nav bar



Even Indians "Doin' It" - War Dance Modern Rag
Oklahoma Wild West Show Blends Barbary Coast and Plains

The San Francisco Call - 22 Aug 1913


If Denis Kearney could have been on the old sandlot made famous by himself at Eight and Market streets yesterday afternoon he would have witnessed scenes of the early days of California which would have done his heart a world of good.

It was the opening performance of the Oklahoma ranch wild west show, and there were Indians and stage coaches and ox teams, a camp of forty-niners and cowboys and cowgirls by the score, and all such that gave to the west its reputation for wildness.

But with all the bronco busting and steer wrestling and roping and shooting and the like there is just a little touch of modernism about the whole thing. For instance, the war dance of the Indians hasn't the suggestion of savageness that it had a few years ago, but instead the red men and women prance about as if they had been practicing down on the Barbary coast. And some of the horses - they "ragged," too.

Homer Wilson, king of the Oklahoma cowpunchers, roped four mounted riders with one hand and four others with the other. Wilson is cowboy chief. Miss Lucille Mulhall, daughter of Colonel Zack Mulhall, former United States marshall and Oklahoma cattle king, made her first appearance after returning from the Winnipeg stampede, where she carried off the steer roping honors from scores of men.

The oldest performer with the show is Colonel Mulhall and the youngest a papoose that saw the light for the first time only three days ago.

Miss Emma Blair, who rides a high jumping horse, was formerly on the stage as a singer, but gave up a footlight career because of the fascination of the wild west business. Miss Mary Holmes, rider and roper, a cowgirl since she could mount a horse, says she's tired of the road and is going back to her ranch in the fall.

San Franciscans have a part of the Salinas rodeo right at their front door, as "Happy Jack" Hawn and a score of riders are with the show. There's an automobile polo game, with cowboys at the wheels, and attempts to ride "Sharkey," a big black bull, and side-shows and clowns and scores of toher things that go to make up a wild west show that's as wild as the wildest.






nav bar
NAVIGATION

GREATGRANDFATHER: ZACK MULHALL:
  Photos and Stories       Genealogy       Timeline  

GRANDFATHER: JAMES HOMER BUTRIDGE:
  Index,     Butridge Genealogy,  

GRANDMOTHER: JENNIE AUDRY BUTRIDGE:
  Index,     Art Book,  

FATHER: BRADLEY VAN DEUSEN:
  Index,   Old Soldiers' Drums,   All Poetry,   Letters

MOTHER: JEAN AUDREY BUTRIDGE:
  Index,     Art,     Writing,     High School,  

ME:
Home,   Family,   Favorite Pages,   Site Map


IME logo Copyright © 2014, Mary S. Van Deusen