The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-09-02
GAVE ROuGH RIDER THE PILL
HOW THE SPEEDY LITTLE
HORSES SAVED LIFE OF
BANKERS SON.
The Story Told in Entertaining Way
by Roberts, the Horseman
From New York.

Park at Coney Island two New YORK
horsemen descended a few days age
upon the rural simplicity of Walla
Walla, where the average easterner
expects to find nothing but alkali
and sagebrush and to be scalped ev-
cry morning before lunch.
With them came-perhaps in
same car-three running horses,
skinny youth who rides, a bale of
hay, a feed or two of chop and "horse
stories" galore. And since their ar
rival things nave been doing down at
the track.
These newcomers are daZzlers.
Roberts & Mcclure of New York
and Washington" who won $4,000
on a long shot when Rough Rider
went a mile in 1889 at Saratoga. The
poor, unsophisticated westerner sits
with mouth open as they depict the
races they have won. They are the
real hot stuff right off the pan.
But if Roberts is to be believed the
$4,000 they won on Rough Rider
blew from them like the dust from
the country roads last Sunday. Then
they came down to the earth with
dull realization that there is really
nothing certain but death and tax
CO ierhf in OFF
with a serious thirst and not ko-
peck in sight, they met Luther
James apologies to Jessie James.)
Roberts proposed that they get up
play fashioned after the Country
Fair" and give horse race on the
stage that would make that old ia
vorite, THE Bankers Daughter" look
like thirty cents. James agreed. But
let Roberts tell it.
I'VE gets around a table, me, Nc
CURE and James. James he blows
for pitcher Of beer and some cheese
and bread The idea of the play was
mine. 1 had more ideas in a min
ute than Hoyt ever heard of. But we
had no more bullion than a niggel
swipe James was to be the angel
and back the performance. Patsy
Brannagan, the best known tout in
the world, was to have part in the
been run off all the tracks anyhow.
We were to call the play THE Bank
ers Son." guy who had lost his
pile and all he could dig from the old
man on the ponies at Sheepshead. 1t
was to be a thrilling melodrama. Nc
CURE also was to have a part. Well
we talked it over.
I'm the first act we was to be al
Jackson City, Virginia. Me and Nc
was to meet the bankers son and
tell MIN if he would forge the ole
mans name for $4,000 more we
would put in winner for him. He
did not know much about speed balls
but we gets into his noodle the right
1ued. ne IldheS the CueCh anu we
has boys out from Cairo to Kala
mazoo betting on Rough Rider, with
odds against him.
I'm the second act we finds our
selves at the Bennings track at
red clay like a pillow field and where
you pay one fifty to get in the gate
and a whole lot more to get out
Watch the fine stage work now.
The Pinkertons were spotting us be-
cause of all the money bet on Rough
Rider. They were on all sides and
even in the stalls. Finally Branagan
starts gun play, MCGUIRE jabs the
old boss in the ribs with a stick and
as he opens his mouth I throws the
pill clear down his thoat. Fine work
and loud applause.
''Tne third act and big climax is
high at the track. Me and the bank
er's son stands close to the pole
Rough Rider made a bad start The
boy has bottle of carbolic acid in
his hand and swears he will move
off to another track if that horse
loses. 1 says, Boy, if Rough Rider
don't come down the stretch seven
lengths ahead take this gun and kill
me- Wasn't that dramatic? At the
half Rough Rider was blowing along
last. At the three-quarters the old
boy had worked up some. hung
onto the hand of the bankers sor
for fear he'd take that acid or shoot
me or both. Look! Look! Rough
Riders anead!' Down they come the
stretch under whip and spur and
Rough Rider wins by seven lengths
and we are all flush once more and
debts paid.
Gimme a cigarette, Mac-Rough
Rider is here and going to win his
race in Walla Walla and don't need