The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-28
HAPPENINGS BEFORE THE CITY
WAS A PEERLESS PRINCESS.

EABPENlNAS BEEOhE III r Gil
WAS A PEERLESS PRINCESS.
The little things which happen in the
growth and development Of a western
town from the time the plat is filed, up
to the time II becomes a railroad cen
ter and a commercial point Of import
ance, which it always does-if only in the
dreams of the founders-become of in
terest as the years roll around. An old
citizen, and yet a man possessed OF much
of the vigor Of youth, at least in his mind
if not in his legs, perhaps compound
er OF drugs, and then perhaps he is not
fell 10 talking the other day about the
history of the affairs of this county, of
the carnivals-the out and cutters, as they
were called in those days-and of the
theatrical companies as they were wont
to organize and as this man, gifted with
q remarkable memory and with a re-
markable faculty for supplying interest
ing facts, If his memory should be at
fault or rusty, started off and Wss lis
tened to. He said that the first county
fair was he'll in the north end of town
on the plat Of ground known afterwards
as Carey's park That the association
was not able TO fence it the first year.
but simply stretched a rope around II and
employed a lot of guards to walk around
the outside 20 keep the boys from iukeing
under. Everybody in the county came to
that fai-. and the finest line of products
that the virgin soil ever produced were
shown up and were the center Of attrac-
ton and admiration. Another attraction
was a post in the ground about ten feet
high with an arm extending some six or
seven feet 10 which hung pendant. the
orator SAID, a ring about two inches
across. and the sport with this was that
the country boy and Texan We're 10 ride
under it on a dead run and if he could
stick spear through the ring. the afore-
Faid speer being a small fishing pole VIII,
portion Of the small end cut of, he was
entitled 70 so much cash.
The orator said. mind You, that prom:-
nent citizen Of the town more prominent
now than then, and who might be a
governor or a judge. or who might not
he, and who would not nave 10 be either
TO be prominent. looked with disgust upon
the many failures u run the saear
through the rims. and whose disgust
finally became audible BY the remark that
that was' dead easy. and was told by
Texan In a somewhat forc.ble way thar
he.the Texan.would lend his him broncho.
and for every time he put the speer
through the ring he would give him 500.
and Tor every time he. the prominent but
disguised citizen missed il he was 70 give
the Texan one dollar. and thar be could
take the Job by the day. or month and
work at IL every fifteen minutes If he de-
sired The aforesaid prominent ci.izen
having as matter Of fact more .rroms-
nence than wealth. and thinking tia, ~
had soft taing. jumped upon the
broncho and started az the ring with a
rush and missed il ny about ten fee
and after making five Wild dives AT ire
ring and promptly putting up i've
plunks- he threw up the JOB with the re-
mark that IL was kind Of dece.vins. The
Texan then offered 10 bet him the hror-
cho against dollar that ne could not
throw the speer through hoEshead hoop.
Mr.. Citizen thought that he had p-e-.v
near enough n il. but as he had taken
a fancy 10 the broncho ard the crowd
set mp cheer. he offered To take the be-
q the ring or hoop was lowered sbou.
two feet. The Texan said it did not