The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-06-22

greatest attraction of the trip was
scheduled, the buffalo hunt, Indian
sports and cowboy exhibitions of rough
riding, roping steers and other attrac
tions had been provided at the famous
1O1 rancho owned by the three Miller
brothers. The rancho comprises over
$1,000 acres, Miller Bros. holding some
10000 acres, the balance being leased
from the Indians. The railroads all
over the southern country had adver-
tised cheap excursions to Bliss and
there was assembled on the rancho the
greatest crowd Of people ever seen in
the southwestern country, over $4,000
people being on the grounds. A ten
tier grand-stand mile and three
eighths in length had been built around
the arena, but it was not near large
enough to accommodate the enormous
crowd, the structure being packed SO
that twice sections of it fell and num-
Der of people were injured, none serious
however, the worst being man who
had one Of the small bones in his leg
fractured. One of the leading features
of the day, the hunting and killing of
buffalo in sight of the editors, was not
pulled off as the authorities at Washing
ton had issued an order prohibiting the
killing of the buffalo, but Miller Bros.
had received tip that the order was
to be issued, SO the hunt took place the
day before and one big buffalo weighing
200 pounds was shot by doctor from
Chicago who was guest at the Miller
rancho, and after he put two bullets
into the beast old Geronimo, the famous
Indian chief who is government
prisoner, leaped from his horse and cut
the buffalo's throat and skinned it. The
buffalo was served to the editors for
dinner Sunday and was very good eat
ing. 1t would take columns to tell of
all the exciting events of the afternoon
at the rancho. There we're hundreds of
Indians in full dress, feathers and war
paint, cowboys from hundreds of miles
away, Col. Zach Mullhall and his three
daughters and other noted persons par
ticipating in the sports. The most ex-
citing was the riding Of the bucking
horses, the roping and tying of wild
steers, rough riding, ETC., the like Of
which has never been seen before and
will never again, as it was the last great
gathering of the cowboys and Indians,
celebrating the severance of the tribal
relations. One act on the program
which called forth the widest cheers
from the spectators, was the throwing
of steer by negro from Texas named
Picket. The steer was turned loose and
the negro chased it on horseback until
he was close beside it when he slipped
to the steers back from his horse, hung
his legs around it's neck and secured a
firm grip on it's nose with his teeth, then
dropped his feet to the ground and
allowed himself to be dragged along
until the steer was brought to stop
aud then actually threw the steer to
the ground holding his hands high in
the air all time. He repeated the act
three times before retiring. In the
steer roping contests there were several
accidents in which horses and riders
we're thrown over and over and several
steers broke through the wire netting
and charged into the crowds, bat the
cowboys were close after them and sue
ceeded in preventing anyone from being
injured. Miss Lucille Mulhall gave a
daring exhibition of craftsmanship, and
capped the climax by roping and tying
steer as neatly as any of the cowboys.
1t was day that will always be remcm-
bered by all who witnessed the event.
Some idea Of the enormous crowd can
be gained when it is remembered the
work of loading the people on the ex-
cursion trains was commenced at
o'clock in the evening and at O'clock
the next morning all the excursionists
had not yet been loaded, being compell-
ed to remain waiting all night for their
train.
The editors were fortunate in getting
away on the first two trains and after
an all night'S ride. took breakfast Mon
day morning at Cleveland in the heart
of the oil regions. Here three Oil wells
were shot after breakfast had been
served and it was great sight to see
the oil pouring in great stream nearly
a hundred feet above the ground. In