Jim Kershner’s This day in history » On the Web: spokesman.com/topics/local-history

From our archives, 100 years ago

Rattlesnake Pete’s lost love, Nellie Lane, finally surfaced in Spokane. But now it was Rattlesnake Pete who had vamoosed.

Rattlesnake Pete, a bronco buster and rough rider, had gone public a week earlier with his attempt to find his true love Nellie, who vanished from Spokane while he was recuperating from an injury.

Now Nellie was looking for him.

“I guess Pete has jumped on his bronco and beat it,” said Nellie. “I called up his number but he does not answer. I’ll find that man if it takes a year.”

Nellie explained that she had actually fallen for Rattlesnake Pete at the Pendleton Roundup, before he came to Spokane to perform at the Interstate Fair.

“Pete made a couple of outlaw nags eat out of his hand there one day, and being somewhat of a horsewoman myself, he sure made a double-barreled hit with yours truly,” said Nellie.

She said they made the trip to Spokane together, and “during the fair we got separated.”

She said she “looked around for him for some time,” but then gave up and headed to Montana, where she was “making a few of my uncle’s equines sit up and say ‘please.’ ”

She put her Spokane address in the paper, hoping that Rattlesnake Pete would come galloping over.