76
The Sporting Chronicle.
THURSDAY, MAY 3, 1888.
SALE OF BUFFALO BILL'S STOCK.-Yesterday forenoon a sale of the surplus stock of animals belonging to the "Wild West" Show took place at the Manchester Racecourse, when there was a good attendance of buyers and spectators. Mr. Cross, the well-known Liverpool naturalist, was present and secured the principal wild animals. A large buffalo was knocked down to him for [British pound]101, after some spirited bidding ; and he also secured three elks for [British pound]19, [British pound]27, and [British pound] 26 respectively. The well-knwon circus proprietors, Messrs Sanger, were also represented, and to them went a pair of grey mules for [British pound]31, a she elk for [British pound]21, two American deer for [British pound]10, a pair of reindeer, with sledge and harness, for [British pound]40 ; besides several horses. A pair of splendid carriage horses were bought by Mr. Goodall, of Altrincham, for [British pound]80 ; and a bear fell to Mr. Cross for [British pound]20. For the remainder of the horses and ponies the prices reached from [British pound]5 10s. to [British pound]24 10s.
77
HULL DAILY MAIL.
FRIDAY, MAY 4TH, 1888.
AMERICAN BRONCHO HORSES v. ENGLISH THOROUGHBREDS. TEN MILES RACE FOR [British pound]500 A-SIDE.
The second match between the English thoroughbred horses and bronchos supplied from the Wild West stud was decided yesterday before another large attendance of spectators. The conditions were slightly different from those of Tuesday, as yesterday the jockeys had to change their mounts without any assistance. The jockeys were J. Latham and A. Esquivel (the American), who had to change horses each half-mile, and although the Englishman's mounts showed much the greater pace the alacrity with which the American mounted and dismounted fully counter-balanced any advantage that the Englishman gained in this respect. Immediately on starting the Englishman got off with a short lead, and passed the post slightly ahead at the end of the first lap, and also effected a further advantage in his change, but owing to a collision the completion of the next lap, through an American horse getting on the track, he lost his lead, and the American quickly went to the head of affairs. Latham then gradually lessened the gap, but the American by his splendid dismounting rapidly gained and increased his lead to a couple of furlongs. The American then lost a considerable amount of ground, but Latham never succeeded in making anything like a diminution of his opponent's long lead, the American winning, amidst tumultuous applause, by 400 yards. Time, 22 minutes.
78
SERIOUS SHOOTING INCIDENT AT THE WILD WEST
WEST BROMPTON S.W. An accident on a very serious nature occurred late on Tuesday night, to Antonio Esquivel, the champion rough rider of Mexico. It appears that, on the conclusion of the evening performance at Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, as the cowboys and Mexican vacqueros were riding off the ground together, one of the former, named Jim Kidd, accidentally discharged his revolver full in the face of Esquivel, and so near that the wadding of the blank charge made a severe wound on the side of the Mexican's forehead, the powder at the same time entering his eyes and injuring them most terribly. Esquivel was carried to his tent in the camp, where a doctor attended him, and at once ordered his removal to St. Thomas's Hospital. On a closer and more careful inspection of his injuries it transpired that they were of a much more serious nature than was supposed at first. The medical report states that the celebrated rider will lose the sight of the right eye entirely, and great care and skill will be required to save the other. The affair was purely accidental, and the unintended perpetrator of it is completely down with regret for the painful calamity he has brought upon his friend. Esquivel is one of the most popular men in the camp among both white men and Indians, so that the sad event has cast an unusual gloom over the little community. His splendid feats of horsemanship and his indomitable courage under the most trying circumstances had made him an immense favourite with the audiences at the Wild West, and his loss to the show will be a very serious one indeed. It is only some four or five weeks since he narrowly escaped death at the heels of one of the most vicious of the buck-jumping horses, which dragged him for a considerable distance round the arena, one of his feet in the stirrup all the while. There is a touch of singularly hard luck for the proprietors of the Wild West, in the fact that two of their smartest and best hands are in hospital just now; Buck Taylor at the West London with a fractured thigh, and Antonio Esquivel at St. Thomas's with eyesight ruined for life. Meantime Esquivel's place in the daily programme is filled by another vacquero named Pedro, who performs his difficult task with great skill and dexterity.
80
The Sporting Life, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4,
ANOTHER eminent American, to wit, Buffalo Bill, has also been making a sensation, as he and his companions have been "doing" the theatres, much to the delight of sightseers. Red Indians in the stalls of the Lyceum and Drury Lane are not to be seen every day, or rather night. Just as we go to press we have received a very pleasing photograph of Miss Annie Oakley ("Little Sure Shot"), for which we have to thank Mr. Frank Butler.