The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-09-23
STORY OF THE EVENT OF THE
COUNTY FAIR.
TALE FROM OLD MISSOURI
Visitor Returns After Journey to His
T Native State and Talks Freely
Y ~ Of What He Saw
IL There

sstrolled over into a corner in the office
of the Butte hotel to listen to the story
3f the man who wore a Scotch cap and
Whitfield surreptitiously on stick as
he proceeded with his tale.
II suppose you fellows who were born
away down east and have spent much
sOf your lives out here among the noun
stains never saw genuine old Mis-
souri, mule race" began the speaker.
'Well. 1 had sort Of forgotten about how
one was pulled off myself when I went
back to the old state few weeks ago
and took in the county fair in the dis
trict where used to live. You will un-
derstand, of course, that the county fair
back in that country Is the social event
of the year as we'll as the occasion of
bringing out the fat cattle and the big
pumpkins had been gone over 20
years and found many people whom
didn't know-boys and girls who had
grown up since pulled out for the west.
However, the old-timers all recalled me,
especially as l happened to meet them
at the county fair. The boys had
Joke on me which grew out of the fair
and 20 years and some gray hairs on
my head were not enough to make them
forget the story nor me. Just before
I left the old state the fair trustees de-
cided to have an art exhibit at the fair.
OF course there was premium for the
best picture and all that sort of thing,
but when 1t came to awarding the blue
ribbon it was found that the art critics
among the members Of the fair associa-
ton were not numerous. Finally Rube
Hawkins, Bill Foster and myself were
selected as committee to judge of the
pictures.
THE committee looked over every
thing in the gallery and Rube inclined
to tie the blue string on picture that
belonged to 81 Perkins girl. He thought
the premium ought to go to some of the
home folks. Bill and I lowed that the
picture of a barley field hanging over in
the corner showed the most evidences
of artistics finish. Being majority OF
the committee we carried the day and
the waveing grain won out. l don't ike
to tell the rest Of it. but when 1T was
too late to make any change we found
that the barley paintin' was simply
cromo that was used by brewery for
an advertisement. You may be SUE
RUDE lost no time in tellin' what TOOLS
we had made of ourselves nd our neigh
bors pretty nigh joshed the HE out OF
Bill and me. Last summer when | Went
hack some of the old timers had not
forgotten about the art exhibit and We're
identifying me as one of the men
who had approved Of the brewery pic
ture.
.All this does not seem to have much
to do with the mule race but l thought
. would just give the story away as an
incident CONNECTED with the fair. Now
for the race. Thursday always was the
big day of the week back at the old
fair and this year was no exception.
Among the things advertised to come OF
Thursday was the mule race. NO mule
was barred-color. size nor age cut no
figure. There is always heap OF run
at the mule race and SO 1t Is left until
late in the day SO that people will be
sure and stay all day at the fair and
buyaa little more popcorn and red lem
onade.
There was ladies ridin' and baby
show Thursday so the people had pref
ty good time nth along bout O'Clock
in the afternoon, the time set for the
-test of speed. When the hour arrived
the marshal with red sash looping over
his left shoulder and tied in long bow
under his right arm, rode down III 'front.'
of the grand StanO anu dHhouHCeu eHoe
all those who had mules they wanted
to nut in the race must unhitch them
from their wagons and bring them into
ss3he ring within 10 minutes. A dozen
sboys and men hustled off to get the long
cared animals which were to start from
tile scratch line in front of the grand
stand. In few minutes the sprinters
began to line up. There were all kinds
of saddles on their backs and all kinds
of bits N their mouths. Some of them
were high and long, while others were
short and fat The jockeys were not
weighed before they came out to their
mounts. Difference in size in the rid
ers cut no figure. One 16-hand mousse
colored mule was ridden by man weigh
ing 200 pounds. Another lanky animal
had fellow on his back who looked as
though he was built after the pattern of
the beast under him. The riders carried
avery sort Of a coaxer Some had black
snake whips, some pieces of wood that
looked as if they had been stolen from
a picket fence. One boy who role
small buckskin mule wore one Of them
caps with a long visor and carried a
short whip. He was the thoroughbred
of the bunch.
Finally the animals were wheeled into
a line, u in all, in front of the grand