Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-12-16
FOUR MUSTANGS.
An Amusing Incident at Santa Rosa.
California.
rCorrespondence Record. Union.

A large crowd gathered on Fourth street,
in front of the Court House, attracted by the
moving through the streets of an old building
seeking new location. The structure was
about fifty feet long, had been mounted on
four wooden truck wheels with a pair of
wagon wheels in front, to which a team of
six stout mules were hitched. After many
tugs the old house started, the driver yelling
and the mud flying all over the sidewalk,
scattering the crowd and bespattering the
Goddess of Liberty on the dome of the court
house. After an hours time they succeeded
in dragging the building about $50 feet.
Within few feet Of the Recorders office at
Evans store, they stuck fast, owing to a slight
rise in the street made by the crossing The
driver shouted himself hoarse, the six big
mules floundered about in the mud, but not
an inch would they bud ge the old building.
The crowd increased and bets we're made that
they would never start it again. A teamster
from the redwoods, with four mustangs, had
stopped to watch the performance, a smooth
faced, athletic young fellow. He said moth
ing until, reused perhaps by splash of mud,
he walked to the front wiping his face on his
sleeve, and said
81 amt got but three dollars, but III bet
every d--n cent of it that my four mus
tangs will soon start that rookery out of
there"
There was a derisive laugh from the crowd
and half dozen takers.
''Put up the money!" said the teamster; eff
had more or knew where to borrow any, I'd
see the last one of you"
The bet was taken, Jerry Farmer held the
stakes, the six mules were taken off and the
interest of the crowd increased, and bets were
freely made with big odds against the team
stcr. When ready to start the excitement
was at high pitch. The little mustangs
bent to their work, but the house did not
| move; he started them again; no go. Moth
ing daunted, the teamster in answer to the
crowd who were chatting him from all quar-
tiers, said:
''If Jim Shaw was here Id get the mony
and bet fifty dollars that l could start it. l
amt got 'em warmed up yet"
'srll bet you fifty dollars against one of
your horses, ," said well-known livery man
that you can't pull it five feet"
''lts whack, said the teamster; ''put mp
the coin."
''The money was handed to Jerry Farmer,
| the stakeholder. Another tug, the little mus
tangs seemed to hum themselves, but it was
| no GO
I'll bet you another fifty against that mares
mate that you can't do it," said the livery
man eagerly.
hoof of EN- on it, and you can swing me to
| one of them oaks III the plaza II they can 90
! it,"
| By this time the excitement was running
high among the lookers-on, and side bets
| were numerous. One offered to bet hun
dred dollars that he could not do it, and the
| teamster got a friend to take the bet for him.
| Those who watched the teamster closely now
noticed change in his manner, curious
smile on his countenance. He walked up to
each horse successfully, tapped him on the
rump with the but end of his blocksnake, and
said to each:
! ,''Stand up there, now, in your harness"
For the first time he mounted the near
| wheeler, seized single rein, turned his team
off shaw" swung them back "gee," cracked
his whip, gave yell, and, as they straighten-
ed, the unWieldly load rose over the Obstruc-
ton like an old hulk over swell at sea, greet
ed by burst of applause from the bystand-
ers. The mustangs pulledd for about twenty
feet and he stopped them.
''Yo see, boys" said the teamster, as he got
down. ''I'm with EN- all the time and know
just what they can do. and'-with childlike
smile-"jest when to make 'em do it"
As he dropped the stake into his overalls
pocket, he said
''Td give fifty dollars out of that ar stake
if Jim Shaw had been here to see that team
pull. Jerry, I'm dry; let us 60 over to Buck
Williamsons and take drink"
When he returned to his mustangs, to start
out of town. he threw up his hat and shouted
A''Whoop-la, I've teamed in Walla Walla,
Nevada, and Arkinsaw, and with my slab
| c;dod Y,lurc Lin ont mil Qnv six mnleS in So
noma county, AS he mounted his wheeler
he sung out to the crowd, Il snaked that old
tumble-down out of the mud and got the coin
in my pocket. Hooray for Arkinsaw. Whar's
them mules: Git up, Pete," cracked his
whip, turned the corner and passed out OF
sight.
!! A GENTLEMAN in Washington treated bis
horses, when the 'sepizootic" was there some
years ago, as follows: A teaspoonful of
crystal chlorate of potash was dissolved in
bucket of water, and given to four horses in
the morning, and the same quantity at noon.
| His horses escaped. although all in the neigh