1928 Poster
On This Date in History:
Colonel E. A. Slack was the publisher of Wyoming’s Daily Sun-Leader, the predecessor to today’s Wyoming Tribune-Eagle . Slack was not feeling too chipper as he made his way back to Cheyenne from Greeley, Colorado where that town held its Potato Day Festival. He wondered why in the wide wide world of sports that Cheyenne couldn’t do something to celebrate its heritage. Around the same time, railroad agent F.W. Angier was watching cowboys go through their work and thought it would make a great show.
The two somehow put their heads together and combined their thoughts. Slack used his influence to get the fine folks of Cheyenne to pony up $562 to support the worlds first professional rodeo on this date in 1897. People came from as far away as Denver to see cowboys compete in events that simply mimicked the very thing they did every day for a living. Of the 11 events held that day, 5 are still part of a typical modern day rodeo. But the awarding of prizes has evolved a little differently. See, originally the guy who was the best bronc rider won $25. The horse that judges determined was the meanest and bucked the best was also given a prize. The owner of the baddest bronc received $100…Four times as much as the guy who took the beating the best!
Today, the Cheyenne Frontier Days festival is a huge event and continues….but I think the meanest horse just gets a big bag of oats and a reprieve from the Glue Factory. And it’s all because a newspaperman was jealous of Mr. Potato Head.
Walter keeps chugging along
This guy was no Mr. Potatohead when he celebrated his 112th birthday on this date in 2008. Check this video out…He looks like he could give me a challenge in a row on the river. Last year, he was considered the oldest American. Now, at 113, Walter Breunig is called the oldest living person in the world. He received $10,000 as one birthday gift but promptly gave it away. Walter took the title as the world’s oldest living person at the beginning of 2009 when the former record holder passed away. Here’s to hoping Wally is around for 114.
Fall began at 5:19 PM EDT on Tuesday, though some sources claim it was 5:18 PM EDT. I once brought this bit of information to Young Mr. Lincoln, aka Matt Milosevich, hepondered aloud whether or not there was some guy at the equator measuring the sun’s
angle to determine exactly at which second the Autumnal Equinox was upon us. That question is beyond my paygrade but let’s just accept that Fall has begun. But, one thing I do know is that it is utter nonsense that it’s easier to stand an egg on its end on the spring or autumn equinox. Typically, its foolish TV weather guys who try to push this off as fact when it is just a myth. Here’s a guy from a “bad astronomy” website that explains fully and even shows photos with dates to prove it. So, if you hear your local(or national) weatherman try to push this on you, I would question his credibility because if he’s so foolish as to fall for this one, then who knows what else is roaming around his head. Nevertheless, You’d never know it was
You can balance an egg any day of the year
Weather Bottom Line: Everything is running along was anticipated. We had some sunshine yesterday and rain overnight. Today clouds will dominate with a few showers. Rain will continue to be in the picture through the weekend. Severe or strong storms are possible either Friday or Saturday with the approach of a cold front. By next week, all of this humidity will be gone, the rain will be gone and afternoon highs held down by rain and clouds in the upper 70’s and low 80’s will be replaced by upper 60’s and low 70’s.
Symon Sez 