The L'Anse sentinel., 1906-04-07

ting money from nOmeb ana - ustos
1T q Ike fakihs money from the tn
cup Ioe . blind organ grinder" and
the treasurer OF the show said, - ~
put the days receipts n the salN In
tho business car: 1T looks good 70
i me-" Then they, all turned Ia TO sIeep
the happy hours sway, that beautiful
Sunday on the WY 70 Indian Tsr.
ritory. and Oklahoma. W 1st4sl
Well, str. you can newer make mo
believe tnat money obtained dishonest
iy, 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
men who was out of luck. who used
to run q wild west show. but got bust
| ed up, and as he didn't care where he
went, we took him with US on the
train, and all day Sunday he talked
about his st{Qw experiences. and finally
he said II 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
| could 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. they had
| money in bales, and we could get II all.
| II we had horses that were any good,
and money to back them. His idea
was to give out that owing to 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 sort OF
consolation to the-Indians.
Well, 1t 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 we're after, the
easiest way was to get 1t by racing our
horses.
So when we got settled in Guth.
rie,, and got the tent up, we an.
nounced that part Of the show was in
a 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, II anybody in
Oklahoma had any horses they thought
could run some.
Well, thought there were Indians
and ponies and squaws enough before
the announcement was made, but In
less than two hours more than a thou
sand ponies were being brought in.
and we. got our chariot racers, and
our bareback hippodrome horses, and
they were being led around AMI 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 tho
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 Choctaw.
and Comanche. and other Indian jar
gon, and things got busy. The In
dians wouldn't run their ponies more
| than an eighth of mile, or quar-
ter, and We consented, because the poor
little things didn't look as though
they could run block, they were so
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 a roll, and wet
his thumb and peel OF big bills, and
before we knew 1t we were investing
fortune in the racing game. Then
the racing began, and the horses were
sent of at the drop of a hat, or the
| firing OF a pistol.
I was given some money to bet with
the little Indians, cause pa said we
wanted to get every dollar in the
tribe, for II we didn't get It the In.
dians would spend 1t for IRE 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 on like q rabbit. and our
horse couldn't see him for the dust,
and our horse was distanced. The
next race resulted the same. and all
day long we never won a race. and the
Indians took our money and put II
in their pants and never smiled. The
old Snowman we hads befriended,
seemed crushed.
When our money was nearly all
gone to the confounded Indians. and
the sun was going down. he went up
to pa and said: Uncle, what does
this all mean. l thought your horses
could run?"
} Pa said: '"Damnno. I never was no
: horse racer, nohow."
When our money was all gone. and
! our horses were nearly dead from IA
, tigue. the managers all got together
} in the big tent for consultation or
7 finances, and II was the saddest sigh
] ever saw Pa tried to be cheerful
I and he said: "well, we will give thu
evening performance. and when thu
| Indians are all in the tent, we cal
I turn opt the lights and turn the boy,
: loose on them, and maybe they vii
3 find some of the money in their breecl
!. clouts."