.Obfrvy SUtppede EThurt., uy 2), 1,959 Pge 4t' , J .. T- "
First Rodeo Held
At Old "Courthouse
This year will be Elliin' Thir
' Iccnth Annual Stampede, but the
' origin of rodeos dates fuck as far
as the early 1800's.
At Pecos, Texas, in 1833, cow
hoys penned the loniiborns on
'the courthouse lawn an-l roped
fthem on the main street. This
was the first rodeo.
But the complete story behind
, the rodeo begins shortly after
Texans came home from the Civ
il War, to find that their long
horn herds had multiplied un
checked. Southern cattle mar
kets, already depressed by the
collapse of the Confederacy, were
soon glutted. So the Texans turn
ed their herds to the north and
to the west, driving them across
the plains, first to belter mar
kets, then to the westering rail
roads at Abilene and Wichita and
Dodge, later to the greener pas
tures that stretched across the
great plains clear to the Cana
dian line.
The trail drivers were tough
men and independent, who lived
'in the saddle and slept under
the open sky.
Occasionally th -t hit a train
town, where the blew off
enough steam, in that brief
moment of history, to keep four
Hoopster Is Thrown
By Hula Hoop Tricks
A young Indian dancer who per
forms amazing tricks with hoops
scarcely larger than his waist
had to make an amharrassing
confession he can't "hula hoop.
The boy, Harvey Keyonnic, can
easly do such things as double
his body, leap into the air and
then pull a 26-inch hoop over
himself in flight. He can even
jump rope with a tiny hoop. But
he can't make one twirl around
his waist.
The young doncer acrobat
from Stcamlwat Canyon, Ariz.,
performs during the summer at
Indian City, U.S.A., o tourist at
traction near here.
generations of fiction writers
busy ever since. Hut town, in the
long monotony of their lives, was
an unexpected pleasure; a binge
nt a few days, perhaps, in every
ear.
Between (owns they created
their own amusement. The hands
nt different cattle outfits, comirlg
together on the trail or at round
up time, bet their scant wages
on their skill at riding the rank
broncos or roping and busting
the longhomed steers.
At Chcyenn?, In 1872, the town
folk gathered at the settlement
edife to watch some Texans try to
ride the wild cattle.
In a short generation the wild
west settled down. The open
range was fenced and posted and
front street saloons were closed
up by a wave of civic respecta
btlty. But throughout the west,
the best of the rough string rid
ers and the toughest hands with
mpe, still rode for the money
at the contests the townsmen
kept alive.
In 500 communities in the V.
S. and Canada the cowboy con
tests are put on by the towns
men who serve on the commit
tee without pay to keep the fron
tier spirit alive in a city-wid?
event the whole area supports.
The rodeo cowboy earns no
salary, draws no expense allow
ance, has no guaranteed annual
wage. His only income is what
he can win in his sport. What
is more, he must pay for the
I rivilege.
The competing cowboy can
win more in a minute than most
men earn in a month.
The cowboys' herds nowadays
arc whizzed down super high
ways in big trucks by contract
haulers. His cattle are calmed
by tranquilizers and branded in
chutes. He rides the range in
a pickup truck and turns on the
television in his livingroom. But
in the arena he's still a cowboy.
There you'll find him still, a
sound horse under him, a stout
rope in his hand. He's still a
cowboy, still a tough hand riding
the last frontier.
CASEY KEEFER
Rodeo Co-Chairman
1' (Observer Photos)
'
DON'T
MISS
IT!
The 13lh Annual
ELGIN
STAMPEDE
JULY
25 & 26
YOUR SAFEWAY STORE
IN LA GRANDE . ,
GEORGE CARROLL
Advertising Chairman
MILDRED HARWOOD
Queen Moth-r
Committeemen
Hard At Work
! Behind the fun and Nativities of
the Steinpede an able bodied crew
of committees and committee
; chairman put in extra hours whip
ping linal details into shape.
Maurice Beck who is piesident
!of the Slampeders is acting as gen
eral chairman for the two-day
event.
j Assisting Beck are his co-ciialr-imen
Cas?y Keefer and Larry
;Follctt.
! A committee of three is in
charge of the program. They are
Carl Long. Casey Keefer, and
I.arry follett.
May Mct'ull Is In charge of the
Sunday morning parade which will
begin at 11:30 a.m.
Hie-hard Cason will have charge
of the club eevnts and Dale Clark
is chairman of the ticket sales.
Gcorgo Carroll is handling the
advertising .while Ben Hayes is in
charge of the police and gate.
Rex Houlctt is handling the
decorations.
Walley Moore and Bob Townsend
have combined their efforts to
bring the grounds up to top con
dition. Mirvil Bennett is chairman of
the dance committee which in
cludes the Coronation ball held last
week.
Bill Hindman was named arena
director, and Earn Adams is chair
man of the club concessions com
mittee. Stub Krause will aiain be in
charge of the kids parade.
Drill master for the Slampeders
this year will b? Dick Hibberd.
Margarette Follett had charge
of the queen contest, and Mildred
Harwood is acting as queen
mother.
The sound equipment is under
the direction of Herman Stroeber.
Official announcer for the rodeo
will be Bob Chambers from Pen
dleton and stock will again be
furnished by Harley Tucker.
.Workers. Complete
Ground Repairs
Several new improvements have
been made : on the Stampede
grounds this year in preparation
for the rodeo. -
Slampeders have buiit a new
cement block rest room unit. It is
located on the south end of the
grounds.
The track Ins also been rebuilt
and widened and a new guard
rail has been installed argund t''
inside of the track.
Some new fence has also been
added.
All work was done hy donation
and the materials were paid for
- . i ' i - j
by the Stampede" llicmsclycs.
It Is reported that the cost uf
improvement is around $2000 to
2.-0C. ' '
' A Stampeder spokesman report
ed that tor a lime both men and
women were bard at . work in a.
I mutual effort to complete the lh
Iprovcments.
i it
. &JbM .
LARRY FOLLETT
Rodeo Co-Chairman
Wei
come
To Elgin
lor ihe
0
MARGARETTE FOLLETT
Queen Contest Chairman
ELMO 30ITAKO
Stampeder's Vice President
Come and Enjoy This Fine Wesiern Event
In Our Friendly Community July 24-25-26
- - ' , .. . i . ,
First State Bank of Elgin
AN INDEPENDENT BANK SERVING
ELGIN AND NORTHEASTERN OREGON
MAURICE BECK
Club President
MERVIL BENNETT
Dance Chairman
Make A Date To Attend The
ELGIN STAMPEDE
JULY 24-25-26
Don't Miss the Big Pageant
"Sctttcrs Fire"
FRIDAY EVENING, JULY 24
SUCCESS
to our
Elgin Friends
and Neighbors
on their
Vl3lh
Annual Event
V
& mr
H. L WAGNER & SONS
INC.
V ....; SEED PROCESSORS
linhlnr, Oregon
Phono Imblrr 241
SOIL STERILENTS... BINDER TWINI...BREA LIQUID FERTILIZERS
. StfO HANOI INu AND MARKCTlNu . . . f AKM I IllMl. m! i.
HARRY GILLIAM
Club Director
(..if.. I
r
SPENCER TOLLY
Club Dfrector
MM
MAM
mm'
Fine Selection in Floor Coverings
SPECIAL GROUP
Inland Linoleum
NICE SELECTION
1
$1 .49 running C'
ft. U
width
12' Print Linoleum
Special 1.19 rTin9
Sandrcn, Gold Seal
Armstrong
I.N VINYL PRINTS
WALL COVERING
IN VINYL
SPECIAL
'per- -
running
ft.
1 " I
COUNTER, TOPS
OF ALL KINDS
. . and don't forget -
the Elgin Stampede :
. July r
vrriTxn
11 U f ! While you are taking advantage of
t h e above . specials see our, ., beautiful . lines oi
famous Mohawk & Firth carpets.
!
DALE CLARK
Ticket Chairman