The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-08-14

Of these islanders is their singular fondncss
for scarlet, They make red line on their
boats and sloOps wherever it IS possible.
They paint the panels Of their cottage-doors
the same color. and the women greatly de-
light in bright red ribbon or sash. The
girls who went to the picnic on Tuesday
wore white muslin dresses, white sun-hon-
uetS, scarlet saeques, and red morocco mits
with long gauntlet cuffs. This costume is
picturesque and pretty when seen on board
trim little sloop skimming over the water.
1t NAV be necessary to explain what
'spcnninS" means. The owners of Chinco-
teact,e ponies mark them with brand, gene.
rally on the left hip. So many Of them look
alike that it would be impossible to identify
them without this mark. The colts must be
branded before they leave their dams, and
August is the proper month. In order to
catch the colts and aftix the brand the whole
herd must be "pcnned." On Chincoteague
island the square in font Of the Atlantic
Hotel is used for a pen. but on Assateague a
large pen has been built on the shore OF
stout pine logs. Men and boys mount tame
ponies and start out to bring In the herds.
They gal.op to the pasture-grounds, and
after much yelling, fast riding. and some
little swearing, they manage to drive one OF
the herds down TO the shore. Nearly all the
houses on Chincoteasue are built along the
sound, and the yards in front join each
other, thus forming continuous fence.
" hen the herd gets started down the shore
the riders press close after, yelling and
whooping, and there is lively chase until
the avenuc that leads to the pen is reached.
Here a crowd of men are standing, and they
turn the head Of the flying column into the
/ h.
cry. and run into the water, but the riders
dash after them, and soon the whole herd is
forced into the pen. The colts stick close to
their dams. and in all the rearing and plung-
ing about through the pen they never become
separated. A stout man with a long pole in
his hand and looped rope at the end of it
poSts himself ut the mouth of the pen, and
rs the ponies run past he drops the loop over
the head of one of the colts. The little TEL
low plunges about and shakes his head most
furiollsly, but all to no purpose; the men
haul him out and throw him down on his
right side. All this time the branding-iron
has been heating ut a fire near by, presided
over by sundry urchins who take much
delight in this part OF the performance.
The face of the iron sometimes bears
the initial letters OF the owners name,
and sometimes il is simple monogram,
such as circle or square, to which the owner
lays claim. When the colt has been thrown
boy brings the iron from the fire, and it is
stamped on tue pony's hip. There is no
cruelty in the operation, because the iron
ONLY burns through the hair and scarcely
scars the skin l saw two-y -year-old colt
branded while standing on its feet, and II
did not seem to feel the burning. II the
blacksmiths who make these irons had ordi
nary skill and taste they would shape the let
ters better and make them much smaller
There is no necessity for diSfguring pony
for life with an unsightly scar, when neat
letter or monogram would answer the pur
pose As well.
Bv the time the colts in one herd have
been branded the riders have driven an
other herd down to the shore. The first are
allowed to run back to their pasture-Srounds,
while the next in order is driven into the
pen and the colts subjected to the marking
process. Sometimes the colts escape till they
are two or even three years old, and then
they are much harder to handle. This
reminds me Of one Of the most amusing in.
cidents of the "pcnning.'
BALTIMORE ARTIST THROWS TIE LAsso.
A Young artist from Baltimore is now So
iourning ut the Atlantic Hotel, Skctching
such marine views as happen to strike his
fancy. and sometimes trying his hand upon
| local subjects, not so sublime rs the sunset
and the ocean. He is Il quiet, modest young
| man, not given to hoasting, and no one
would ever suspect him of having spent {
| a year en- ''the plains" He happened to bt
! standing on the porch of the hotel, whcr
there was a call for volunteer riders to bring
| in the last herd. The islanders were aston.
ishcd when he said that lie would go, ant
! the next moment he was mounted
on a fiery charger, Il dethroned patriarch
| whose career, as the chief of herd, hao
| been cut short by the remorseesS lasso
! The riders yalloped off to the pasture
| marshes, and the artist was conspicuous FOL
| his fine horscmanship. In the course OF al
hour, large herd containing fifty ponies OF
more came dashng down the beach, which
ON that day was broad road that led not
exactly TO destruction, but to "pcn" and
| hot iron. The sucking colts were soon
lassocd, thrown down OH the sand
and ornamantcd with the initial let
ters OF the names Of their respective
owners. In this herd there was wild coli
that for two annual "pennings" had escaped
the branding-irou. The owner was anxious
| that this refractory pony should be properly
l1heled. The pole with the running-noost
was aimed at its head many times. but the
head always happened TO be turned in some
other direction when the loop dropped
The artist saw all this, and when the native
Jockeys had exhausted their strategy. and
the pony was still galloping about the square
| in unbranded freedom, he determined tc
try his hand at throwing the lasSo. The
| long pole was discarded, and the end O
thc rope was turned into a Spanish moose
The pony was singled out from the herd ant
| chased across the square. As it ran from him
the artist threw the rope, but the moose wa:
| droppcd on the pony's witherS, and tht
Islanders winked at each other and eX
changed rlanceS that were meaut to express
their amusement at the young mans failure
The frightened pony made the circuit OF thu
open" again, aud as it passed the artist
moose went whirlng after it, which dropped
over IFS head, and the shy little animal wa:
caught. But the victory was not yet won
The pony started for the beach at killing
pace, and the coil of rope in the artists hanc
played out with fearful rapidity. | believe
| tbat he was once amidshipman in the United
States Navy, and his experience on ship
hoard made him familiar with the use
| of The frlction-post. Before his slack
rope was all gone ne wrapped it around Il
tree-hox that protected young willow
which was growing in front of the hotel.
| The ferr sides of the box went together, and
! in 4 twfn5ling the whole was converted into
a comps,t bundle of palings, with the tree
in the cendre. A splintered stump now marks
the spot where the young willow grew.
When the friction-post collapsed the artist
would have been justified In dropping tne
roro . but he wranrkM the end around DIS