Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-04-12

shoes, n tnat they would Oct 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 1t all,
IL we had horses that were any good,
and money { back them. His idea
to give out that owing to some &C.
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 a 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
had made up our minds that as
money was what we were after, the
easiest way vas to get it by racing u
horses.
So when we got settled in Guth-
RE, 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 a little horse
racing on the side, if anybody in
Oklahoma had any horses they thought
could run some.
Well, l 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 and adj.
mired, and we all laughed at the little
runts of Indian ponies, and the In
dams 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 Choctaw,
and Comanche, and other Indian jar
gon, and things got busy. The In.
dams wouldn't run their ponies more
than an eighth of a mile, o. a quar-.
ter, and we consented, because the poor
little things didn't look as though
they could run a 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 wei
his 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 thu
firing of a pistol.
/ was given some money to bet will
the little Indians, cause pa said WI
wanted to get every dollar in thu
tribe, for if we didn't get it the In
dams would spend it for fire water
The first race was between n of on
best runners and a sleepy little spot
ted pony, and when the hat wa
dropped the pony made a few jump
and was off like a rabbit, and ou,
horse couldn't see him for the dust
and our horse was d%istanced. Th'
next race resulted the same, and al
day long we never won a race, and thu
Indians took our money and put i
in their pants and never smiled. TIL
old Snowman we had b~efriended
seemed crushed.
When our money was nearly al
gone to the COMPOUNDED Indians, an
the sun was going down, he went u.
to pa and said: Uncle, what doe
this all mean. I thought your horse
could run?'
Pa said: "Damfino, l never was n
horse racer, nohow."
When our money was all gone, an
our horses we're nearly dead from IL
tigue. the managers all got togethe
in the big tent for a consultation o
finances, and it was the saddest sigh
ever saw. Pa tried to be Cheerful
and he said: We'll, we will give th
evening performance, and when tn
Indians are all in the tent, we ca
turn out the lights and turn the boy
loose on them, and maybe they wi
find some of the money in their breec
clouts."
You don't mean to rob them, d
your" said the boss canvassman, an
pa said: mo, no; far from it. W
will borrow it of them. 1t is no harl
to borrow from an Indian" Il
Just then the treasurer came in wit
an empty tin box he had carried tt
money out in, and he said there woul
be no use of having an evening pc
Torrance, cause the Indians had take
their ponies and squaws and none
and gone towards the setting sun, an
pa said: Where is that old sho'
man?' and the treasurer said: *
has gone with them. He is their leg
adviser, and went down to Memph
to rope us in to the game.
Offered a Reward.
Mrs. Grumpps-Did you advertise L
poor, dear, little Fido?
Mr.. Grumpps-Yes.
Did you give a full description
Ao,oJ ..-t t