OUT WHERE THE WEST BEGINS 



fenced in only by a three-board fence, and a grand- 

 stand capable of seating three hundred, if crowded, was 

 the crowning feature of the structure. Some of the 

 directorate were so confident in the success of the ven- 

 ture that they figured a maximum of about three 

 thousand on the biggest day and bet hats and cham- 

 pagne (sic) on the size of the crowd. 



Four thousand five hundred, a population almost as 

 big as the little city itself, poured in on the banner day, 

 giving receipts of about eight thousand dollars, and 

 leaving a net profit of three thousand dollars for the 

 stockholders. The price of single shares went from 

 ten dollars to fifty and a telegram from a New York 

 theatrical syndicate offered to buy the controlling in- 

 terest at fifty dollars a share. 



Pendleton sat up and took notice, and right here the 

 Pendleton spirit manifested itself. A stockholders' 

 meeting was called. The stockholders were asked to 

 give up their stock, practically to throw away not only 

 the ten dollars they had paid for each share, but also 

 the opportunity to sell that share for five times what 

 they had paid for it, to give their show to the City of 

 Pendleton, and then dig further into their pockets for 

 an additional ten thousand to buy and build the present 

 Round-Up grounds. What did they say? Let 'er 

 buck!, that's all. And let 'er buck they did to the 

 tune of an additional ten thousand dollars with which 

 to buy and build the present Round-Up grounds. 



This property, the Round-Up Park, was deeded to 

 the City of Pendleton, to which the Northwestern 

 Frontier Exhibition Association pays one dollar a 

 year for its use. The Association is a corporation in 

 name only, and the stock is of the nominal value of 

 ten dollars a share; but its only real value is the fact 

 t 19 



