The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1921-03-31
LEARNED ABOUT RACE
HORSES
How a Cowboy Worked Horse
Deal in Oklahoma.

| I'VE just been reading" confded the
cattleman to the gentleman in the
next chair as they were seated in the
hotel lobby, "about a smart office boy
that was sent ont on an erraud and
while gone committed a bit of fnan-
cial coup. 1t reminds me of what
Happened down on our ranch a few
years ago to cowboy who dreamed
of big things his brain could do.
ellis name was Jake-a little sandy
| haired cuss with a freckled face and
little nose, who thought he had
brain under his hat, but the rest of US
never took much stock in it. Thought
all he had was a hit of instinct, like
an animal, and not much of that.
Sort of nuisance he was and we
wanted to get nd of him, but didn't
know just how.
swell, this here Jake got the rae
ing bug in his head and decided he
could go out like that cute office boy,
make hatful of money and then go
back home to Missouri, strut around
before his old boy friends and talk,
big about himself in modest way.
well, sir, there was a crackerjack
of horse making the county races
IN Oklahoma three years ago. 1T
sure was some horse, although It'll
didn't always take first money-just
often enough to keep up interest and
win the odds. The brilliant idea that
came to this here Jake was to buy
that horse and by judicious betting
get enough money to retire on. Hal
was one of them frugal fellers who
save their wages and he had the cash
to pay the owners price-$500. At
ter that he didn't have time to do his
work on the ranch, he was so busy
currying and looking after that pur-
chase of his.
Next season he started out for the |
races and of course some of the boys
bet on his horse-once. That was
enough for it never won even third
place in single race. Just Jagged
behind in the tail end of the bunch.
Yet we all knew it was the same horse
that had come out first a dozen times
the year before.
Jake took him back to the ranch
at the end of the season, but he sure
cut down on the hours of currying
and petting, and substituted kicking
instead. In six months he was about
the worst looking horse on the ranch,
for it seemed as if nearly everyone
wanted to give him a kick, having
lost money on him. And as for work
he never did a single honest days
work while he was there.
"Along in May seedy looking fell
Ter with whiskers drifted into camp
walked in. Think of that. But he
was honestl Told US right up that he
had walked in because he had no horse
to ride, though he'd be glad to buy
some old skate if he could get it cheap
enough. We all felt sorry for the
Teller, but we were surprised when
Jake woke up and offered him his
race horse at fair price. They
quite spell, but at last the
stranger bought him for $50.
'Now what do you think? A cou-
pie of months later one of our men
was down to Enid and sees Jake's
horse winning first place in a trial
race. What was still more surpris-
ing, his same old owner had come
back again. 1t looked queer and some
If our boys went down to the next
-ace to investigate. Took Jake along,
we didn't generally let him
,ravel with our crowd. Very first
lay we met up with the old-new own
,r, who seemed powerful glad to see
Jake Took US into the stable and
lug up a bottle and then insisted that !
he whole bunch go to the hotel and
lave dinner at his expense.
I" But why this hilarity?' we in
Iuired after we was done eating. !,
"That race horse man never blinked
IS he replied:
az always like to set 'em up to a