The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1920-12-31
HENRY WILLIAMS
FAMOUS HORSEMAN

l Henry Williams Is visiting his old
haunts in Lemhi county, having re-
Gently returned from spending three
months In California. Until this visit
10 the coast he had spen, most OF
his time with large cattle outfit In
Montana. where nj an altitude Of up
ward of 1900 feet he was taken
sick The trip TO California brought
him around alright.
! The present generation has per
haps forgotten the circumstance that
Henry Williams won the worlds
hasnpiOnship for horsemanship near
~ twenty years ago III the ST. Louis
Worlds fair. That Is the oatstAnd.
ing fact In his life history which.
however. Is full Of many other NOT
able things. As lad OF eight or
ten years he began his lifs work.
when he took to riding as naturally
~ a young duck takes 10 water.
Born AT the old mining town OF Ban.
mack 81 years ago his family NOV
ed To Nevada when Henry was the
baby. The new home was near Hum
boIdt wells. There the child used
10 go TO the nearby Indian camps
and take his first riding lessons In.
dian fashion. without saddle or bri-
die. These rides generally had as
their objective fayorite swimming
hole or fishing place. sometimes as
far away as twenty miles, The In
dians used TO get anxious about the
return 10 their animals that Will
Jams had ridden OF but hs would
al kaEs
pasture in due time When four
teen years OF age the lad rode with
an outfit passing that way through
Nevada for Wyoming and Montana.
being recognized BY the riders in
authority as one OF their best men
for reliability and skin as soon as the
trip was fairly started. From that
time forward his services we're in de
mand. II wild horse tanner were
required the lad was able TO NIL the
bill, His methods were 80 entirely
differen, from the "roughstuff'' that
Young Williams became known far
and wide. He rode and stayed with
the wors, outlaw horses. keneraily
with the result OF completely break.
Ing them. He employed what might
be called sort oil aifNeison" on
? the most unrnly animals. This was
/. the vigorous application OF spurs te
the right neck behind the Jaw, rid
= ing such animals with his left foot
i only in the stirrnp and his right leg
still gripping the saddle. free as 4
the lower part. TO apply the punish
ment where IL would tell the best.
. II was the application of these
tactics that won Williams his ~
!. Louis fame. Before that time he ha.
4 learned 10 ride bareback as well nj
! with his saddle cinched on back
i. wards and on which he sat facini
n the animals tail. and bucking hors'
could never throw him OF. William
a used 10 say that every one uf tn
q bones In his body had been broke
/. once or twice but never from beiBl
thrown
"a Perhaps his most daring cxplol
WAS afforded In taking away from
a band OF rowing Indians bunch g
! horses which had been placed unde
/, hts care and which the Indians hal
a eoYetous eyes upon. lie was ridin
: poor pony and the indians w"r
overtaking him when the animal h
, vas riding was struck more tha
!, once b. flying arrows from his pul
y snrers When. exhausted and abou
1. ready 10 give up his horses he sa'
n his own companions of the outfit an
II grabbing their rfiIes ;hey drove q
tho red skinned mafauderH, kiln
- one ol them once while charge
n with taking back 10 their home rang
!, band of 50 horses that had bee
- stolen Williams Has shot throua
!, The top of his hat BY his OUTLAW pu
! surer. who was white man. but h
= saved not only hla own lie but SUI
=, eeeded in saving his horses as well.
i, II was Williams WHO. trained Ror
da from an ordinary every day rang
Ia horse To the fastest race horse |
) the northwest and one of the bss
~ IN the world. His record Was aroun
N - seconds for quarter mile race
IA the worlds record being only Ee'
u end better The owner Of Rond
- made thousands of dollars on hi
n races once Williams himself en'e
~ "a Ronda against the fay3riie entr
\ of the same owner and beat the fa'
n nrise bail. by a hundred feet WI
liams rode Steamboat the anco'
=. alsred outlaw and Was ness
:, thrown bY hin Moving Picture Ws
- another outlaw on whose neck Nj
m liams applied the spurs and had b.
a, picture taken In the act. with the =,
"A suit that he was denied entry Int
other contests because il had b
d, come noised abroad that there VS.
no horse he could not ride William
used To say tha, picture made hi
y famous bu, KEEP, him poor. for ihei
= were opportunities for him Ia max
thousands os dollars IN contests
he could have entered them
While riding range over IN Moi
iana. years ago be- came upon
yos,ng Tiri hall frex.n in a ttindin