The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-10-10

Feat Performed Before Crowd At
- SumpteT Race Meet An
Exciting Time. "

| Baker City. Or-There was an ex-
| cufsion from this city to Sumpter
Wednesday under the auspices. of the
White Swan band. 1t was cloudy.
| rainy day, but large crowd took adj
| vantage of the cheap rates and braved
che storm. The occasion of the ex-
cursion was the hOrse-racing at the
Sampter Racing association park The
races were pulled Off according to the
program but they were uninteresting.
The real fun. if it can be dignifed
by such a term, was a rOugh-and-
tumble scrap with wild steer, which
was subsequently saddled and, ridden
| by a rough rider by the name Of
Hitchcock. The steer was driven in
to the track before the grandstand
and the announcement made that for
500 purse Hitchcock would ride
the animal around the track.
|: Some horsemen succeeded in roping
the steer and then the fun began.
The steer large, red animal. weigh
ing 1900 pounds, would charge the
horsemen, and they had to move live
ly~to get out Of the way. Fences were
as wisps OF straw to the Infatuated
animal At last the steer was thrown
and the rough rioer prepared to put
the saddle on. Both the front and
hind feet of the steer were tied, but
in the midst of the labor of fastening
the saddle on his back, as he lay on
r bn bn ST. n, hoy,
and got up. One Of the horsemen
still had rope on his horns. which
was the only thing that prevented the
steer from guring several people to
death. -.r.,-. -r 49, =.
AS it was, it was a miracle that sew
eral were not killed The> man and
horse only served as brake, but
tthey could not hold the, steer All
they could do was to prevent him
from moving too fast save when the
steer would turn and charge the horse
and riders and then it would be d
speedy race for a time. Twice the
steer charged a crowd of spectators
outside the fence. He went through
the fence each time and once on a
swing several people were caught by
charge on the crowd would have been
successful had not a policeman fired
| Two shots at the Infatuated beast ana
turned him aside. 1t is claimed that
neither shot took effect. but as the
shots were fred in the direction of the
Ir,fo> i Of toto w.
5 feet from the steer it seems incred-
ible that the officer missed the steer
and all the people in the grandstand,
too. ........ ....-..
About this time it occurred to the
officers OF the association that the
sport was becoming dangerous and
the announcement was made from the
Judges stand that the association
would not be responsible if any one
was hurt. -,.. ....
The steer was throw, once mOlY
and this time the rider succeeded in
fastening the saddle en- his back. By
this time the steer was pretty well
tired out and at a distance of a hun
bred yards from, the grandstand he
acted like An animal that had been
shot. through the body, but that could
not have been, because everybody dr~
clared that the policeman had missed
Dotl shots - .-,...
After considerable beating and
prodding ana twisting the end Of his
tail Off the steer got. UP and made off
across a stump patch directly away
fram the gTandstand. Fences went
down as. usual A small boy who
CHANGED to be in the steers path was
charged and knocked down, and It
was here that the rider did a really
heroic act He swung from his sad
die and caught the boy before the
steer could turn and gore him. The
boy was thrown to one side to a place
Of safety and the steer only gored the
boys cap, which he transfixed with
one Of his horns. -.... ..
On across the fields the steer ran
until out of sight, charging every hy-
ing thing in sight, until he was over
taken by the horsemen, roped and
thrown again, when the saddle was
removed and the poor thing released.
At no time did the steer seem to pay
any attention to the man on his back
or try to throw him off All he seem
ed bent on doing was to try and Kill
somebody or something.
1t was stated afterwards that the
steer did pay his respects to the
gentlemen who rode him by chasing
him up a tree after the saddle was re-
moved and standing guard at the foot
until he was chased away by men on
al