Two brothers run a ranch together and one year they needed to buy a new bull.
They both can’t go to the auction however, one of them has to stay back at the spread to do all the chores.
The plan is that only one will go to the bull sale in town.
But if he does purchase a bull it is going to take the two of them to get it back home.
So they agree that if the going-to-town brother does buy a bull he will send a telegram back to the ranch to alert his staying-at-home brother to come help.
When he gets to the auction what he finds is a good sized crowd of buyers, and a lot of them were interested in the same bull – the best bull that part of the country had seen in along while.
The bidding was heavy and the price was high, but in the end the gone-to-town brother bought the prized bull.
But the bidding had been so fierce that he had only a single dollar left to send the telegram back to the ranch.
“How many words can I send for a dollar?” he asked when he got to the telegraph office.
“One,” he was told.
So the question is – what word does he send to his brother so he can get him to help drive the bull home? [answer below]
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I’m looking forward to a bit of culture this weekend at the Riverside Art Show at the Rock Creek Pavilion on Saturday.
Their posters advertise “Art of all media” - oils, acrylics, pencil, watercolour, encaustic, photography, carvings, and more. They promise kids sculpting and painting, the opportunity to meet local artists, art for sale or just browse. There will even be music by Vivien Browne starting each hour, on the hour.
I am a bit concerned that there might be a poetry corner though.
I’ve been wary of the poets for a few years now. Back in 2010 I sat in on a meeting of the Boundary District Arts Council where plans were being made for the 2011 Kettle River Festival of the Arts. Talk came around to the many different venues and events that would showcase the arts over the ten days.
When mention was made of a poetry night I made the mistake of saying, “Poetry is for people who don’t know how to write in complete sentences.” The meeting fell silent – it was just my luck that several of the people sitting at the table were poets. So I duck when I think there might be a gathering of local poets around now.
The Riverside Art show also offers free mini-workshops – including some for the kids. Plan to stop there in time for lunch, which will be available at nominal cost from the Bridesville Women’s Institute.
That makes Saturday one of those wonderful days when you don’t have to cook, because the Greenwood Legion is hosting their Fun Night with beef on a bun and the fixings starting at six o’clock.
For only $15 you get dinner and $100 worth of Funny Money that can be used for Crown and Anchor, Blackjack and the famous Duck Race.
Following that action, at 9 p.m. all that Funny Money turns to gold as the many items donated by local individuals and businesses are auctioned.
This is the Legion’s annual event that finances their Bursary Fund for BCSS graduation in June. So it is an important, as well as a fun night.
The answer to the telegraph question: comfortable.