WILD WEST BACK AGAIN.
101 Ranch Exhibit Witnessed by
Large Crowds.
After a big street parade yesterday morning, Miller Brothers' 101 Ranch Wild West show opened the season at Seventeenth street and Indiana avenue to full capacity, afternoon and night.
From the opening parade, a grand ensemble of participants in the show, to the last number, a reproduction of the massacre of Pat Hennessy and family by the Indians in 1874, each display is interesting. In reproducing the massacre of the Hennesy family the Miller brothers have secured Chief Bull Bear, said to be the identical Indian who led the others in the massacre. W. H. Malaley, the same United States marshal who led the posse and captured the Indians, has charge of the capturing party now. The reproduction is said to be true to life.
In the stage coach robbery, reproduced at this show, several horses are supposed to be shot. They drop to the ground and remain there as if dead. One, whose leg was "shot," gets up after its wound has been bound and limps away, while its cowboy rider walks, fanning his favorite steed.
The marvelous manner in which cowboys handle the "rope" attracts much attention. One lariat thrower, after catching horse and rider in every conceivable place, catches the horse by the tail while the animal is on the dead run. The lassoing of wild steers, throwing steers by the horns, riding bucking bronchos and steers and the daring riding of the Russian Cossacks are other interesting features on the programme. Following the riding of the Cossacks the cowboys go them one better by doing everything they do and then some.
With this show is the largest number of Indians ever allowed by the government to leave the reservation with one organization. They give a dance at each performance, but even the management does not know which it is to be. The weather, environment and the mood of the once savage governs the dances. They have in their weird repertoire the ghost, snake, sun, squaw, coon, antelope, wolf, buffalo and elk dances. There are seventeen separate and distinct displays on the programme and among these are an Indian maiden who does some crack shooting, races between cowboys and cowgirls, dances on horseback and trick riding by both men and women.
At the close there is the usual concert at which there is a genuine negro minstrel show, some fancy club swinging and acrobatic work. As a concert finale, a trainer enters the cage of a ferocious lion which has already killed three men.
There will be two performances of the Wild West show today, at 2 p. m. and 8 p. m.
