East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1917-09-20

1 fortunately too often have had too
little foundation in fact. We have
never hired n high-salaried press
agent, have never raised a promotion
fund and have never been guilty of
flooding the east with literature ex-
tolling our city as the Capital of Para
disc and the EIdorado Of Opportunity.
We have never enjoyed boom era Of
artificial prosperity and, consequently.
We have never suffered the inevitable
reactionary slump. And on our con-
sciences rests no burden of unre-
deemed promises. We may not have
stopped our share of the migrants
to the west, but those who have stop
ped with us have never had occasion
to reproach us but have imbibed of
the Pendleton spirit and become loyal
citizens.
ROund-Up Biggest Factor.
Undoubtedly the greatest single
manifestation of the Pendleton spirit
OF cooperation has been the Pendle-
ton Round-Up. the so-called epic dra-
ma OF the west which presents each
September to many thousands of vis-
itors the romance. the beauty. the
dash and the danger OF the west of
the cowboy and Indian. The Round
Up was born during the summer Of
1910 out of the desire of the live citi-
zcnship to stage an annual festival
that would be distinctive. significant
and commemorative. AS the capital
of one of the last great stock centers
and as a city rich in the traditions of
Indian and cowboy life, Pendleton
could not have chosen anything more
appropriate than a frontier festival.
From the first inception of the idea.
the Roundup was a huge success and
nothing has contributed more than
the loyal and unselfish cooperation
of the whole community. In the be-
ginning some 500 citizens subscribed
$40 each for shares of stock and, in
order that no one could ever make n
direct profit out of IL, II was decreed
that no one person could secure more
than one share and that none OF the
shares would be dividend-bearinE
After the first show, $4,000 was
raised by popular subscription for the
purchase of suitable grounds and the
building of grand d-stand, bleachers,
track and barns. When this was done
the entire park was decided free from
encum brnnce to the City of Pendle-
ton. All profits of the show and they
have sometimes been large, have been
put back into the show or have gone
to assist in other worthy public en-
terprises. The Roundup is managed
by directorate Of eleven men, no one
of whom receives cent in salary or
dividends. To safeguard the institu-
tion OF which tho city is so Jealous, the
directors even pay for their own tick
cts to the show.
Whole citizenship Co-operates.
II took more than just the cooper
alton of tho citizens who subscribed
the original money and who did the
actual worls of staging the show to
make the Roundup the continued
and ever-growinR success that IL has
become. Psndleton has a population
of approximately 1900 and each year
tho city has been called upon to abb
sorb three times it's population during
the three days of the Roundup. II
goes without saving that the ordinary
eating and sleeping accommodations
Of the city are entirely inadequate.
And here is where the cooperation
Of the whole citizenship come in. Resi-
dents are asked 10 throw open their
homes to take care OF the surplus and
the response has been so unanimous
that there have been beds and meals
for oil and at nominal prices reCulat-
ed bv the directors Of the Roundup.
Pendleton. in fact, makes Of herself
one big hotel for the three days Of her
cowboy carnival.
WOODEN MIN Established.
While Pendlcton's national reputa-
ton is based largely upon her Round
Up. that big festival does not stand
as the lone monument to the Pcndle-
ton spirit When proposal was made