Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-02-18
Wild Horses I'm Maryland.

that there is colony of wild horses o
the pony variety in the salt marshes o
Chincoteauge, an island within ten mile
, of the eastern coast of Maryland
These horses, it seems, have pedigre,
which makes up in age what it may lacl
In other qualities for tradition ascribe:
their origin to pair of ponies imported
from England by Virginian of the F,
F. V. sort, some 200 years ago, but
which left wreck in disgust and were
washed ashore off Assateague Beach
From these two ponies have descended
the wild horses now careering over the
sandhills in that locality. Until within
the present century those ponies were
not considered worth claiming or catch
ing, and they were allowed to Craze and
race at their own sweet will. But, as
the pasture-grounds passed into the
ownership of a class of herdsmen, il
became the fashion to lasso the little
wild horses and brand them with marks
of ownership.
At present the island is said to con-
tain about five hundred of those diminu-
tive horses, who travel in herds and
bear the brands of various owners.
Some thirty persons live on the island
and claim to own all this wild stock in
lots or herds of from ten to 100 head.
We quote from the american some
interesting details respecting these wild
ponies, their habits, and their expert
ences.
Each herds is governed by a male-a
sort of equine autocrat-whose authority
is supreme. In former times he fought
his way up to the position of patriarch
by thrashing all his rivals, sometimes
driving them into the sea, where they
were drowned. All usurpers were re-
morselessly expelled from the herd, and
If they were not killed they became bold
bandits, and hung about the marshes,
capturing such unwary females as hap
pened to stray too far from their pro-
prietors. With these they founded new
herds, and became prosperous patriarchs
themselves.
The greatday on the island is''penning
day." although of late it has lost some
of its holiday attractions. Formerly
the women, as well as the men, con-
gregated at the Atlantic Hotel to assist
in identifying the ponies, and the island
beauties came because their fathers,
and mothers, and brothers, and lovers
were there. Tuesday, the 18th inst, was
''penning day." but only few of the
old ladies were it attendance. A jaunty
little sloop, crowded with young girls,
sailed away from the wharf Just before
the penning began. They were going
down to Assateague beach on picnic
excursion. One of the peculiarities of
these islanders is their singular fondness
for scarlet. They make a 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 delight in a bright red
ribbon or sash. The girls who went to
the picnic on Tuesday wore white mus
lin dresses, white sun -bonnets, scarlet
sacques, and red morocco mits, with
long gauntlet cuffs. The costume is
picturesque and pretty when seen on
board a trim little sloop skimming over
the water.
1t may be necessary to explain what
'penning" means. The owners of
Chincoteague ponies mark them with a
brand, generally on the left hip. So
many of them look alike that it would
be impossible to identify them without
this mark. This colts must be branded
before they leave their dams, and Au-
gust is the proper month. In order to
catch the colts and affix the brand the
whole herd must be ''penned."
On Chincoteague Island. the square
in front of the Atlantic Hotel is used
60 h,,t lar
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 gallop to 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 Chin
colleague are built along the sound, and
the yards in front join each other, thus
forming a continuous fence.
When the herds get started down the
shore the riders press close after, yell
ling and whooping, and there is lively
chase until the avenue 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 square.
Some of the ponies suspect treachery
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 plunging about through
the pen they never become separated.
A stout man with a pole in his hand,
and looped rope at the end of it, posts
himself at the mouth of the pen, and
as the ponies run past the drops the
loop over the head of one of the colts.
The little fellow plunges about and
shakes his head most furiously, but all
to no purpose; the men haul him out
and throw him on his right side. All
this time the branding iron has been
heating at fire near by, presided over
by sundry urchins who take delight IN
this part of the performance. The face
of the iron sometimes bears the initial
letters of the owners name. and some
times it is a simple monogram, such as
a circular or square, to which the owner
lays claim.
When the colt has heen thrown boy
brings an iron from the fire, and it is
stamped on the pony's hip. There is
no cruelty in the operation, because
the operation only burns through the
hair and scarcely scars the skin. saw
a 2-year old colt branded while standing
on his feet. and it did not seem to feel
the burning.
By the time the colts in the herd have
been branded, the drivers have driven
another herd down to the shore. The
first are allowed to run back to their
pasture grounds, whilh the next in order
is driven into the pen, and the colts
subjected to the marking process.
Sometimes the colts escape until they
are two and even three years old, and
then they are much harder to handle.
The Sword and the Pen.