Once upon a time there was a famous resident
of
Golconda, Nevada. His name was “Waterhole
Ike.” He lived there in the
1970s. Mark Cowley ran the local
saloon called Waterhole #1. There was one customer who was regular
as clockwork. Every morning about
10:30 here he’d come for his bucket of beer. There was one thing about the customer that was mighty
peculiar; he was Cowley’s pig, named appropriately “Waterhole Ike.” Cowley learned that big money could be
made putting famous animals out to stud.
So he decided to form a syndicate, sell stocks and then watch the money
roll in. He read that the very
same thing had been done when the champion racehorse, Secretariat, was sold to
a syndicate. Cowley began selling
shares and soon the money was mounting up, so much so that Cowley figured he
needed to open a bank account in Ike’s name. The local bankers refused, because Waterhole Ike didn’t have
a social security card. Cowley got
an application, gave Ike a last name, a father and mother, and a birth date (5/1/1974). Cowley submitted the application,
having signed for Ike and in no time at all Waterhole Ike had himself a Social
Security number (530-80-4623) and later a proper bank account, so Cowley could
deposit money for Ike’s retirement.
The $25 stud fees soon began rolling in. The press got hold of this and soon Ike was in the
national press. Over several years
Ike fell on hard times and his bank account started to shrink. About that time Ike fathered nine little
piglets. Crowley went to the
welfare office in Winnemucca. He
told them his friend with a proper social security card was out of work with
nine children to support and long story short, Ike began receiving $600 a month
and food stamps. But Cowley never
cashed the checks or used the stamps. Cowley grew tired of the saloon business, so he sold
it and moved away. And what became
of Waterhole Ike, a Golconda legend, he lived to a ripe old age, as far as pig
life goes. The End.
This is mostly fact believe it or not. Sorry about the poor quality
picture of Ike. It’s the only one I could
find.
