Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-11-23
Objects to
Wild West
Exhibits
aorR ANNALS" MAKES VIGOROUS
PROTEST AGAINST THE CRUEL.
TIES PRACTICED AT THE ANNU.
Al COWBOY GATHERINGS.
CFrom "our Animals" y

displaying so much activity in regard
a. wild west exhibitions?' friend OF
+he Society asked the other day. "Is
mot this a new departure for you?
Aren't YOU going a little to the ex-
treme when you interfere with what
"a merely an industrial pursuit
Horses have to be broken or trained,
and steers have to be roped. Such
work is done every day on the range"
And we answer: Because the wild
west show and its attendant cruelties
have never been so common and new
er so warranted interference, the So
.cetes' attention has been turned to
them. Each year that they go un-
censored the performances become
worse exhibiting more brutality and
newer and more cruel abuses. Cow
Ooys grow bolder and the public more
hardened and more accustomed to the
spectacles they present, until, in time,
cruelty of the worst kind, perhaps
even a bull fight, might be attempted
Il they were not held in check. Cruel
ty. some one has said, grows upon
those who witness it. If we are so
placed that we see cruel and brutal
sights constantly we soon become cal
loused to them. 1t is much easier
to cultivate taste for cruelty than
it is to create a sentiment against it.
Prior 10 the Frontier Day celebra-
ton in Cheyenne, Wyoming, there
were few wild west exhibitions and
very little interest taken in them.
Since Cheyenne became famous for its
annual celebrations, and notorious for
the cruelty of them, as we'll, the cow
boy show has been gradually working
into popular favor until last year ev-
cry industrial exhibition or agricul-
tural fair in California had its wild
west performance as a necessary ad-
junct,
The humane societies hold no brief
against the honest portrayal Of actual
range scenes. Perhaps they can see
no real or valid excuse for enacting
for pleasure horse-breaking scenes
wild horse races, etc, even though
such things may be necessary on the
stock ranges. But 1t is the bulldog
gng of steers, the choking of horses,
the teasing and tormenting to create
thrills" and such self-evident and
unQuestioned cruelties that they are
trying to stop.
Such exhibitions as are witnessed
at most of our shows and fairs are
not accurate reproductions Of range
work The work as it is done on the
stock ranges is performed methodic-
ally and quietly by men who under
stand their duties and perform them
as efficiently as possible without a
waste of effort There are no spec
'tacular thrills" for the benefit of the
grandstand by applause-seeking cow
boys. It Is not always necessary on
The range to rope and throw a full
grown steer, and when a bronco is
broken there is no "high-life" used
and no sharp, nail-pointed brad to
poke him should he show an inclina-
ZION to be docile.
Spectators at Cheyenne's show each
year have described it as atrociously
brutal, and popular opinion was so
aroused against the wild west fea-
lures that restrictions were inter-
posed to keep them in check, but the
"Ouses continued and were so pro-
nounced that the governor of the
state interfered to stop them.
A letter written by a spectator at
the last Cheyenne show will serve to
Illustrate how many who visit the
celebrations regard the wild west
events:
Every year in Cheyenne there is q
VeleDration lasting three or four days
" commemorate the early pioneer
uays' There are many features such
as shooting, riding, racing and rop-
aug There have also been exhibitions
vi such barbarous cruelty that rather
'uah worry about bullfights in other
'OunIrie5 the humane societies should
vOulolne to eliminate it. / refer to
'ue OuIIdogging Of steers, the bust
ius Of steers and the choking and
''uer abuses of wild horses.
IN The bulldogging you see the ami
ual having his neck twisted until he
%, 1,'AS on his knees and is conquered.
"ecK OF one was broken in the
present. Frontier celebration. Those
uO' Killed are subjected to the most
'Acruciatng agony
IN the steer busting the animal is
~ ~ Oe roped, thrown and 'hog-tied' in
-, l' shortest possible time. Large
p'1eS are offered for speed. The &
~ s'' madly galloping, is roped and
-'own violently. Bones are broken,
.a, s 70 many the sight of a mangled
ial trying to drag itself away from !