cotton, multitude of poor horses
and few razor back hogs. There is q
headless windmill every few miles, and
evidently the farmers are headless, OF
might as we'll be, as they don't make
much use OF their brains. There is an
air of shiftlessness over Texas The
Record man with us telegraphed, "The
train ran through 200 miles of Texas
finest cattle ranges" But cattle and
horses everywhere, except 10 fatening
pens, were very poor. No feed Is saved
for them in winter. At noon we stop
ped at cattle pen to see lot of sacred
Hindoo cattle. At Victoria the citizens
spread tempting collation. on tables III
US. A dozen kegs of beer were provided
for the western and southern delegates
The mayor and banker welcomed us
Delegates Stout, OF Iowa, and Whitmore
Of Nebraska, responded. Mr.. Whitmore
in closing, told the story of an old maid
| who visited her cousin in Boston. The
first night she was taken to hear Bob
Ingersoil; next night, to hear Tgnatius
Donnelly; next, to hear Jenness Miller
Next morning she was found packing
her trunk for home. "Why are you go.
ing homer" she was asked. ''You toob
me first TO hear Ingersoll and lost ms
religion; next, to hear Donnelly and
lost my Shakespeare; next, to hear
Jenness Miller and lost my undercloth
ing. Now L think it is about time tc
quit"
AT Cuero we were welcomed, and then
we proceeded to San Antonio. Decem
Der 18th was spent in that fine old town
Some went to the military grounds
some to the old missions, and all visited
the Alamo, built in IT'S as a Catholic
mission. and in 1885 defended by nearly
q hundred Texans, including Davy
| Crockett and Colonel Bowie, every man
save one, choosing death rather thar
surrender to Santa Anna. The govern
ment cares for the alamo and the keeper
has an interesting story to tell. On the
wall hangs a poem, entitled 1.-THE Ala
no." the gift of Archbishop John Ire
land, of St. Paul:
High blazcned on the scroll of fame,
Forever stands Thermopyle;
And Bala Klava's hills of fame
Far echo England's bravery:
But where shall prOuder banners wave
| In nobler triumph DER its foes
Than where oppression found its grave
And Freedoms bright lone star arose?
At the great Mangu hotel, in the
evening, following the day spent in San
Antonio, large company was assembled
in the reception hall and speeches were
made by Texans and delegates. A trans
parency, posted in the hall, stated that
at $50, in the hotel stable badger
fight would take place. The great crowd
assembled in the stable around the box
which held the badger. Two stalwart
Texans held the bloodhound and sponged
his mouth with water and bathed him
with alcohol. A Wisconsin delegate and
member elect OF the Badger State legis
lature, suggested to the Texans the pro
priety of allowing delegate from Wis
consin to pull the rope that opened the
box and liberated the badger. To the
assemblyman from Packwaukee was del
egated this important task. A referee
was appointed and made to declare that
he had bet nothing on the field. A
chalk line was drawn on the floor, the
dog on one side and the badger box or
the other. The referee said: "You liber-
ate that dog before the badger crosses
that line and I'll declare the fight against
the dog" For fifteen minutes the par
Elephants were clamoring for fair show
for each animal. To the delegates il
seemed that fist fight was imminent
A rope was called for to enlarge the
ring, the managers declaring they could
never have fair fight in that small
space. Everyone wss determined tc
hold his position in the front row and
the crowd otstinately refused to fal
back; but Judge Pope, of Cleveland, tbs
sole delegate from Ohio, and one of the
most prominent and influential members
of congress, as we'll as a man of stalwart
physique, volunteered his services az
policeman, then crowded into the rine
and compelled the crowd to enlarge the
circle When all was in readiness The
referee, with barred head and hand up
lifted, asked the men who were holding
the dog if they were ready. They re
piled, in the most dramatic manner
I'VE are ready, sir. /"
Tie referee then sclemnly counted
zone, two, threer' The Badger stat,
legislator pulled the cord, which wa
supposed to liberate the badger, ane
out came an ANCIENT YELLOW ARTICLE
OF BEDROOM CRooKERY ! The crowC
roared. The Texans lifted the represen
tative of the Badger State to thei
shoulders and carried him to the recep
tion hall of the hotel, placed him on I
table and called Speech speechp Blu
the delegate was too full of indignation
for utterance. Recently Governor Hogs
was escorting party of Boston capital
lists over Texas ard millionaire railroad
man acte as liberator OF the pugnaciou!
little animal I am indebted to an hon
ored delegate from Nebraska for de
scription of the fight. Surprising th'
fight to be a wicked lnhuman piece O
work, left the hotel before it came Of
and perhaps was thus sold as badly al
those who attended. You, Mr.. Editor
have witnessed badger fight, and yor
know how intense the excitement ii
which attends one, @. V. PORTER.
Methodist Gleanfrgs.
The weekly prayer meeting will bt
led by Brother VIM. Dowell. Be in at
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