Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-10-12
Spectatrs Fill Grandstand
and BIeachers and Overflow,
Many Standing Throughout
Program,
ATTENDANCE AT HIGH
TIDE ON FIRST BIG DAY
War Workers viii Meet in
Groups This Morning; Cow
boys viii Perform in After
noon,

Big Thursday at Traction park was
n ten-tfne winner. Everybody and
his cousins were there TO have a good
time, and they did.
When the First New Mexico in
fantry marched out Central avenue
shortly before o'clock it drew towns
people and the visitors after it in
droves. Every seat in the grandstand
and bleaehers at Traction park was
taken before 2:30 and several hum
dred people, who could not find seats
stood for more than three hours
watching the sports. 1t was estimated
that 5000 persons were in the park.
The military band was stationed at
the west end of the grandstand and
the Albuquerque Indian School band
at the east end.
Governor Lindsey. accompanied by
Col. Alfred Grunsfeld of his staff, oc-
cupied one of the front boxes and
Colonel Abbott with a number of
other officers, occupied an adjoining
box. All other officers who were not
participating in the program were in
. the grandstand
There was action every minute from
the time the First regiment stacked
its arms on the field.
Tho .Einst -erimert'r nart IN the
afternoon entertainment consisted of
foot racing, potato racing, a pie-eat-
ing contest, tug-ofwar with twelve
men to each team, shoe racing, tent
pitching and a contest in which the
soldiers distributed their accoutre-
ments over the ground at space OF
ten or twelve feet with their gun at
the farthest point. They started,
picking up all of this para raphernalia
on the run and returned to the start
ing point There were athletics of
high order. pole vaulting, hand
sprnging, and diving over number
of men on their hands and knees.
Some of the athletes cleared six OF
these men.
There was signaling such as is prac-
tised on the firing line but perhaps
the most exciting event in which the
soldiers participated was the wrest-
ling on horseback Six of the picked
men, we'll mounted, attempted to un-
horse each other and the grandstand
rose en- masse at times and wildly
shouted and calculated as one horse
man after another met his defeat.
Finally three remained in the game,
and in three-cornered struggle one
unhorsed the other two.
Cowboys in PAIRING Feats.
The military program lasted until
~ N G
frontier sports began and the specta
tors all remained until after sundown,
seeming to be as much interested by
the new and diversified sports as they
had been with the unusually clever
contests of the soldiers. /
Austin's company of world cham
pions, bronoho busters and trick rid
ers had been increased since the day
before and a number of new arrivals
took leading parts in the program
that was different" Austin and all
of his men were introduced one at a
time to the governor and the people
In the grandstand and as their names
were called they charged from a
point 100 yards west to a place near
the governors box and bowed. hat in
hand.
The first frontier sport exhibition
was a roping contest between Sam ].
Garrett, champion all-around cowboy
of the world, and Leonard Stroud,
champion trick and fancy rider. Gar
rett stood in front of the governors |
box and Stroud occupied place in
front of the grandstand near the west
end. They lassoed horses from the
saddle and then they dismounted and |
caught the horses and then they dis |
mounted and caught the horses first
by one leg and then another, which |
they called before hand.
Expert Roping Gets Applause.
Finally Garrett let the horse pass
and caught it by the Italian exhibi-
ton of skill that brought cheers from
the grandstand. Nothing daunted.
Stroud stood on his head, and as
rider rushed by lassoed the horses
fore feet. This brough him as much
appreciation from the grandstand as
Garrett had earned and honors were
even.
One thing that thrilled the entire
audience was the broncho busting" of
Jim Massey on Cookie Burr Dunn"
This was claybank or dunn colored
horse, very large, and its long name
and tail were filled with cookie burrs.
1t took six men more than five min
utes to saddle this, one of the worst
outlaws in the bunch. Finally Mas
sey mounted and sat on the wild
s~N~~~~~~~~~~-~.~s- s-s-.~-~--s>~~S~s~~~~~
CONTINUED on Page Two.) !