The Billboard 1924-03-29: Vol 36 Iss 13 (1924-03-29)

MARCH 29, 1924 he Sillboard JHE Ct Waddy Jess Coppinger will have the Wild West with the Cooper Rialto Shows this season. What about the contest that used to he held ot -arden City, Kan.? ret us have the lineup and news of rou Wild West folks that will troupe with different circus concerts the coming season. ’ From reports on progress already made it sure looks as tho Tex Austin will have a full con signment of ‘“hands’’ to ship to the forthcoming Rodeo in London. The Buckskin Ben Wild West will be one ef the feature attractions with the Greater Sheesley Shows, one of the larger carnival organizations. Jimmie Eskew, with a crackerjack outfit on the Rubin & Cherry Shows, has opportunity to step heavily into the limelight this year, and Jimmie can put it over when he sets his mind to the task. Tom Mix will be a prominent figure at the 101 Ranch Rodeo at Ponca City, Ok., May 1719, during the meeting of the National fditorial Association. Altho weather interfered in no small way with the affairs, it can be sald that the contest business got away to a good start in the Southwest this spring, at Fort Worth and Houston, Tex. Eliwood, the ventriloquist, postcarded from Decatur, IL: “I caught Bee Ho Gray spinning his ropes and springing jokes here this week. He stopped the show. The ol’ cow puncher is eure putting a ‘punch’ Into the bill."’ Harol€é T. Jones advised that he has a Roundup and Rodeo at Kerrville, Tex., March 27-29. with about $1,100 purses, and that since the date could be a fill-in between the events at Dallas and San Antonio he felt that he will have a good representation of contestants there. The Bly Rodeo Association will hold its fift! annual Roundup at Klamath Falls, Ore.. ear in July. This affair is owned and conducted by cattlemen of that district and business men of Klamath Falls and from reports they have more than a hundred head of snaky bronks for the show. Grace M. Sparks, secretary the Prescott (Ariz.) Frontier Days, writes: “‘We a all for The Biliboard in this country."* Incidentally Rowdy Waddy and many of the bers and girls ean say lots of good things for the Prescott event—one being that it's a ‘“‘win on your merit’’ proposition. Ray H. McKinley is said to have the most wonderful memory of any person in the rodeo game. He met a contest hand a few weeks ago who he had not seen in four years. “You don’t remember me. do you?’ the contestant asked. ‘Oh, yves,’’ said MeKinley—but the sad part of the story is that he must go on mmembering. “Championship contests’’ with “warld’s’’ titles seem to be something that will have to be de cided upon by a majority of the folk w them. Until an organization > govern cowboy sport in the United States there will be arguments and dissensions. Now is the time for the really big men at the head of these things to get together. —— 0. J. Snyder, saddle man of Denver, Col., saw the worthwhileness of advertising his wares op The Corral page of the Spring Special, as did C. H. Hyer & Sons, boot makers, of Olathe, Kan. Both have “‘specials’’ in their respective lines to offer cowboys and cowgirls, As Was announced previous to the big edition, it Was 105,000 copies, Tommy Kirnan ‘‘kidded’’ Chester Byers into trying a line of rope talk when he “appeared between falle at q wrestling match in Texas recently. Chet didn't go so well with his line of chatter, but when this realization came and he stepped into his real roping he ‘“‘took their breath’’ away. The word has it, they are still The above photo (by C. D. Ostram) is of the well-known lady steer and buckinghorse rider, ‘‘Tad’’ Barnes. She was among the contestants at the Fort Worth Rodeo. and all ‘round people. then to Cuba for the winter. Fort Worth, Texas. Wanted For McINTYRE WILD WEST SHOWS THE BEST SHOW OF ITS KIND Few more Cowboys, Cowgirls, Bucking-Horse Riders, Must have good outfits and Wardrobe. is a high-class Show and guarantees you a season up to October Ist; We have real Cook House and firstclass sleeping tent accommodations. No time to waste. salary night letter to H. C. McINTYRE, World's Greatest Rifle Shot. DODSON’S WORLD’S FAIR SHOWS, Ft. Worth, Texas aateemaemedl Steer Riders This Show opens March 29th, at Wire full details and lowest talking about Chet’s wonderful roping and trying to laugh at his jokes. The following from the East—R. C. (Jack) Carlisle has been working up some new tricks and practicing on some real old ones, getting in trim for the coming season. Jack did fancy roping and riding with the Barnum « Bailey Circus when it toured Europe, and in the days vhen Walter Lowe and Slim Higley worked frontier riding on the hippodrome tracks with reuses—Wild West concerts being unknown in those days. R. C. Carlisle, Jr.. bids fair to hecoming and adept rider and roper—a ‘‘chip off the ol’ block"’. Bill Penny wrote from Denver that the opening date for his Wild West is set for Summit Beach Park, Akron, 0., May 12, for a two weeks’ engagement, one week of which is during a big Shriners’ celebration, held in the park. Says he has other park engagements to follow Akron, and that he will carry abont veuty-five or thirty Sioux Indians (some of those with him last season), fifteen quubege and girls, about forty head of stock, ‘ piece band and an old-time stage pa § iis show is scheduled to leave Denver May 5. A. H., St. Louls, writes: “St. Louis is seeing Wild West in vaudeville by real cowboys the last couple of weeks. Bee Ho Gray is playing the Grand Theater this week. while ‘Tex’ MeLeod is at the Orpheum. Both boys are doing acta that are a credit to cowboys. I remember when Bee Ho was with the Cummins Wild West nineteen years ago. At that time W W Dillingham, Annie Schafer, Flores LaDue, Lynch, Tom Mix, Lucy Taylor and several ore oldtimers were trouping with Col. Cums.** From our Chicago office (March 19)—Johnny Raker spent several days in Chicago this week. Mrs. Baker accompanied him. It might not be amiss to again state that Mr. Baker, foster son of the late Col. W am F. Cody, has a museum and refreshment house on the trail leading to the grave of the great plainsman not far from Denver Ile sald more than 600,000 persons visite d the sepals hr e } et vear, most of them, of course ’ Johnny keeps bis museum and lunch house ope n from April 15 until December 1 While here he placed one order for 375.000 pictures of Buffalo Bill's grave post cards with Rowdy Woddy had a great showing made up for The Corral in the Spring Special edition. last issue, but because of the vast amount of matter to be handled in the big book, as a whole, the “‘lay-out’? conld not be used. However, the pictures, ete., will be nsed in later issues, as space permits. Incidentally, the special edition contained 292 pages and was the largest yet published, also virtually each news item in the paper was condensed to the very ‘“‘meat’ of it, and the greater part of the type was “‘set solid’’—no spacing “leads” used between lines (otherwise, it would have been about a third larger). Thru arrangements made by Wm. Massie, vice-president of the Fort Worth National Bank, for the entertainment committee of the Reserve Cities Bankers’ convention, the private rodeo performance to be staged by Fog Horn Clancy for the entertainment of the delegates will be transferred from Dallas to the Coliseum at Fort Werth. The convention, however, will be held In Dallas and the delegates will go to Fort Worth for the redeo performance, after which — will be guests of Fort Worth bankers as many social functions as their stay will oe ‘rmit. The rodeo performance, however, is being staged from a special fund of the convention entertainment committee. A Billboard man visited the Norwood Theater, Norwood, O., one night last week and saw the performance of ‘“‘Broncho John" Sullivan and **Texas Jack’’ Sullivan and wife. It was great. The house was ‘‘packed’’ at two shows. Jack’s lecture and talks on cowboy life were along a line to gain admirers for the boys and girls of the Western country, particularily the pioneers. The rifle shooting was very clever, with Mrs. Jack Sullivan holding a five by teninch target in front of her. Rope spinning and roping also were adeptly presented. And how that feller can manipulate a_ six-shooter——quick as “greased lightnin’’’. They also have a five-reel film, with themselves in the ings’, that drew pronounced commendation from audiences. **shoot From New York—William E. Hawks (‘‘Historian of the Plains’), a member of the 2-Bar70 Ranch of Snake River, Id., who is in this city with Mrs. Hawks for a few weeks, called it the local office of The Billboard to << of his fine visit with Fred Stone, of “The Stepping Stones’, at his Chin-Chin Ranch, Amityville. I ] Hawks, who has been acquainted with Mr. Stone for a number of years, was agreeably rprised at the magnitude of the comedian’s ranch and tts entertaining features Among the many Interesting novelties presented was in ancient stage coach bnit in Concord, Nw. F.. in 1882. which Hawks declared to be in fine condition. Several head of saddle horses, buckers and three Brahma steers were exhibited, in all of which the historian showed a considerable interest. Celaary, Alta, Oanada (March 12): One of the features of the big Stampede parade that is hell here annually to officially open the Calgary Stampede and Exhibition will be that the fortyhorse team, hauling trail wagons, will in itself string out more than a city block in length. Present indications are that the famous Pioneer and Oldtimer section of the parade will eclipse anything of a like nature ever held. The Alberta Livestock Growers’ Association is holding its big summer meeting during Stampede week and the chuck-wegons”, with their round-up crews of every ranch in Alberta, will be camped in Calgary at the time. Members of every stockgrowers’ association in the United States, as well as in all parts of Western Canada are being invited to attend and hage a buffalo “chuck-wagon” dinner with the Alberta Livestock Growers. Every oldtimer and ploneer association of the Western States has been invited. Preparations are being made to accommodate a record-breaking crowd. H. R. H., the Prince of Wales—the F’atron of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede—donates the silver trophy to the winner of the Canadian Championship in bronk riding, as well as a special silver cigaret case bearing the royal crest. Word received at the Stampede headquarters from London announces that the Prince of Wales is sailing for South Africa, from London, May 2, to be gone for months, but that it is hoped that he will again visit his Alberta ranch in 1925 and at the same time attend the Calgary Stampede. Many of our readers have inquired about the “best bucking horse’’ in the contesi busine The Calgary Herald recently had the fo lowing, in part, on the subject: ‘* ‘Fox’, the Alberta bofn and raised horse and one of the hardest bucking horses ever developed in the country, is still going strong despite all rumors to the eontrary—that age has soothed his violent temper, that he broke a leg last summer and that numerous other fatal things happened to him. The horse was raised by the McHugh tros., oldtimers in the ranching business in Alberta. In a recent letter received from 8. R. Thompson, president of the Rotary Club at Pendleton, Ore., and one of the fathers of the famous Pendelton Roundup—one of the most spectacular cowboy contests in America—he says concerning the great Alberta buck : *“Fox"’ was unridden in 1925, throwing six top riders. He was ridden in 1920, but I think it was because we had him too Tot and he was net given a fair chance. They were afraid of him and almost cut him in two with the cinch. Rut he is considered by riders as the hardest horse in the world today.’ ‘Fox’ reached the height of his bucking fame when he won the championship at Weadick's Stamp de at New York City in 1916, where he w ridden under the name of ‘I-Don’t-Know’ and ‘Reservat He has been known in Pendleton as ‘No Name’. The Calgary Stampede management say they ive four horses just as good as ‘Fox’. One of them no doubt is ‘Alberta Kid’, owned by Guy Weadick, which was achaowtedges the best bucking horse at the 1923 Stampede, having thrown seven men during the contest. A large delegation from Pendleton is expected to visit the Calgary Stampede in July, and no dovbt their yisit will be returned by many Albertans to the Pendleton Roundup in September."’ ng hors g ho a get this ‘world’s a title business sort of lined up so we il know w ‘hat we're talking about—until some sort of an ial organization governing them Is formed. One of the latest rumors is that a ‘“‘world’s championship’ contest is thought of in Australia for the coming summer or fall, while another promoter says if ‘‘things straighten out’’ in a logical part of Mexico he may attempt to stage one in that country, and besides the forthcoming advertised event at Wembley Park, London, canes have been exchanged for another big ent over there in the fall (altho it seems the latter will not be termed a ‘world’s champion ship’® affair). Anyway, it causes one to “stop ind ponder’’ to no small degree. There is, however, one very theoretical way to look at the situation, namely: If we cannot officially recognize winners at any one of the big affairs staged each year in the Tnited States as “‘world’s champions” (right in the country where the sport originated), how on earth are we to so recognize them in any one of the foreign countries? It can't be done—from a real merit point of tiew. In Canada there is the association known as the “Cowboy Contest Managers’ Association’ and werd comes from one of its executives: “Cowboy sport is governed in the Dominion of Canada by the official body, the majority of cuntests in Canada being members of the organization. and we cannot consistently recognize championship titles of any country unless the contests are conducted also under an association and under the same (or practically the same) win-bvy-merit rules under which Canadian cham pionships are awarded."’ ‘ow, don't let anybody get the above comment in the wrong light. It ts one of The Bill board’s greatest concerns that big events of cowboys sports and many of them are held (and by all means that they be successful), as it not only increases interest in the sport (if conducted in a proper manner), but provides means for many contestants to earn their livelihood and add ta their finances. If cowboy sports events are to be staged in England, Australia, Mexico, or any other country, all right. But, as to official and consistently recognizable world championship titles, it surely seems that the honors should first be awarded right here in the Tnited States. where the sport was born and has been fostered for many years, and since there were six or eight affairs staged Just last year awarding ‘‘world’s championships’’—well. how are you to start getting official without an association? Surely not by letting some ether country grab the lanrels » 7 2y FLETCHERY SMITH That oldtimer, T. J. Lobenstein, formerly a well-known cireus and carnival man, his last trouping being with the Bernardi Shows, is now located ig San Francisco, where he is Northwestern representative of the Wrigley Company. Harry Kelly, who last year had a wagon show thru the Middle West and was formerly asso ciated with Vernon Reaver, is going to open this spring with a **Tom” show under canvas starting from Newton, Ia ercy Hall, oldtime Gloucester trouper and former pal of Bill Kelliher, is out of the show business altho he still keeps in touch with it thru The Billboard. Percy is located in Can ton, O., associated with the W. A. Fisher & Son Co., brokers, and is always glad to meet a trouper. Johnnie Kestler, of the Sells-Floto Show last season, is still at his home in Spencer, N. C.. near Salisbury, and will be back with the show in the spring. nie writes that his folks always have the chstring out for treupers who ro take a c¢ cat ride from Salisbury to their When e late Guy Cohen was alive it was his regula inter home, as long as the Sparks Show wet in Salisbury. If not a of the best calliope players in the business, Harry Wills, is enjoying the winter at his home im Eau Claire, Wis. Harry planned to take out a medicine show this Winter, but cold weather caused him to change his mind. He will manipulate the keyboard again with the Sparks Shew. Al F. Wheeler, after years of hard work with his own and other shows. is now enjoying a rest at his home in Oxford, Pa., and will, this season, win dese or recognition as » Ringling Show. Al F. writes ve is putting his ray ur inder his own table or the first time in five years. He has sold all his equipment he had on the Clark show to Lee Clark. Oxford used to be the home of many troupers when Al F. had his wagon show’ out of there and Frank J. Frink still makes it his home. Garry Johnson, whe was for several Seasons treasurer with the New Model Show, still lives there and has a paying sign and auto painting shop. E. GG. Smith, who was also on the New Model Show as assistant manager, is this season the general agent of the Honest Bill Show. Maybe on account of the prestige the Christy } enjoys in its home city, Beau mont, Tex., or maybe the schooling he had when soliciting ads for the Ringling program had something to do with it, at any rate ©. R. Reger, new banner man of the Texas show, has broken all records for banners for a circus opening and, he tells me, in all probability it was never exceeded with any circus. He showed orders for $1,250 worth of banners and inside hangers and his sign painter has been busy seyeral days tting the signs ready. His success ‘out ard a surprise to every ! He will be one day ahead of the show on the road. Bill Campbell, who has been wintering in Texas, has opened his two-car minstrel show and took it down in the Rio Grande valley and as far south as Laredo. He writes that the weather has been fine in lower Texas and business big. He will keep the minstrel show out this summer but is thinking seriously of putting out a five-car circus next season playing in the South. Tommy Fallon, the veteran cornet soloist, after a pleasant winter In Dallas, Tex., is back in harness again playing even more cornet than usual with the Christy Show Band. Tommy and ‘Tubs’ Bernhardt are both well. The annual spring festival of the Young Men's Business Association of Beaumont was & complete success with big crowds in from the country and the destroyer Marcus in the harbor and visited by more than 10,000 people. There was a ! display of fireworks and the , did good business at Pitkin ’ pt the crowds away for two but e attendance was very satisfactory and it has been decided to make the festival an annual event, Neil O'Brien's Minstrels played in Beaumont recently to a packed house and brought to the city an old circus trouper in Punk Bwing, who was with Jack Phillips for several seasons en the Sparks, Show. Tunk had a visit at the winter quarters of the Christy Show and met several of the band boys. He will not be with the white tops this season. My old friends, Fred and Nellie Brad, are among the few circus People =e still make best, one 3 Baraboo, Wis r ome Fred was with the Sparks Show for many years and his wife was with the Gollmar and Ringling shows. Fred has been b this winter building a new car and he will join the ranks of the pitchmen the coming summer and not troupe as usual with the white tops The Atlantic City Lodge of Elks cleared 4 nice sum with their minstrel show and it gave Frank B. Hubin a chance to be happy, as be was chairman of the executive committee. Frank also took prominent part im the show and appeared as ge Washington in the olio in the tablean, “‘The Spirit of ‘76°. He made his b ' as he posed for the famous picture hington Crossing the Delaware’’. Frank writes thet he did good and got some real press notices on his work. Harry Bender, who has been with the hty Haag Show for several years, has cha ~ cirevs home this season and will have a of the bulldog truck on the Bert Howard, of Baraboo, who has beag bei | the Ringling and Gollmar Shows and (Continued on page S3)