Rodeo Director Laughs at Dude Ranchers, But Feels Too Much Education No Help To Riders

"You kin edicate a fellah to where he just ain't no count," Colonel W. T. Johnson, colorful director of the Rodeo in the Boston Garden, drawled in a CRIMSON interview last night. "Of course, I believe in edication: I went to school awhile myself, but about so much edication, and a fellah gets downright simple.

"There are two sides to the question: we cowpunchers envy college men sometimes, and I 'spect they often wish they could ride like we do. Probably some of our boys would look right awkward in evenin' clothes, but if you want to see a real pretty sight you ought to watch a few of these college bred fellahs tryin' to set a cowpony. Back where we come from, the boys don't git much chance for an edication, although some of the fellahs ridin' tonight have graduated from big colleges. You eastern boys don't get the same chance to build up your bodies and practical judgment as we do."

When the Colonel was 14 he ran away from home and worked from ranch to ranch. By the time he was 21 he owned a ranch of 70,000 head of cattle and employing 90 men. "I admit you couldn't do a thing like that nowadays," he said, "even in the west; it takes more than brawn and snap judgment to start in business today, edication seems to be becoming necessary in all fields," he said in speaking of his ranching business.

"There's one other thing about growin' up in the west instead of in eastern schools, I'd like to mention: out there in the open country you get to know yourself. You go out riding on the plains alone and you realize your short comings; fair play comes natural after awhile. We may be running the Rodeo to make money, but it's a fair contest between ourselves: Last week when we were in New York 21 people were injured and one fellah killed; this is rough enough going so a fellah wants his winnin's rewarded fairly and squarely.

"You college fellahs have to learn fair play in sports. I think they are a fine thing, because they are supplying to college men the side of development he lacks, just as the cowpunchers try to fill out their development with book-learning wherever possible."