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Hawaiian Vacation for Two!

Waimea Center

By Keawe Vredenburg Published: 08/16/2007

In 1907, Eben Low, a well-known Waimea resident, journeyed to Cheyenne, Wyoming on the American frontier to take in the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo, alternately billed as the “Daddy of them all!” There he met one Charles Hirsig, a founder of the famous Rodeo and a man with an inquisitive mind. In various discussions at the Rodeo, Hirsig and Low explored the qualities of the Hawaiian cowboy, the paniolo. It was clear to Hirsig that Eben was a man who knew whereof he spoke – his left hand had been torn off by a rawhide lariat while roping wild cattle. Eben demonstrated that—one-handed or not—he could still rope a cow, and did so at Hirsig's ranch. Impressed by the wiry Hawaiian, Hirsig asked if Eben thought he could find three good cowboys to come to Cheyenne in 1908 to try their skills against the American cowboys.

Therein lies the tale. In 1908, Eben returned to Cheyenne. With his brother Jack, young Ikua Purdy, and his friend Archie Kaaua, Eben and the three cowboys landed in San Francisco to take the Union Pacific train to Cheyenne. They were met at the station by Charles Hirsig who took them to his ranch to allow them their pick of his fine trained cow ponies. Hirsig had entered the three men in steer roping, an event that demanded both athletic ability and a great deal of skill.

Cheyenne had seen cowboys come and go, from Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Arizona, Iowa; everywhere but Hawai‘i. American cowboys at that time came from one of three Spanish roots—the tejanos (Mexican settlers) of Texas, the vaqueros of California and Arizona, or the Florida Spanish and Indian vaqueros. Florida cowhunters or “cracker” cowboys were the only ones not to use a lasso. The Hawaiian “paniolo” were taught by Mexican vaqueros (“paniolo” is the Hawaiian pronunciation of “Espanol.”) from California. The Cheyenne newspaper said little about the “kanakas” until Purdy won the first day of steer roping. Then it became a cause celebre in the town for the “real cowboys” to beat the Hawaiians on the final day. However, Ikua won the event, Archie Kaaua got third, and Jack Low placed sixth. Hirsig and Eben Low were jubilant for different rea

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Big Island

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