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The Great 1,000 mile race
Monday, May 6, 2013
Doc Middleton, right, "King of the Horse Thieves," Old Joe Gillespie & John Berry, above left, with their horses, at 1000-mile tree in Chicago. Riders in the 1000 Mile Race at the start in Chadron, top left.
Recently we came across an article, which noted that the running of ultra-marathon races (endurance races of 50, 100, even 150 miles) was the fastest growing outdoor sport in America. McCook has at least two dedicated ultra-marathoners, who do credit to their sport. This brought to mind a race that originated in Nebraska some 120 years ago, a super race that tested the mettle of both man and beast, and in so doing set the standard for endurance horse races to today.
In 1893, even in western Nebraska, there was a great thirst for news, whether it was local news or news concerned with events worldwide, fueled by the resources of the Associated Press service, the leading news resource of the day. The AP accommodated newspapers across the land, including the Chadron paper. The AP encouraged its members to contribute stories from their coverage area, to be disseminated to papers across the land and abroad. This, Chadron seemed to do -- with enthusiasm. Chadron had contributed several stories, eagerly picked up by eastern papers.
The trouble was that some of these stories were bogus, idea of a couple of Chadron cut-ups, Emmett Albright, a cowboy from Texas and John Maher, a clerk in the Dawes County Courthouse, (and an unnamed friend at the Newspaper. Maher loved practical jokes, to the extent that he was known as John Maher, "Paralyzer of the Truth." Both boys loved to pull the leg of easterners, with stories of a Petrified Man, the Monster from Alkali Lake, and several others. "Those Easterners want to believe that the West is mysterious, with savage Indians, half-wild cowboys, and damsels in distress. We were just helping to bolster those illusions."
In the fall of 1892 the Germans and the Austrian armies waged a friendly 360 mile endurance race, from Berlin to Vienna. The race turned into a disaster. Of 230 horses in the race, more than 30 died, or were disabled. Many others were doped up to keep them going. The winner, in 71 ½ hours was an Austrian soldier, whose mount was kept going with morphine shots. The horse died after crossing the finish line. The rider collected $5,000 prize money.
The boys at the Chadron Livery Stable were disgusted by the European race. The Berlin-Vienna horses were thoroughbreds. The Nebraska cowboys were in agreement that western bred horses, even though of mixed breeding would have fared much better in a race of that sort.
Albright and Maher heard the talk at the Livery Stable and immediately came up with a story for the Associated Press. The Chicago Exposition, a gigantic World's Fair to mark Columbus' Landing in the New World in 1493, was to be held in the summer of 1893, and Maher-Albright reported that some 300 cowboy riders from all parts of the American West were going to race from Chadron to Chicago, some 1000 miles to mark the event. Upon arrival in Chicago they would perform feats of western riding skills before spectators at the fair.
The report stated that among the 300 riders would be cowboy dignitaries, with names like "Cockeyed Bill," Dynamite Dick, and Snake-Creek Tom. There would even be a female entry -- who would ride "astride her horse," shocking in that day when all women rode side-saddle.
The boys at the Livery Stable thought that this bogus news item was about the funniest thing they had ever happened in Chadron. But the city fathers were alarmed. If it ever got out that this whole story was just a hoax, the town would be the laughing stock of the nation. It was immediately decided that there would, indeed, be such a race, with a $1000 prize. Rules were quickly made up, among which stated: a. Only western ponies be used, b. Each rider could take two ponies, alternating riding and leading, c. Each rider, saddle, and gear to weigh not less than 150 pounds. d. Entry fee was $25 per rider -- and that was all -- just a minimum of rules.
On the evening of June 13th the population of Chadron had doubled, to over 4,000, along with the 9th Cavalry Band from nearby Fort Robinson. All were on hand to watch the riders embark on their big test. Word of the event had gotten to Buffalo Bill, whose Wild West Show was set up just outside the Fairgrounds in Chicago. The great man announced that he would add $500 prize money to the first man to reach the 1000 mile tree, which was located just in front of The Buffalo Bill Wild West Show tent. Bill knew a good thing when he heard it.
There were not 300 riders at the starting line as advertised, but there were nine, and they were, indeed, colorful characters -- men like Doc Middleton, the reformed (?) cattle rustler, bootlegger, leader of a gang which had terrorized Northwest Nebraska and the Black Hills. In spite of his background and reputation, Middleton was Chadron's favorite to win the race.
Slated to start early in the day, things had been delayed. There had been problems. For one, the National Humane Society had arrived that day, calling the cowboy racers "semi-wild savages."
They were determined to stop the race. They insisted on thoroughly examining all of the horses. To their amazement, all the horses were in first class condition to begin the race (and with a few exceptions, remained that way throughout the race and arrived in Chicago in good shape -- better than the riders). Those men knew how to take care of their horses.
The rest of the field of riders included 2. Kansan, Rattlesnake Jim Stephens. 3. Young Davy Douglas was a teen-ager from the Chadron area. 4. Old Joe Gillespie was from Denver. 5. & 6. There were two real (working) cowboys from South Dakota, George Jones and Charlie Smith. 7. Joe Campbell lost one of his mounts early in the race, but chose to continue on with just one horse. 8. John Berry was a classic "good guy of the west," a former stage coach driver, who had to borrow horses to make the trip. He was not popular with the other riders because he had helped to lay out the route of the race. 9. Rounding out the field was Emmett Albright, the instigator of the whole affair. Emmett did not really want to compete, but general community sentiment more or less forced him into the race.
Much to the surprise of the spectators, the riders left Chadron at a walk. They knew the race was more about endurance than it was about speed. Racers snatched a few hours of sleep each day (or night) camping out or renting a room at a hotel for a few hours.
To a man their first consideration was always for their horses. Instead of being greeted with jeers, in the towns they passed through, as the Humane Society had hoped, they were greeted by dignitaries, plates of fried chicken, and an increasing army of reporters from the east and even foreign newsmen -- heroes (very tired heroes) as they passed through towns in Nebraska, Iowa, and finally Illinois.
John Berry was the first to greet Col. Cody, after riding 13 days and 16 hours, having averaged 70 miles a day. Poison, his horse was mud splattered, but in good condition, but Cody described Berry as "the sorriest, sleepiest, tiredest man anyone has ever seen."
During the next 48 hours the other riders straggled into Chicago -- Ole Joe Gillespie, Charlie Smith, Rattlesnake Pete, and Doc Middleton. Young Davy Douglas had gotten sick and had pulled out of the race. Con man, Emmett Albright finished the race, but was disqualified when it was learned that he and his horses had traversed much of the route aboard a stock train.
Eventually every contestant got some of the $1,000 prize money. John Berry got a Montgomery Ward Saddle, Ole Joe Gillespie got the gold-plated Colt revolver.
This first endurance race had put an end to the misconception of brutal western riders. It had also introduced the concept of veterinarians supervising horse races of all sorts -- especially endurance racing. Said Humane Society Veterinarian, Dr. Tatro, "It started off foolish and was foolish all the way through, but...it showed that cowboys are not all wild brutal men. We discovered that it was wrong in supposing that the riders would treat their horses badly. We consider the race a big success in every way."
Afterward: Joe Berry, the apparent winner returned to western Nebraska and lived out his life as "the embodiment of the classic western hero. Doc Middleton, "The King of the Horse Thieves," after his brief flirtation with respectability, reverted to his old -- devious -- ways. He moved to the Black Hills region, opened a saloon, and sold illegal booze to Indians on the reservation. One night he got into a knife fight with a patron in his saloon. He was stabbed in the stomach. Lawmen, who broke up the fight arrested Middleton, who was sent to prison. His wound proved serious, became infected and Middleton died. He is buried in the local cemetery at Douglas, Wyo.