Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-04-11


ties by the government they had
money in bales, and we could get 1t all,
If we had horses that were any good,
and money to back them. His idea
was 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 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 were after, the
easiest way was to get it by racing our
horses. - r
So when we got settled in Guth.
rie,, and got the tent 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
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 ad.
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, 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 tho
faces of the Indians, and finally Mr..
Indian would reach down under his
clothes and pull out roll, and wet
his thumb and peel off big bills, and
before We knew it we were investing
fortune in the racing game, Then
the racing began, and the horses were
sent off at the drop Of hat, or the
firing Of pistol.
was given some money to bet with
the little Indians, cause pa said we
wanted to get every dollar in the
tribe, for if we didn't get it the In
dams would spend it for fire water.
The first race was between one Of our
best runners and a sleepy little spot
ted pony, and when the hat was
dropped the pony made a few jumps
and was off like a rabbit, and our
horse couldn't see him for the dust,
and our horse was distanced The
next race resulted the same, and all
Indians took our money and put it
in their pants and never smiled. The
old Snowman we had befriended,
seemed crushed.
When our money was nearly all
gone to the COMPOUNDED Indians, and
the sun was going down, he went up
to pa and said: t'Uncle, what does
this all mean. thought your horses
could rum"
Pa said: "Damfino. 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
finances, and it was the saddest sight
T ever saw. Pa tried to be cheerful,
and he said: "Well, we will give the
evening performance, and when the
Indians are all in the tent. we can
turn out the lights and turn the boys
loose on them, and smaybe they will
find some of the money in their breech
clouts."
"You don't mean to rob them, do
your said the boss canvassman, and
pa said: mo, no; far from it. We
will borrow it of them. It is no harm
to borrow from an Indian"
Just then the treasurer came in with
an empty tin box he had carried the
money out in, and he said there would
be no use of having an evening per-
Torrance, cause the Indians had taken
their ponies and sQuaws and money
and gone towards the setting sun, and
pa said: "Where is that old show.
MANI" and the treasurer said: "He
has gone with them. He is their legal
adviser, and went down to Memphis
to rope US in to the game"
Offered a Reward.
Mrs. Grumpps-Did you advertise for
poor, dear, little FidO?