The Virginia enterprise., 1906-04-13
agement breathed asigh of relief :Lll

1T is like taking money from the tin
cup Of q blind organ grinder and
the treasurer of the show said, as he'll
put the days receipts in the safe In
the business car: "It looks good to
me- Then they all turned in to sleep
the happy hours away that beautiful
Sunday on the way to Indian Te1-
ritory and Oklahoma
Well, sir, you can never make me
believe tnatT money obtained dishonest
ly, will stay by. person, or do him
any good, and that was demonstrated
in the case of our show the next day.
We got acquainted with an old show
man who was out of luck, who used
to run a wild west show, but got bust
ed up, and as he didn't care where he
went, we took him with .Eus on the
train, and all day Sunday thes talked
about his show experiences, and finally
he said if we had any horses with our
show that could run races, we could
make barrel Of money at Guthrie,
where we were to make our next stand.
He said the Indians and half breeds
all had Indian ponies that they thought
gould beat any horses that ever wore
shoes, and that they would bet every
cent they had on their ponies, and as
they had just been paid their annui-
ties by the government, r- they had
money in bales, and we could get it all,
if we had horses that were any good,
and money to back them. His idea
was to give out that owing = some ac-
cident we could not give an afternoon
performance, and just get out. the
horses, and bet the Indians to a stand
still, and win all their money; and
give free evening show. as a sort of
consolation to the Indians. -.
Well, it looked good to pa, and he
talked to the other managers, and the
result was when we got to Guthrie
we had made up our minds that as
money was what we were after, the
easiest way was to get it by racing our
horses.
So when we got settled in Guth-
rie,, and got the teat up, we an
nounced that part of the show was in
wreck down the road in Arkansas,
and We should have to abandon the
| afternoon performance, but in the
meantime there would be little horse
racing on the side, if anybody in
Oklahoma had any horses they thought
could run some.
| Well, I thought there were Indians
the announcement was made, but in
less than two hours more than thou
sand ponies were being brought in.
and we got our chariot racers, and
our bareback hippodrome horses, and
they were being led around and ad-
mired, and we all laughed at the little
runts of Indian ponies, and the In
dians got mad and backed their
ponies.
| Pretty soon the races began in the
vacant lot just outside the town. The
old Snowman we had brought up from
Memphis was made master of cere.
monies, cause he could talk Choctawi
and Comanche, and other Indian jar.
gon, and things got busy The In.
dians wouldn't run their ponies more
than an eighth of a. mile;@sor a. quar-.
ter, and we consented, because the: poor
little things didn't look as :: though
they could run block, they were 50
thin, and sleepy. Pa was afraid the
humane society would have us ar.
rested for cruelty to animals. All our
fellows were provided with money
and they flashed rolls of bills in the
faces of the Indians, and finally Mr.:
Indian would reach down under his
clothes and pull out roll, and wet
Ills thumb and peel off big bills and
before we knew it we were INVESTING
a fortune in the racing game. Then
the racing began, and the horses were
sent off at the drop Of a hat, or: the
firing of a pistol -.
the little Indians, cause pa said we
wanted to get every dollar in the
tribe, for if we didn't get it the In.
dians would spend it for fire water
The first race was between one of our
best runners and sleepy little spot
ted pony, and when the hat was
dropped the pony made a few Jumps
and was off like rabbit, and our
horse couldn't see him for the: dust
and our horse was distanced. The
next race resulted the saRe.. and all
day long We never, won asrace, and the
Indians took our money and put il
: in their pants and never smiled: The
old Snowman We had befriended
seemed crushed. -, -. 49, -.
/ When our money was nearly; al
gone to the confounded Indians, ssand
the sun was going down, he went ur
to pa and said: *Uncle, what does
:. this all mean. I thought your horses
could run?'' L.
! Pa said: "Damfino, / never was ne
horse racer, nohow.'' =" :.
When our money was all gone, sant
our horses were nearly dead from ia
ktigue,s the managers all. got togethe,
in the. big tent for: p consultation. or
finances, and it was the saddest sigh
+ ever saw. Pa tried be cheerful
and he said We'll. We will give thu
evening: performan and when ths
Indians aressall in the, tent, We car