, 1923-12-26

timer, II you were not there. They
are smiling yet, a wide, expansive
smile, those who went to the Fourth
Annual Cody Stampede Ball.
Guess how many people were pres
ent on Wednesday evening, December
18th. You never can! There were SIP
paid admissions, the largest number
of persons that ever gathered under
one roof at an affair of this kind since
the town was founded. And when r.
j. McGinnis toddled to the bank with
his sack and counted the
there was $56S.70, which means about
$500 clear to start the Stampede next
year.
Do you know what it was that made
the Stampede ball the big success from
every angle that it proved to be? 1t
was the good old time western spirit
which is a long way from being gone in
these parts yet when the right kind
of an occasion brings it out-friendli-
ness, unselfishness, spontaneous gen.
crosby, a readiness to help without
the preface, "How much am I goin'
to git" which spoils everything.
The Indians arrived two days ahead
of time, Mr.. and Mrs. Fights-Well-
Known, Birdie Blackbird, Simon and
Stella Bull-Tail and the rest, ten in
all, with their beds and their best
clothes and war-drums, beaming with
anticipation, eager to participate in
the event to which they had been look
ing forward for many months.
Late in the afternoon the town COM
mannad tn Sill .IN nc tL4,, .I-
horseback-some 40 or so miles-in
buggies, wagons, cars. From $3.50 in
the evening until 2 in the morning the
lrma was a seething mass of life and
color, music and merriment with folks
in bright shirts, buckskin coats, gay
handkerchiefs, milling through the
corridors, up and down stairs, pack
ing the stairway, bar-room, office,
dining room, wherever there was
space to stand or sit.
And the Stampede committee was
proud of its guests, for this great
crowd of western folk proved by their
conduct what the committee always
has commended, namely, that there is
a vast difference between a cowboys
exuberance. his whoops and humor-
Gus pranks which comes from high
spirits hat have to find an outlet, and
the rowdyism of the hoodlum that
gives instant offense.
In the bar-room Will Richards dec
orations of saddles, blankets, hack
amores and chaps made a picturesque
setting for the scene, with here and
there printed signs which read:
Gents will fife outside" Let 'er
rare" and tackled to the bar, Name
yer pizen," while a suggestive loop
dangled from the ceiling labelled "For
OUR DARLING"
Fred Morris and Harold Boynton
were the construction engineers who
built the high platform for the orches-
ira in one corner of the bar-room. 1t
vas made of planks across pool tables
and IA the most satisfactory arrange
ment yet.
There were only good words for
the Greybull orchestra of four pieces,
with Mrs. Mabel Bulger of Cody and
her violin making the fifth. They
achieved a reputation right there for
furnishing the best dance music Cody
has had in many a day. The saxaphone
player especially came in for much
praise, and that they will all be want
ed in Cody again goes without saying.
By $3.50 it was so thick with spec
tators standing six deep against the
walls, jamming the doorway and
packed like sardines on the floor that
something had to be done about it.So
an emergency call was sent out for
Barry Williams who has never yet
failed the Stampede committe in "A
crisis, Earl Pulley located some trap
drums, the piano in the dining room
went into action and immeditely the
!, floor was thickly covered with the
overflow from the bar-room.
AT intervals the Indians in full re-
gala, paint, feathers and sleigh bells,
did their dances, the beaver dance,
the buffalo, squaw and war dances, en-
joying it all to the limit. Every once
in a while some one or two or three
felt inspired to do a speciality and the
!, floor was theirs while the spectators
applauded their efforts.
There are so many TO whom the
Stampede committee are indebted for
the unselfsh fashion in which they
helped out in this emergency that it
Is not ensy 10 know where TO begin
| to name them all.
= There was Carly Downing-a whole
5 show in himself-nnd Mrs. S~outhgnte
e Frcemnn-who played the piano until
{. she had, blisters on her ingers-and