The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1909-06-17

ers, for many years an annual event
in Texas.
This used to be held atSeymour,
Texas. 1t was an event to which
the whole Southwest looked forward,
and cowboys from half a dozen states
made long trips in the saddle in order
to be on hand for this reunion. 1t
had been planned to hold it as usual
this spring, but those who had it in
charge found so little interest that
they started an investigation to find
out what had become of all the cow
boys.
Their discoveries were depressing
from the standpoint of the small boy,
who, in dime novels and pictures,
has worshiped the deeds of the sharp
shooting, bronco busting, fearless men
of the plains.
So widely has the cowboy been
scattered by changed conditions that,
Like Othello, he could truthfully say
that his occupation is gone. Not more
Than "a few hundred cowboys could
by any possibility have been brought
To Seymour, and as this would have
been as far short of true reunion
as a swallow is from composing a
summer it was reluctantly decided
TO hive no conclave, and this means,
likely, that the old picturesque insti-
tution has passed for aN time.
YBt Sit has not been 80 long since
a reunion was held that was remar-
kabfH success.
Seymour, now the ce11er of culti-
waited aArld agricultural section, was
ia d0Hn, years ago given over to graz
1 ing. In 1897 it was the scene of the
1argest egathering of cowboys ever
ESeen am thSE country.
THE men from ranches in Texas, In
diam Territory and oklahoma rode ID
itthe sElthefing, and EnDre than &C, GB8
tsnowblys and 500 Indians pitched tiEsr
vents in Seymour
1The iflflux of the N#ttlers to the
|Ranhandle and the ranch territory
Issf western Texas ha6 at that time
IiHlSt begun, and the advance OF the
farmer Nwho was destined to take the
l8uil from the cattle @-azer, was wet
Fin the futuH.
One man bore the assignment sof
'kaepirSe this army of 2issitors in ORDER
Capt. w. 4. L. Sullivan, recently
detected dow.keeper gof the Texas
House a)f Representative s. His prov
zen courage and knowledge of the men
eli Ehe lplains mad led Elm to be pick
ed as the man who would be relied
on TO keep them in cheek, and he did
nan sAfttek the responsibilities Of being
named aas grand marshal.
Sullivan was the only peace officer
in Seymour, and everything was aap
to him. But SO skiIIfnl did he dis
change this duties that during the
fosr days that the conceive lasted he
found it necessary to make only two;
arrests, saml these were .fDr minor of
lenses. winch shows that the COW
boy was never as needlessly quick on
the trigger us the Eastern public had
been led to believe.
But Mr. Sullivan was a diplomat.
He wouldn't take any chances on a
clash between the Indians and cow
boys. lie put the ESQmancheS on one
side Of the town, while the cowboys
nad their camp in another direction.
On the second day matters looked |
a little squally for the Indians, but
SEllian was on the job and chased |
back the first party who suggested |
going over and paying night visit
to the redskins.
Seymour had admirable advantages
fora gathering of this kind. The road
70 the town, which then had popula-
ion OF 5000, was wide and flat, and
gave them fine course for the furi-
,us races between the cowboys on
heir swift ranch horses.
On the second might OF this reunion
Seymour saw the remarkable spec
aof 10000 cowboys riding back into
own, at breakneck speed, each man
With his six-shooter out. firing into
he air. N
The bonbardment lasted for moYe
han an hour, and the splitting ofkhe
lashes and the detonation ofYhe