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.