The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-12-29
ARIZONA NEW YEAR S.
How the Reckless COwb,y CeIe-
brates The Day.
Exhibits His Skill 10 Roping Cattle The Call
IL Dinner-fieiP Yourself From Roasted
Quarters Of Beef Dancing in the Evening

Roughly lettered posters q
wrapping paper for weeks ha
announced that a cowboy tourr
ament and hesto Mejicana woul
be held on New Years day a
Aqua Caliente.
Two races, each Of four heats
have been run in the morning
when the faint popping of a 81,
shooter, supplemented by a dis
tant roai of Grub, Oh, grub,
announces the hour for dinner
Spectators and racers rush bacl
to the plaza.
Back of one of the principa
saloons, between it and the bas,
of the mountain, long trench
has been dug and filled witt
mesquite wood, burned to clear
red Goals. Over these Goals,
resting on well soaked greer
poles, quarters Of beef have beer
roasting for the last II hours.
These quarters are hung in the
different verandas, and from
them each man cuts such portion
as seems good to him and retires
to eat it together with whatever
provisions he may have brought
with him, while in the burning
sun of the plaza the Indians and
the dogs dispute for and gorge
themselves on the refuse.
Soon there is a general move
ment toward a corral at the foot
of the plaza, where the principal
business of the day from a sport
ing standpoint. is to begin. For
a week the founders of the feast
have been collecting cattle suita-
BILE to their purpose, the cotton
wood pole is as full of them as it
will hold.
Twenty feet in front of the
corrals a long line has been.
drawn in the sand, then an inter-
val of 40 yards and another. A
little to one side the timekeeper,
watch in hand, sits on his horse. I
The first contestant, in this case,
a handsome young Mexican,
places himself with his back to
the corral, and the fore hoofs of
his pony just toeing the first line.
The bars are lowered and red
COW is allowed to escape. Across
the space she runs like a grey
hound. The instant she crosses
the second line the vaquero plum
ges in his big spurs and starts in
pursuit, his RATA whistling
around his head. The cow
points straight for a growth of
scrub, as though she knew that
no lariat could be thrown in such
a place. The little horse gains
on her rapidly. Before she has
made more than a third of the {
distance to her goal he is at her |
flying heels. Then the rope flies :
out 80 quickly that the eye can
hardly follow it, but the cow
makes a quick turn and gallops
ON, still free.
The Mexican makes no second
attempt. The loss of time
caused by his first failure would
prevent his winning the coveted
prize. So he sulkily withdraws,
and his place is taken by another,
who sits with straining eagerness
rs a gray bull is sent careering
across the dead line.
"0ff fore feot," he cries as his
pony springs forward. Then
follows a quick cast, a couple of
,urns around the saddlehorn, and
he horse braces back. tueking
lis head well down to keep it out
If the way while the bull, his
light suddenly arrested, turn a
lalf somersault and lands on his
,ack, caught by the leg his cap
or has named. Securing the
inc, the man dismounts and runs
oward his prey as fast as his
ligh heels will allow. 1t strug-