The Kennewick Cyclone
A rowdy public horse sale turns into a high-stakes wrestling match between local men and a spirited mustang.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The event of Kennewick for Thursday was the horse sale. Three were sold and B. J. Duncan, W. A. Murray, and Bill Price were the lucky buyers. Bidding and sale was finished in short order, then the big show opened in the big ring. W. Geizentaner was chief roper and Mike Glover ringmaster. Murray, Duncan, and others acted as handlers while the male population of Kennewick watched. The cayuse, described as 'Snowstorm,' proved to be a Kansas cyclone, an Oklahoma twister, and Asiatic simoon all in combination. Round one opened, they fiddled, sparred, made passes, but failed—this was Snowstorm's round. They came up hot and dusty. Pony drew first blood. Round and round they went. In the 999th round the noose encircled Snowstorm's neck and they clinched; she was thrown, two lariats down. And a hackamore was fastened. Murray landed a few with a 2x6 and Snowstorm was outside the ropes. Fighting now in the open, she rear and plunged, her halter slipped, and she had to be thrown again. Up and down, in and out, she dodged the rope. Flying catches were made on her front feet, then on her hind feet only to slip and release. Finally, exhausted, held fast front and rear, she dropped, writhing and struggling to the sand. She yielded and a game fight ended. Well, a New York horse show with its fine equipages and blooded horses is a sight worth the seeing, but if you want action on your money, see a Kennewick pound sale.
“The cayuse described as 'Snowstorm' proved a Kansas cyclone, an Oklahoma twister and Asiatic simoon all in combination.”
While modern Kennewick is defined by suburban expansion and industrial infrastructure, these accounts of 'pound sales' capture the raw, physical reality of the town's frontier roots. The transition from a cattle-and-horse economy to a residential one is a recurring rhythm in the history of the Tri-Cities.
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