The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-09-01
HOW OUR BOYS
HIT THE FINALS

This is the story of how our own Ha-
waiians ropl into the finals of the
great steer roPing contest at Cheyenne.
1t is written by Charlie Van Loan, ac-.
knowledged t. be the greatest sporting
writer ever produced by California. For
many years Mr.. Van Loan worked for
the Hearst papers, and made a great
name in Los angeles as a descriptive
writer of sporting events. The follow
ing story was written by him for the
Denver Post, for which paper he is now
working, and gives very graphic ac-
count of how Archie Kaaua and Ike
Purdy did their clever work on the
Friday before the day in which Purdy
won and Archie came in third:
CHEYENNE, August 22.-The Ha-
waiians -oped yesterday and as re-
suit both the dusky wizards of the
rawhide so into the finals to fight it
out with six men from the West.
BY long, odds the most exciting event
of the day was the steer-roping con-
test, and the crowd which saw the South
Sea visitors win their way into the
finals was record-breaking one for
Cheyenne. Every seat in the stands
was taken, and the fence about the
running track was lined with vehicles.
The first man to rope was Hugh Nc
Donald, who broke his steer IS horn and
got nothing. The second man, Hugh
McPhee, roped and tied in Lie.
| Edward Mccarthy drew a dodger and
1:30 was his mark.
V. A. Cochran missed several casts
and retired discounted. Then the crowd
began to sit up and take notice.
Archie Kaaua, the first kanaka, was
next on the list. Seated on his white
pony, the yellow wreath about his SOM
brero telling of his island home, the
visitor waited for his steer. 1t was a
swift-footed one which knew how to run,
and took flying start on the roper.
The red flag flashed downward and
Kaaua was off, whirling his heavy raw
hide RATA. AT racing speed the islander
crossed the field, bore down on, the
steer, and with a quick swapping mo-
ton let the rope fly. The loop dropped
over the steers head, one witch
frightened it about the horns, and Kaaua
spurred ahead to "bust.'
Everyone knew that if he made a
good "bust" and the steer stayed down
the record was in danger. The rope
frightened around the steer heels, the
white pony made one great bound and
down went the steer with a thud. Then
before Kaaua could prevent it, the ami
NAL struggled to his feet, stepped clear
of the entangling rope and, doubling
and twisting, ran for the fence. Three
times Kaaua tried to go round the steer
and each time the steer lodged in the
same direction. Over the low fence he
went and the rope caught about his
heels. Quick as flash the white pony
settled back on his launches and the
steer turned a half somersault and fell
on the track. The kanaka was bending
over him with the rope before the dust
had chance to settle. and by brill
liant performance the Sandwich Island
err threw up his hands one minute and
nine seconds after the fall Of the flag.
! When the announcement was made
that Kaaua's time was the best made
so far the entire grandstand broke into
cheers and yells of appreciation.
|
was bad enough, but there still remain
ed Ikua Purdy, the man who beat An
gus McPhee, and is already entitled to
call himself a champion of the world.
n. Perry took too long to hog-tie his
steer and finished in l:30 40, while
Clayton banks, the champion broncho-
buster, finished in 1:29 after making a
poor beginning on steer that lodged
the ropes.
Then came Purdy, the second Ha-
waiian, in his striped sweater and tight
white breeches. :. Purdy also drew a
lightning fast steer, and though he
made great dash after the brindle the
kanaka had no chance to cast until
more than halfway down the field.
When the big loop fell it was a trifle
low and the willy steer put both front
feet through it and the moose tighten
ed, like cinch, about the steer g body.
"That settles HIM" said man in
the press stand. He II never bust that
steer in thousand years. His rope is
as good as lost right now!''
But the kanaka champion wasted nc
time in studying the situation. Like q
streak his pony circled the steer, the
big rawhide rope clipped the steers
. |
and down went the steer with gruni
that could have been heard one hun
bred yards away.
Then the crowd yelled! Purdy' bent
over the tie and the crowd encouraged
him with yells and cheers. Suddenly
he jumped to his feet and threw hii
hands in the air. One minute and three
seconds He had beaten Kaaua' Is time
by six seconds.
Denver Post, August 2l.-This ended
the first days bueking aDd the steer
roping came next. That are two husk,
, Hawaiians in town who are said to b.
world-beatets with II rope, and tn
Wyoming men were just trifie nervou
1 until they found that neither one of tn
] islanders was to ride today.
S Jack Lowe OF Honolulu, who brough
the kanakas t. Cheyenne, was carde'
to rope second on the list