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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (July 5, 1901)
FOURTHOFJULY Rlltt AT 4ALERA "Howly mother, glntleminJ" argued i Dillon, " 'tis a matthcr av importincc. Wud yo havo another shootln' Donny brook? an mo a-bcarln' av all the dlvllmcnt, same as twuz last yenr? Wld the rlputashun av the camp, too! In the name av inntslncc, buve yo no beads for an emergency?" Dillon was clearly In earnest, and when a man of his racial characteris tics I3 in earnest things aro likely to happen, whether tho scene of action be Spltzbcgen or Tlmbuctoo. His Indig nation nt our stupidity at tho mayor's, tho sheriff's, and mine was offensive; but wo could offer no sug gestion that might stand for us as combatant. There were men in the ramp with official titles, and men very prone to swift and accurate shoot ing, but these collectively wero ns naught before tho breath of Dillon. Galena waB Hko most other of North western mining towns; If at nil distin guishable from them, it was by a slight accentuation of that air of bonhomlo which is more or loss apparent on the visages of all communities of the genus. Dillon owned and genially pre sided over one of the biggest and brightest and most bemlrrorcd of the combination saloons and gambling re sorts. Tho mayor, tho sheriff, and I sat In n back room of the saloon, listening In tently to Dillon's harangue. After hu had given us every opportunity to sug gest ways and meons for tho day of en tertainment, fruitlessly, ho elucidated to us his own idea of a program.whlch was voted on and adopted by unani mous and lmmcdlato consent. This narratlvo deals solely with tho first number of tho progrnm, so you will be compelled to surmlso tho others from it. "Wo wull begin," says Dillon, "In tho morning", wld what yo might dls hlgnate a toorymlnt. This Is tho way av It: Wo wull have rounded up a bunch av thlm dlvlls av bronchos, an' wo wull nlso havo rounded up n bunch av Jolly bhoys; wo wull begullo tho bhoys to tho backs av tho broncos, an' wo will give tho best busther av thlm a folno fat purse which ho wull splnd immejutely. This, yo may understhand, Is legltlmut, wld excoltcmcnt enough to kapo aff tho raw Idge av their tlm per. This wo wull" but this 13 as much as concerns us. A goodly purso was collected against tho coming of tho popular event. Dll Ion's "nnto" (his own word) was a hun dred, and a number of others came down handsomely. But in the interval between', tho statement of tho Idea and the day of fulfillment thoro nroso the necessity for somo modification- in the plans. Dillon had relied on procuring a number of bad and unbroken horses and on having tho many volunteer riders break them on tlmo, or some thing of that sort. When tho trial was made, however, it was found impos slble to bring together tho- required number of suro-onough bad horses that is, horses which could bo depond ed on to make excitement under any circumstances; so a big list of shapped and sombrcrocd competitors could not, consequently, bo accommodated. The morning of tho Fourth dawned In all tho, chasto radlanco of July In tho foothills, such a day as rccom penscs a man for a year lived in a hut ISO miles from tho nearest railroad artery, and, as they say In Montana "only half a mllo from hell." Directly after breakfast those ranch peoplo from tho rival valleys, and from all adjacent sections, who had not been fortunate enough to get in tho night before, began to concentrato In tho camp. Dillon drew mo out to tho veranda "By me sowl, 'twull be beautiful," says he. "Wo havo a braco av tho boasts as wud misharso tho dlvll, an' tho bhoys aro folno an' achln' for tho sport. Yo'll see ut tho day, me son, Ho was in merriest spirits himself, and I should havo enjoyed somo of tho ef fervescence of his rollicking blarney but his unswerlng sense of duty to tho day compelled him to drink more fro qucntly that I had reason to bellovo my experience and capacity would permit, so I was forced to abjuro his society. About 10 he got on a tablo somehow, and announced tho riding, nnd Invited tho contesting busters up to throw dlco Tfor choice of horso. This called forth uproarious yells of applause. One of tho contestants, tho North Valley rep resentative, was not present, but his mentor was, with full power to act. This latter, however, an old ranch fore man, with badly bowed legs nnd a crooked back.called out renewed cheers by remarking that ho "reckoned it didn't make much difference about the throwin', as Curlew war satisfied with a'most any hoss." But the South Valley contingent de murred at this, and Dillon routed It a3 unparliamentary. So old Joo and the South Valley man cast for choice, and the throw was Joo's. Ho gruffly choso tho horse that should bo nearer tho corral gate. Then thoy shook out again for precedenco in order of rid ing, and this time tho South Valley broncho buster won, electing to rido second. Thoro was one other contest ant, who did not throw but I am an ticipating my story. After theso preliminaries nil roads pointed corrnlward, tho exodus even 6trlpplng Dillon's bar of Its deft at tendants. Tho corral was situated at tho open extromlty of tho gulch, on a flat of much lower level than thnt of ' Dillon's and tho other main division of tho town. When I got down tho flat was cleared for action, and tho man called Curlow was preparing to ride. Ho had barely tlmo to draw his sleovo across his perspiring faco when the half-choked and bewildered pony had lenped, like a flash, to his feet; at the same fractonnl part of a second, Curlow was lightly ensconced In tho saddle, stlrrupcd and pulling off tho pony's hood. Blinded by tho sun, dazed and frightened by tho weight on his back, tho bay stood quivering for a short space. But a stinging cut from Curlew's quirt discovered his bond age to him. Up he reared, straight and unhesitatingly, till, losing his bal ance, ho dropped over backward with an ugly thud, tho broad horn of tho cow snddlo digging Into tho ground Just whero Curlew should havo been. But tho red-haired rider was to ono side, waiting. Ho must havo been quick as light, for I assure you tho play of tho pony .was not slow. Again and again tho bay roso In tho nlr and repeated tho backward fnll, Curlew each time eluding It nnd each time swinging in tho snddlo as tho playful bruto came to his feet. It was all incredibly rapid, and how tho boy handled his long, loose-Jointed legs Is yet a mystery to me. Thoro wero 12 of these backward half-somersaults In thnt 90-foot corral, nnd then tho mnnocuvro was over, forming merely an unostcntntlous prcludo to tho real tactics of the fight. With a shrill whlstlo of rago that brought my heart against my ribs tho bay mado several sharp sidelong Jumps and then took to running. Through tho corral gate, across tho flat, up tho steep pitch, and Into tho town ho went, tho whole company of Interested spec tators following at their variously best paces. Curlow sot him with swayln ease, tho hackamoro ropo hanging looso In his hand; ho mado no attempt to stop or to guide. in tno mhlat of tno town tho run ended in tho inevitable buck, and thenceforth tho fun waxed fast and fit rlous. wo wero not mistaken In our horse; the brute was all his looks In dicated and more. Tho battlo only lasted somo 15 minutes, but In thnt short space of tlmo he called into ac tlvo uso every resource o! equine trick cry and threw himself Into every start ling contortion thnt horse anatomy permits of. Ho bucked straight and sideways, and turned nnd fell, and renred and kicked, squealing again and again in thnt fierce, unholy manner, till It seemed impossible that the plucky red-haired rider could longer enduro tho awful back-wrenching strain. A fall, too, meant death, for the horso would havo slashed him be foro ho touched ground or struck with front feet ns ho lay. During tho first 12 or 14 minutes of tho fight that boy's llfo was not worth the valuo of a cigarette; between rago nnd fear tho horso was stark mad, and had thoro been the sign of nn opening would havo leaped headlong Into tho rcputod Inferno a half a mllo below. As the moments woro on nnd his wholo repertolro of strength and strat orgy was worked through, without In tho least unfixing his rider, the white eyed pony began to loso heart; it was tho first tlmo that any man had been so tenacious of grip, and gradually his leaps became weaker and less vicious. Then Curlew's quirt and blocd-sooklng spurs urged him to more vigorous et- forts, but oven theso could not much longer sustain tho engagement. Drip ping with blood and sweat, nearly dead with fatigue, ho finally sue cumbod, and permitted himself to bo guided by tho rider at will. A hearty cheer burst from tho crowd, and Cur lew, rathor pale and weak, but over smiling, was rapturously dragged from tho saddle and carried Into Dillon's, an inert monument of glory to his memory and demonstrative friends, After the hero, his worshippers, tho antagonistic party, and all outsiders had been duly refreshed, which ro quired somo little time, wo bent our selves again to tho matter in hand, and prepared to witness tho second bout of the man against horso battlo, Thoro was almost as wldo a differ enco of tho two riders ns between tho bay nnd tho buckskin. Tho South Valley champion was much shorter than Curlow, and better knit. If I hnd not seen tho confusing doxtcrlty of tho lanky, red-hatred boy, I should havo esteemed this tho likelier man His movements wero alert and ho showed much experience; In complex ion almost black, with a bearded and somewhat sinister face "Charley Raw llns, late av N'MlxIco, an' bad whin he's dhrlnkln,' " no Dillon catalogued him. Tho buckskin pony remained in his downcast posturo and allowed tho New Mexican to saddlo him unresist ingly, merely cocking his hairy ears ono forward and tho other back and watching behind through tho tall of his sllttcd eye. I was standing along side old Joo during this peaceful over ture, and noted tho old man's chucklo, grim and ominous. Charley led his mount out from tho corral to tho lint, and jamming hla finely worked Mexican hat down over his eyes, vaulted cleanly to his seat. Tho yellow pony waked up Immediately nnd took tho buck, not wildly and fe roclously, ns tho bay had done, but in a calm, matter-of-fact sort of way that convinced ono It was his natural gait. Just as another horso might have gal loped or trotted, so did this beast buck, and for two blessed hours maintained the paco without a falter. Nor in all thnt heart-brcnklng period did his lin eal progress exceed 100 yards! It was most astonishing, not ono superfluous movement was mado; ho simply kept on nnd on, ench Jump being alost semi circular, that is, landing with his head whero hla tall bad started from, and vlco versn. This is whnt tho cowpunchcrs call changing ends, and It is not difficult to tmaglno tho effect of such n pro tracted merry-go-round sensation on tho rider. Tho bucking was neither high nor fierce, but the strain of that continuous swirl must havo been rack ing. Thoro was ono slight vnrlatlon which tho Bcrubby buckskin allowed himself In his system, though this was of such naturo as to bo rather discon certing to n rider with a head nlrcndy far from stendy. It was to turn In tho air after tho usual fashion, but Instead of alighting on stiffened leg3, to fall clumsily on ono side, the pony saving hlmsolf by bending his foreleg back under him. It was nn ugly trick to evade, and tho black New Mexican must havo been clear grit to hold his own so long. His face grew pallid and drawn, and after awhllo his stom ach revolted. At tho close of tho second hour ho was helpless; his will was still In the thing, but his body was limp nnd in effective, and the blood slowly trickled from his nose and can. Tho pony still worked with tho monotonous rcg' ulnrlty of n steam exhaust, nnd the end wa3 unquestionably near. When It came, tho man was sprawled to ono side, and tho horso Immedi ately lapsed Into his U3unl drooping nttltudo of watchful sleepiness. Somo of us ran to assist Rawlins, who lay just ns ho had fallen, too weak to rise, But ho waved us back; bis face was malignant with shame and anger, and distorted by pain; altogether, with tho pallor and tho blood-Btrenkcd beard, he was not an cxhllarutlng sight. Roll ing over to his sldo, ho raised himself pnrtlnlly on nn elbow, nnd beforo wa could closo on him hnd drawn I1I3 Colt's nnd fired. Tho big gun spoko sharply, nnd with a moan that was al most human tho buckskin pony lurched heavily to tho ground. Wo reached Rawlins In time to tnko tho smoking rovolver from his nerve less grasp; but as ho fell back again, I heard him mutter thickly; "Thon?, curse ye, y' mud-skinned hell-hound! Yo'll wear no more men out!" Tho prostrate broncho-bustcr'3 friends had taken him up, nnd Dillon was In tho midst of n brilliant address, awarding with much ornnte languago tho purso to Curlow, when nn Incident in tho form of anti-climax took tho floor from tho speaker and wound up tho sport with a hearty burst of good naturcd acclamation. I had tho history of this incident afterward. It seems, that tho boys of tho town tho Juveniles, I mean had organized and schemed to place an un registered and unexpected entry In the contest; nnd their schemo. was emi nently successful nnd amusing. Tho camp supported a little half-breed youth of about 12 years, a marvol In his lovo for and command over horses; ho must hnve been born nnd reared upon their bncks, so easily did ho bo como them. It was this urchin, Po dro by name, who was elected to rep resent tho younger faction in tho rid ing. Thcro was ono difficulty that would havo baflled most boys; no bad horso was forthcoming, but Pedro was so extremely Indifferent as to tho na turo or build of his mount that oven this was an easy adjustment. At tho cxtremo upper end of tho town was a butcher's cow corral, and In It confined a bunch of cnttle new from tho rango; ono of theso, a great red nnd white 4-year-old steer, was selected, and Po dro eagerly started on his rldo to fame, Dillon was getting well warmed to his much-prepared and patriotic ora tlon, when Pedro nnd tho frantic steer nppeared, rushing down tho pitch from tho town nbovc. There was an unro strained howl from tho assemblage, In which even Dillon Joined, nnd tho dirty, dare-devil brat shot out an an swerlng grin from the cnrecnlng back of his astonished steer. It was n thing to mako tho old gulch quiver with laughter. Somo ono had dressod the boy especially for the gamo; ho hnd on a pair of heavy fringed, full-slzo'd shaps, at least eight inches too long for him, and only kept from entirely covering his feet by tho shanks of a pair of hugo Mexican spurs, all bells and bangles. His Impish faco was sur mounted by a 5-lnch sombrero, a heavy quirt In ono hand and In the other a coll of rawhldo lariat, which was looped only over tho steer's horns. And how that animal was twisting himself, head down and tall up! But tho boy clung Hko a barnacle, by what means I havo no conjocturo. It Is well known that a steer has no withers, that he can buck through the cinches of any saddle, and a cowboy without a saddlo is not formidable. Yet thoro was that lean youth heathen, hampered by tho awkward trappings they had put on him, perched on his arching, un- glrded steed with nil tho pert compos uro of a tomtit on a pump hnndlo, which Is old Joo s Blmlle. "Cum aff av that, yo young limb," shouted Dillon, ns the steer rushed madly by us; tho boy waited, however, till tho crowd was passed, and thon, skillfully twitching his ropo from tho steer's horns, slid harmlessly to tho ground. Ho could scarcely walk for tho grotesque accouterments, but when ho did reach us, tho boys greeted him riotously. "Give tho money to tho kid," said Curlew laconically. "That's a trick I can't do," and midst clamors of com mendation and assent tho half-breed urchin was given tho purso. You cannot expect a doctor to join an anti-treat society. sskMm iMwSSSSM feswMsjjaggf 'Captain Nathan General Washington wanted a man. It was In September, 177G, at tho City of Now York, a few days after tho battlo of Long Island. Tho swift nnd doep East River flowed botween tho two hostile armies, and Gencrnl Wnsh- Ineton had ns vet no system cstnl)113li- cd for cottlng lnformntlon of tho en- omv'fl mnvpmonta and intentions, Ho novcr needed such information so mucn as nt that crisis. What would General Howo do next? If ho cross at Hell Gate, tho American army, too Bmall in numbers, nnd do feated tho week boforc.mlght bo caught on Mnnhattan tBland as in a trap, and tho Issue of tho contest might bo mauo to depond upon a slnglo battlo; for In Btich clrcumstnnccfl defeat would In volve tho capture of tho wholo army. And yet Genoral Washington was com pelled to confess: "Wo cannot learn, nor havo wo been ablo to possess, tho least Information of Into." Therefore ho wanted a man. Ho wanted an Intelligent man, cool-head ed, skillful, brave, to cross tho East River to Lone Island, enter tho en flmv's camD and got Information ns to his strength and Intentions. Ho wont to Colonel Knowlton. commnndlg n ro markably efficient rcglmont from Con necticut, nnd requested him to ascer tain If this man so sorely needed could ho found in his command. Colonel Knowlton called his olllcera together, stated tho wishes of General Washing ton, and, without urging tho cntor- CAPT. HALE DISGUISED AS A DUTCH SCHOOLMASTER. prlso upon any Individual, left tho mat ter to their reflections. Captain Nathan Hale, n brilliant youth of 21, recently graduated from Yalo collogo, was ono of thoso who reflected upon tho subject. Ho soon reached a conclusion. Ho was of tho very flower of tho young men of Now England, and ono of tho best of tho youuger soldiers of tho patriot army. Ho had been educated for tho minis try, nnd his motlvo in adopting for a tlmo tho profession of arms was purely patriotic. This wo know from tho famlltnr records of hla llfo nt tho tlmo when tho call to arms was first heard. In nddltion to his othor gifts nnd graces, ho was handsome, vigorous nnd athletic, all in an cxtraordlnnry do greo. If ho hnd lived In our dny ho might havo pulled tho Htroko oar nt Now London or pitched for tho collogo nine. Tho officers woro conversing In a group. No ono had as yet spouon tho declstvo word. Colonel Knowlton ap pealed to a French sergeant, nn old soldier of former wars, nnd asked him to volunteer. "No, no," said ho. "I am rendy to fight tho British at any plnco nnd tlmo, but I do not feel willing to go among them to bo hung up like a dog." Captain Hale joined tho group nt officers. Ho said to Colonel Knowl ton: "I will undcrtako It." Somo of his best friends remon strated. Ono of them, afterwards tho famouB Gen. Wllllnm Hull, then a enp taln In Washington's nrmy, has ro corded Halo's reply to his own attompt to dlssundo him. "I think," said Halo, "I owo to my country tho accomplishment of nn ob ject so lmportnnt. I am fully sonslblo of tho consequences of discovery nnd enpturo In such a situation. But for a year I havo been nttnehed to tho army, and havo not rendered any material service wbllo receiving a compensa tion for which I mako no return. I wish to bo useful, nnd every kind of servlco necessary for tho public good becomes honorable by being noces sary." Ho spoko, as General Hull remem bered, with earnestness nnd decision, ns ono who had considered tho mat- tor well, and had mado up his mind. Having received his Instructions, ho traveled fifty miles along tho Sound ns far ns Norwalk, in Connecticut. Ono who saw him thero mado a very wlso remark upon him, to tho effect thnt ho was "too good looking" to go ns a spy Ho could not dccolyo. "Somo scrubby fellow ought to havo gone." At Nor walk ho assumed tho dlsgulso of a Dutch schoolmaster, putting on a suit of plain brown clothes nnd a round, broad-brimmed hat. Ho had no dim culty In crossing tho Sound, slnco ho boro an order from Gonoral Wnshlng ton which placed nt his disposal all the veflsela belonging to Congress. For several days everything appears to havo gono well with hlra, nnd thero Is reason to bellovo that ho passed through tho ontlro British nrmy with out detection or even exciting auspl clan. Finding tho British hnd crossed to New York, ho followed them. Ho mado his way back to Long Island, and near ly reached tho point opposlto Norwnlk whero ho hand originally landed. Ron dered, perhaps, too bold by success, he went into n well-known nnd popular tavern, entered into conversation with tho guests and mado himself very agreeable. The tradition Is that ho mado himself too agreeable A man present, suspecting or knowing that ho was not tho chnrncter ho hnd as sunicd, quietly left tho room, commun icntcd his suspicions to tho captain of a British ship anchored near, who dls patched a boat's crew to capturo and bring on board tho agroeablo strangor. His truo character was Immediately ro vcnlcd, Drawings of somo of tho Brit 1 8h works, with notes In Latin, wero found hidden In tho soles of his shoes, Nor did ho attempt to deceive his cap tors, and tho English cnpUIn, lament Ing, an ho said, that "so lino n follow had fallon Into his power, ncnt htm to Now York In ono of his boatspand with him tho fatal proofs that ho was a spy. September 21st wns tho day on which ho reached New York tlio day of tho great flro which laid ono-thlrd of the llttlo city In ashes. From tho tlmo of his depnrturo from Gcnornl Washing ton's camp to that of his return to Now York wns nbout fourteen dnya. Ho waB taken to Gonoral Howo's head quarters at the Dcelunan mansion, on tho Enst river, near tho corner of tho present Flfty-flrst street nnd First avonuo. It Is n strange colncldcncu that tho house to which ho was brought to bo tried as n spy was tho very ono from which Mnjor Andro departed when ho wont to West Point. Tradi tion says that Cnptnln Halo was ex amined In n greenhouso which then stood In tho garden of tho Bcokraan mansion. Short wns his trial, for ho avowed at onco his truo chnractcr. Tho British gonoral signed nn order to his provost- marshal directing him to rccolvo Into his custody tho prisoner convicted as t "I ONLY REGRET THAT I HAVE HUT ONE LIFE TO LOSE FOR ,. MY COUNTRY." n spy, and to sco him hanged by tbo neck "tomorrow morning at day break." Terrible things aro reported of tho manner in which this noblo prlsouer, this ndmlrnblo gentleman nnd hero, wns treated by his Jailor and execu tioner. Thero nro savages' In every largo army, and it is posslblo thnt thla provost-marshal waB ono of them. It Is snld that ho refused him writing materials, and nftorward, when Cap tain Halo had been furnished them by others, destroyed beforo hla faco hla last letters to his mother and to tho young lady to whom ho was engaged to bo married. As thoso letters wom nover received, this statement may bo truo. Tho other alleged horrorB of tho execution it la safo to disregard, ho- causo wo know It was conducted in In usual form and In tho presenco of many spectators and a consldornblo body of troops. Ono fact shines out from tho distracting confusion of that morning, which will bo cherished to tho latest posterity as a precious ingot of tho moral treasures of tho Ameri can peoplo. When united if lm had anything to sny, Captnln Halo ro pllcd: "I only regret that I havo but ono llfo to loso for my country." Tho sceno of his execution wns prob ably nn old graveyard In Chambors strcot, which was thon called Barrack street. General Howo formally noti fied General Washington of his execu tion, In recent years, through tho In dustry of Investigators, tho pathos and sublimity of theso ovents havo beon In part rovcalcd. A few years ago a bronzo Btntuo of tho young hero was unveiled In tho New York City Hall Park. It Is great ly to bo regretted that our knowledge of this noblo martyr Is so slight; but wo know enough to bo euro that ho merits tho veneration of his country men, Tho man who marries for monoy merely trades his liberty for a meal ticket.