Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-03-30
FAMOUS Event
of the Time When Pierre Had
the Fastest Team in the
World.
] Harris Hose Company Which
Vent Down Into Iowa and Ran
a Race.

SThe following story is cut from the
ioux City Journal under a Council
Siutfs date. 1t will be good reading /
osPlerre old timers who remember the |
aggregation of sprinters who represent |
dthis city and bid fair TO astonish the
puntry. The author is in doubt:
sThe Iowa State Firemen's associa-
ion is to meet in Council Bluffs early
A.June, and dozen teams will prance
own the cindered track for the cham
,ionship of the state. There will be
ieh prizes, big crowds and enthusiasm
Dburn but what is u tiremen's tourna-
nent of today? Big as the Iowa meet
liz will be, and successful as it is
Sound to be, it will be as Il talloW can
lie beside searchlight, a prayer meet
!ng against a boiler shop, when com
pared to the ever to be remembered
tournament Of the association in 1885,
when Pierre, 5. d., the hottest town III
the northwest, gave itself the double
cross and lost the championship and
barrel of money in a sensational, flnlsh.
@Eiremen's tournaments twenty years
ago were tremendous affairs. Perhaps
the time made then wasn't amy better
than is made now, but the world hung
more breathlessly on the result. That
was before every city of 10000 had Its
paid department and its hose teams OF
well trained horses, Hand carts were
sthe rule. and on the speed of its crack
Bcompany every town staked It's pfide
Iapd its dollars. The Iowa races had
been getting faster and more furious
x.yg,til in 1886. when the association met
ain Dubuque, a purse OF 81 900 was hung
SAP for the fastest hose team, and Sill
Yer truml ct, carrying the championship
Mof the world, went with 1t. mat was
"a prize to be fought for, even Iii those
days of big prizes. Half the big towns
I'm the state lay awake 1t night gearing
for that trumpet
H From the start, however, only three
Hsteams were considered in the running
Hl'here was the Walker team IRON
RWaterloo, thrice champions OF the as
sociation: there was the old No. ., OF
#Cnuncil Bluffs, mighty aggregation
land wondrous light of heel; and there
was the Harris team, OF Pierre, ) y
Shades of Charlie Alsop but Pierre die
love it's team Had it not beaten every
thing from the Missouri river to thu
ARo Mountains, including the iltZ
III geralds, Of Lincoln, Neb., and the Coun
8ssscll Bluffs aggregation! Was it not
ssworthy institution Of Pierre, the prld
3sSof Dakota and the rival Of Yanktol
flor capital honors? Pierre wanted
s that prize, and it meant to have 1t. )
did Council Bluffs. Each team ha
# beaten the other once and was coniiden
E# of doing it again. 1t seemed to tn
S partisans in the two cities as II tn
M existence of the universe itself trem
81 bled upon the result Of that race
- For days before The Dubuque NEE
\ ing the veterans of the two teams q
n well as of other competing teams pra'
n ticed daily upon the fine clay roac
b lust outside of Dubuque. Days befol
b the tournament opened the crowds b
n gan to gather. The strong an SUI
u burned miners came cut of the Blac
Hills with their faith in Pierre Wrappt
Il up in rolls of bills as big as an elephant
81 hind leg. The railroad men OF w
D. terloo drew their pay as far ahead
n they could and locked to the suppo
n of their pets The ranchmen of n
IS braska and western Iowa canned und
4 the banners of Council Bluffs with mo
ey enough to swamp an express WACO
d The excitement week before t.
q tournament was intense. The mig
before it was at fever heat. Chief Ja'
l Galligan and George Coulter,
/ Omaha, and Chief Pat Lacey, TO
/ Bowman and Mayor Rohrer, of Cou
ell Bluffs, wore the devoted packers
Nc team. From 'iierre came Chi
d Charlie Alsop, Fred Gunkel and "Bu
4 Tinsdale all, dead game and full
IN hose racing lore. 1t doesn't mat'
Il who represented the other cities,
N from the time the teams got to L
puque only Council Bluffs and Pie
were in the betting. 1t was to |
u Pierre. with Council Bluffs on
A small end and Waterloo nowhere. A
81 money! Never was there so mu
y money in sight before. 1t was
q Pierre money. Boost as they Wou
n the Council Bluffs men did not Sc
q to be able to stand up against Pie
IL confidence. Money went beggl
d Pierre was backing its team with M
q CIV, watches, boots, teams and townl'
u Pierre knew just who had been dol
all that running the week before. A
the rest of the world suspected Pie
couldn't lose.
About this time the board OF cont
d ,a+ i,ncu The races were SllDDOSed