The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-06-18
By JOEL I. PRIEST.

.a.N'''A Hl w llt AAfltA'A-f
II LACKFOOT Ida. June lit was
! "a contest OF steer and muscle. the
steel Of the locomotive against
the muscle of the broncho. the cayuse,
The thoroughbred, and the muscle won.
Relayed as the pony express Of the
pioneer days was relayed, filing papers
were brought to the land office at
Backfoot minutes ahead Of the Short
Line special that left McCammon at
1870 this afternoon.
40 the stroke Of noon the Fort Hall
reservation ceased its official exist
cnce. TOcgtellu was the chief gather
ing point of the seekers after homes
and mines i'm the governments domain.
Hy ID o'clock long lines of horsemen
mad gathered at the edges Of Poca-
te.lo's townsite. Strong fellows, most
OF them, their faces tanned by expos
urc, their muscles hardened through
years of constant exercise. The lame.
the halt and the partially blind were
the-a TOO. one rider had but one leg
and he sat his horse as firmly as any
OF the others for he has been riding
The range these ten years. Another
wore a bandage that all but hid both
eyes "a third controlled his horse with
nus right hand. His left sleeve flap
pei empty IN the passing breeze.
Signal of the Opening.
As the minutes passed. the impa-
ueHoe which had manifested itself I'm
me beginning grew tense. Fifteen min
u'es, ten, five. Through the clear air
came a hoarse, choking whistle. the
whistle of the Short Line shops. It
was the signal and with whoops like
tle war challenge of a COmanche. the
me Whirled away in a cloud of aikali
aust From the knobs above, where
lAe people of PocateIIo had assembled
,' view the spectacle. came a cheer.
heard family by those below. The
orr Hall reservation was open.
And yet the story was Just begun. It
is % long ride and a hot one from
l''atello and McCammOn to Black
looO To YOU try if on horseback the
S.-'d beneath you weakens. the dust
uses ln swirling whirlwindS. If YOU
UaFeI 10y train every window must be
crossed for the evil Of the heat within
E preferable 20 the evil of the dust
without
me train ride today was interesting.
... Dc furnished "a panorama of a great
''0 nm Idaho's history Throughout
way men on staggering horses
-... seen, the relay riders who sought.
...~. of them vaiuly 10 beat their com
',lIs who journeyed by rail and yet
... choicest sections of agricultural
...' were taken up by those horse
,a.H riders. Many fell by the wayside.
.''.' learned at the end of a long. hot
journey that their efforts had been
..tae i0 vain. but the chief results JUS
..a ,1: faith of those who believed
Pocatello Man Won.
p Inc FIRST man who arrived here was
-'l Johnson Of POcatello. who COW
~. me twenty-five miles between
.,.a. N''ot and that city i'm d little more
''tn an hour.
-t.- Johnson was not the first to file
.'H'.N. but he was the first real runner
Wv |n prize. Lieutenant Governor
'.nas r. FerriU at one minute after
n clock. filed on 100 acres Of choice
..I.0'nf river land. He admits.
i-'-1' that his entry was not accord
- l' government regulations. and
-..'sl mas been instituted. OF all the
,...i's races of the day. none was
Te interesting than that between
r.gd r. Mum of PocateTo and
v LUX ID. Dekay of BlackfOot Mum
m ny some four seconds. because
,.N.aS horse weakened within 100
it,'Ns OF The land office. Both men got
,-I. ground they coveted. The most
rs..e.an'e piece of property I'm the reser- /
,,,"' known as the Buck Smith
c-.H' Was sought by four men. Tt
rr.-l.,|lStS of 800 acres. worth IS. 000 VIII
t-..Uilan and Claude CottreI raced for
III ma ana fifty miles from McCammon
fa.- -l'as Nioot Hillman had sixteen
80 I.l RELAYS. and COttreli had four
Chez Nottrell won by nose for his
.L.'iee of half the ground but found
E,al both halves had been filed upon.
claimants were George Gregory