The Lamar register., 1901-06-26
FOURTH0F JULY RIDING AT GALFNA

tOWly IHOlneI, 5iutirhiih. ai bucu
Dillon, "'tis matther av importince.
Wud ye have another shootin' Donny-
brook? an me a-bearin' av all the
divilment, same as twuz last year?
Wild the riputashun av the camp, too!
In the name av innisince, have ye no
heads for an emergency?
Dillon was clearly in earnest, and
when a man of his racial characteris-
tics Is in earnest things are likely to
happen, whether the scene Of action be
Spitzbegen or Timbuctoo. His indig-
nation at our stupidity-at the
mayors, the sheriff's. and mine-was
offensive; but we could offer no sug-
gestion that might stand for us as
combatant There were men in the
camp with official titles. and men
very prone to swift and accurate shoot
ing, but these collectively were as
naught before the breath Of Dillon.
Galena was like most other of North
western mining towns; II at all distin-
guishable from them, 1t was by n slight
accentuation OF that air OF bonhomie
which is more or less apparent on the
yisages of all communities of the
genus.
Dillon owned an( genially pre-
sided over one of the biggest and
brightest and most bemirrored of the
combination saloons and gambling re-
sorts.
The mayor, the sheriff. and l sat In
back room of the saloon, listening In
tently to Dillons harangue. After he
had given us every opportunity to sug-
gest ways and means for the day OF en-
tertainment, fruitlessly. he elucidated
to us his own idea of a program which
was voted on and adopted by unani-
nous and immediate consent. This
narrative deals solely with the first
number of the program. SO you Will be
compelled to surmise the others from
It,
I'VE wull begin" says Dillon, "in
the morning. wild what ye might dis
hignate a toorymint. This is the way
av 1t: We wull have rounded up
bunch av thin divils av bronchos. an
we wull also have rounded up bunch
av jolly bhoys; we wull beguile the
bhoys to the backs av the broncos. an
we Will give the best busther av thin
foine fat purse-which he wull spind
immejutely. This. ye may understand.
is legitimut. wild excoitement enough
to kape an the raw idge av their tim
per. This we wull-' but this is as
much as concerns us.
A goodly purse was collected against
the coming of the popular event. Dill
Ions "ante" (his own wordD was hun
dred, and a number OF others came
down handsomely. But In the interval
between the statement OF the idea ana
the day of fulflllment there arose the
necessity for some modification in the
plans. Dillon had relied on procuring
a number of bad and unbroken horses.
and on having the many volunteer
riders break them on time. or some
thing of that sort When the trial was
made, however, 1t was found impos-
sible to bring together the required
number of sure-enough bad horses;
that is, horses which could be depend
ed on to make excitement under any
circumstances: SO big list OF Snapped
and sombreroed competitors could not.
consequently. be accommodated.
The morning of the Fourth dawned
the foothills. such day as recon-
penses man for year lived in hut.
$50 miles from the nearest railroad
artery. and. as they say in Montana.
"only half mile from hell"
Directly after breakfast those ranch
people from the rival valleys. and
from all adjacent sections. who had not
been fortunate enough to get in the
night before, began to concentrate in
the camp.
Dillon drew me out to the veranda.
by me sowl, 'twull be beautiful" says
he. I'VE have a brace NV the beasts
as wud misharse the divil. an the
bhoys are foine an achin for the
sport. Yell see ut the day me son"
He was in merriest spirits himself. and
I should have enjoyed some Of the ef-
fervescence OF his rollicking blarney;
but his answering sense of duty to the
day compelled him to drink more fire.
quently that l had reason to believe
my experience and capacity would
permit. so 1 was forced to abjure his
society.
About 10 he got on a table somehow
and announced the riding. and invited
the contesting busters up to throw dice
for choice of horse. This called forth
uproarious yells of applause. One OF
the contestants. the North Valley rep
resentative. was not present, but his
mentor was. with full power to act
This latter. however. an old ranch fore
man. with badly bowed legs and a
crooked back called out renewed cheers
by remarking that he ''reckoned il
didn't make much difference about the
throwin', as Curlew war satisfied with
almost any hoss."
But the South Valley contingent de-
INJURED at this. and Dillon routed 1t rs
CO old loo aud the