Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-22
COWBOY FUN AT PRYOR CREEK.
Exhibitions Not for Money. hut fol
the Amusement of One Another.
From the Dallas News.

Exhibitions Not for Money. hut for
the Amusement of One Another.
From the Dallas News.
A few years ago Pryor Creek, Cherokee
nation was made known to fame through
the medium Of one OF the most daring train
robberies ever committed in the Indian ter
ritery. and a little later another Missouri,
Kansas and Texas train was held up at
the same place. and Pryor Creek was fixed
in the minds OF great many people as a
very bad place, where bad men and des-
perate had their abiding place-but that
has been nearly a decade ago, and today
Pryor Creek Is adding unto itself q different
fame.
Located in one of the finest sections of
the cattle country Of the Indian territory,
1t is the natural home Of the catt1eman and
cowboy, and for three years past the
cowboys Of the Indian territory have held
their annual reunion and picnic at that
place, and every year they have had an
attractive entertainment that cannot be
surpassed in the southwest.
The typical cowboy Of a few years ago
only exists now in New Mexico, western
Texas and the Indian territory. and the
cowboy of a quarter of century ago is
reunions in Texas and the Indian territory
bring together a great many of the old
types of the western cowboy, with hts
tricks at riding, his daring, his roping and
bronco busting. Such types are to be seen
at the Pryor Greek reunion annually. The
cowboy may stay in retirement for year,
but on this occasion, when he has chance
to join his comrades of the plains, his old
associates with the pony, the rope and the
campfire and the display Of his tricks. he
will brush up and, booted and spurred,
will attend
At Pryor Creek the gentleman who con-
ducts the principal hotel will tell you that
it is eight miles east of town to Grand
river. and that In that direction there are
great many farms and a number of
homes; that east Of Grand river there are
many big ranches, but to the west '.you
may travel to CIaremore, eighteen miles
distant on the Frisco road, and you will
see but four houses All to the westward
is the domain of the cattleman To the
south and to the north are big ranches
and here thousands of cattle are grown
fed and fattened on the sweet grasses of
the Cherokee prairies every year, and here
the cowboy lives Here you will find him
as ne was quarter Of century ago
usually TALL slender, brown. strong and
athletic, keen-eyed man Of muscle and
an iron constitution. who can throw a rope
with as much precision as he can shoot
with his six-shooter.
The opening festivities of the annual re-
union were set for yesterday, but on Thurs
day night the camp fires at Hogans Grove,
a mile west of Pryor Creek, indicated that
many Of the cowboys were on hand for
the fun. The crowds went in on trains, In
wagons on horseback and in buggfes from
The night before the town was fun of
people, and mats of grass, softened and
perfumed by the dew and night AR. were
beds of roses to those who sought or de-
sired rest, and to those who did not the
night was one long round of pleasure at
camp fires.
New as the southwest Is believed to be-
and strange as the east expects our GUS
toms to be, it Is rarely that such a sight
Is seen as was to be seen at Pryor Creek
yesterday and today. 1t Is show that
makes Buffalo Bill and his Wild West en-
tertainment pale into insignihcance. 1t is
of the plains, who ride, shoot and lasso
steers endure hariships unknown to civili-
zatfon and call 1t fun. A program has
been arranged for the two days, but no
program can contain all the cowboys en-
thusiasm. as he Is likely to have little
side show of his own The truth Is, the
cowboy had rather do his tricks for his
own and his comrades amusement than
for the pleasure OF a curious crowd. and
early yesterday morning the ponies We're
saddled and the days sport began, the
cowboys entertaining each other at tricks
Of their own for their own amusement
1t is no trick at all for cowboy to rush
his pony at full speed and pick leaf from
the ground as he rides. and the bucking
bronco is his idea OF one of the chief joys
OF heaven Some Of the widest untethereu
ponies Of the prairie were taken out early
In the morning for trial, and had Teddy
Roosevelt been present he would have
turned green with envy at some OF the
skilled horsemanship exhibited.
Bill Hair Is a cowboy to the manner born
He has been in the saddle In the Indian
territory alnost all his lifss and no man