Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-10-06
THE FAIR A GRAND SUCCESS.


and the unanimous verdict WAS tina
the Colorado-New Mexico fair wa
great. Notwithstanding the rain cause,
postponement of the program OF on.
day. The program Saturday Afternoon
was without doubt the best that tn,
association has ever put up. After i
was once started there was no wait
ing. There was something doing al
the time.
The chicken pulling race. in which
/ all the contestants were Ute Indians
the Indian bucking contest and the
squaw race were attractive features
In the busking contest the first rider
up was thrown the second jump his
horse took. The animal began to lunge
before the rider had fairly mounted
and showed that he was "A hard horse
to ride. The rider narrowly missed
being trampled upon. The horse buck
ed after throwing the rider until he
had gone half way around the track
He was rounded up and roped and
brought back after quite a chase and
preparations were made for another
rider to try his luck with the bad
another horse was being ridden BY
the time he had been chased. rounded
up and roped again he was so tired
there was not much buck left in him.
Everybody wanted to see the horse
ridden, but when at last he was
mounted again his bucking was very
tame. There was, however, some good
riding. the cayuses bucking fast ana
furious and the Indians riding lik.
good boys.
The squaw race was an interesting
feature. but naccident happened, as
is always the case in squaw races. A
squaw fell off and broke her shoulder
blade when her horse had gone but
one-eighth of a mile. The horse at.
tempted to turn out to go TO the stalls
Late that night the squaw was remov-
ed to the HOSPITAL and the broken bone
set. Another squaw fell off after her
horse had gone under the wire. Usual
ly two or three of them fall OFF after
the race has been rum when the horses
make such quick stops. Strange as il
seems. squaws cannot ride well. They
are raised on horses, vet there is
never squaw race but some of them
fall off
The five mile relay race was per-
haps the most interesting of all the
races. The entries were two strings
owned by white men and one string
owned by a Ute The Ute had mighty
good string for an Indian. and he won
second money. Considering that he
had the hardest man in this country
to run against-a man who wins relay
races wherever he runs-the Ute did
well 1t was the Arlington string that
took first money.
There was also a two and a half
mile relay race exclusive for Indians
which was worth seeing
Apretty race and a close one was
the three eighths. Mack winning first,
Mable second and Indian Joe third.
There was matched race between
Gratis and Pleasantly. which was won
by Gratis
There were three entries in the rop-
ing contest. Bud Mamblen taking
first money and Reed second This
feature was not appreciated by all the
great audience, as remarks were heard
on all sides about pulling the cattle
around by their legs and rough hand
ling.
The exhibit from Montezuma coun-
ty was up to the standard this year,
and was such as to impress visitors
who were unacquainted with that sec
ton that Montezuma was all that was
claimed for il. On a card conspicu-
ously placed was the information that
Montezuma county had 100000 acres
OF irrigable land, 5000 acres under
cultivation, 1876 miles of canals, $500
population and 1000 school popula-
ton
AThe exhibit contained novelty in
the way of native products There
were native tomatoes. native tobacco,
native potatoes and native gourds
, All these products were growing in the
country when the first white settlers
went there. The potatoes were about
as large as medium sized plums. The
tobacco was about three feet high,
and the article is used by the Indians
largely This suggests that Montezuma
county WOulu Dt dudDteu lot tue TdlS-
ing of tobacco, The gourds grow plen-
tifully around the cliff dwellings 1t
is more than likely that the ancient
cliff dwellers raised potatoes and to
matoes for articles of diet. and the fact
that they used the gourds has long
been established.
The display was in charge of C. H.
Taylor, who cheerfully talked about
the resources OF his county to all who
made Inquiries.
Articles worthy of special mention
in the collection We're: Apples weigh
Boy ounces; corn 10 feet high: alfal-
ia feet and inches high; alfalfa
of the second cutting, feet and
inch high, wheat feet and inches
high, that weighs SO pounds to the
bushel; spring barley 5 feet high. oats
6 feet high; timothy feet high;
Russian sunfiowers IA feet high meas
uring IA inches across the flower.
Following is list of contributors
and the articles they furnished: