He Loved and Collected Equines

Bill Rainey - A Man Who Loved Horses

            William “Bill” Marion Rainey had a fascination with equines. He was seated on a horse when he first caught the eye of his future wife, Rosie, Bill’s favorite name for her. (See Blog Post of October 20, 2013 entitled William Marion Rainey for more about the early days of their relationship.)
             When the Raineys moved from Pawnee County in 1911 (according to Gene Rainey's obituary) or in 1913 (according to Rosa Jarrell Rainey's obituary), to the Big Bend community, Bill had several mules. He was told in confidentiality to quickly divest himself of those equines since the Hookie Miller Gang was known for stealing horses and mules. Supposedly, Miller traveled through and hid out in the west part of the Big Bend. Bill took the inside information passed on to him by a good neighbor who was rumored to be in cahoots with Hookie Miller! Rosie was glad to see the mules gone.
            Bill prized fast horses. My mother, Bernyce Smith Gates recalls one of those former race horses owned by her grandfather. This beautiful bay named Fox was sleek and long-legged. Larita Rogers, the niece of Emma and Bill Buckley, was visiting from Pawhuska. Perhaps Mother was trying to show a city girl a good time in the country. For whatever reason, Mother got herself and Larita on Fox bareback at her grandparents’ place (which in more recent times was the home of Emma Buckley). Fox needed no encouragement. Off he went with Mother holding tightly to his reins and Larita clinging for dear life to Mother. Mother headed him to the Betts place where she and her parents lived. (Today Wayne and Eloise Mitchell live on this place that was the original Osage land allotment of Eloise's family.) Mother reined him in when they reached her home and off they hopped. Fox wheeled around and sped back to the home of Bernyce's  grandparents. Mother and Larita walked back since Fox had left them literally in his dust!
             Great-Grandpa Rainey enjoyed the local horse races and put a little money on the ponies. My grandfather, Calvin Callcayah Smith was married to Bill Rainey’s third daughter, Gladys Vivian Rainey. My grandfather related the following incident from the late 1920s. His father-in-law, Bill Rainey and the family were in Fairfax. One of the purposes for this trip was to get all the signatures of the Osage land owners to lease land in the Big Bend. Only my grandpa knew his father-in-law also had money wagered on a horse in an upcoming race there in Fairfax. In fact, with a twinkle in his eye, he told my grandpa, “Go tell them I’m waiting to get just one more signature.” Grandpa clearly knew Mr. Rainey was stalling for time to see if his horse won. Anyone who knew my maternal grandpa would not be surprised that his father-in-law’s little subterfuge was safe since Grandpa was pretty tight-lipped.
              Bill and Rosie never saw eye to eye on his mule and horse trading. Once she even asked him about a mule that appeared to her to be lame. He replied, "Why Rosie, that's just the way he walks!" My mother said time proved Great-grandma Rainey was correct in her diagnosis of the mule.            
              Rosie occasionally questioned the wisdom of keeping so many mules and horses since each of them had to be fed. Bill would say, “Rosie, you’re a good worker but no manager.” No one, however, was surprised that soon after his death she quickly liquidated the equine stock.

 Tying Their Teams Together and Talking Politics

                Speaking of teams of horses – according to my father when he was a little boy, his father Edmund, Sr. enjoyed nothing more than meeting up with Mr. Rainey in Ralston or Fairfax. The two men would tie their teams together, one would ride in the wagon with the other, and would visit all the way to the Bend. Then upon arriving at the Belford School House, which was located just a half mile from my parents’ home today, to Dad’s utter chagrin, his father and Mr. Rainey might visit another hour. To a little preschooler, their visiting seemed endless, but little Edmund, Jr. knew better than to complain even though he was aching to go home. Children were to be seen and not heard. These two men were staunch supporters of the party of Lincoln. Both of their fathers would have voted for Abraham Lincoln. No matter how much their mothers admired Abe Lincoln, they never voted for him since women did not have the right to vote yet. Bill Rainey had been born just three years after Lincoln’s assassination, whereas Edmund, Sr. was born twelve years after that horrible event in the 1800s. Even though there was a nine- year age difference and one was born in Kansas while the other was born in Missouri, as Dad would say, “They ran together like two little black mules,” where their political views were concerned.

Ed Gates, Sr.  - political soulmate
 with Mr. Rainey

William Marion Rainey - 
The Man Who Loved Horses