, 1876-09-23
Ahnuf Drivers.

| Boston preacher, in q recent lecture
held forth as follows about horses
and drivers :"
"I wish there could a fashion
come no among us men who drive
horses. of driving without reins until
we know more than we do, or until
we Will admit that we do not know
much. 4 horse cannot talk, and It Is
very difficult To understand the natnre
of any beng that cannot express Its
meaning in speech 10 you. Should
YOU come across a species OF human
beings that had never uttered q word,
and YOU wanted TO master the secrets
of their being, how would you begin
to master them? What is just the
right pull to make on a horses mouth
TO save him when he brea Ks When
is the proper instant to move the blt
in bis mouth ? What is the right way
TO handle horse to get him through
the air a second faster to the mile !
But very few men can find out these
secrets. Now and then there are gilt
ed ones that can see into the horses
nature like Dan Mace, Charley Green,
Bud Doble and eider Woodruff-who
in my judgement, in very many re-
spects, was better than either-a few
men like these, instinctlyply seize il,
but we ignorant and bungling drivers
better let it alone. | presume that |
DO not take the reins in both hands
once III three months, so far as need
of strength goes, when | am driving
on the road. OF course there are
some horses that we must make trot
if they ever trOt at all. | for one do
not desire TO have anything to do
with that sort of horses Buc give
me horse that is a natural trolte:,
and | am sure be Will never 90 except
in a trOt, unless it may be some sore
ness or unevennes of ground. or some
thing else that may cause him to break.
In thai case the best way is to let
him alone. am driving a five year
old colt that is fast, and if he breaks |
let him run. After he has gone eight
or ten rods | hiut to him that it would
look about as fashionable for him 20
strike trot, and if he does not take
that hint, after he has made a few
jumps | give him another. But |
don't yank him or jerk him, " pull
him bsk," " settle him down" or
+" square hin" as they say, and all
those excellent phrases that do not
mean anything. | know that the colt
means to Jrot, and if for some unaC
countabie cause he breaks, | know the
natural habit implanted in him to trot
will get him back to this gait if he is
not frightened or pulled and hauled
all out Of shape. 4 green horse cam
not run along sharp and catch into
tr0t suddenly without hurting himself,
SO he will take another jump or two.
\ horse pretty soon learns what is
wanted, and pretty soon you will find
nim going along smooth and his tail
as strait as a spirit level. | never on
such horse use a check rein, never
put on martingales, but let him go
right ont, head up and :ail a stream
| ing. These are the ruiders intended
to keep the horse trne in his gait, and
yOu have no right to deprive him
of his steering apparatus. The gener-
al rule is, if lbe horse is a sensible,
levei>headed one, he frequently knows
more about trottibg than his driver.
My best advice in regard to driving
is to once in a while lie. such horse
have his head and own way"
\ LADY SWIMMER last year
Miss Beckwith, a girl Of fourteen,
daughter Of swimming master on
the Thames, distinguished nerslit by
heI swimming felts, but this season she
has surpassed all her former efforts by
swimming from the Old Bridge at
Chelsea, England, to Greenwich Pier.
n pilot i'll a small boat, IN which were
her father and brother, the latte:
ready to jump TO the aid Of his sister
in the event of an emergency, led the
way. She swan close TO the stern,
and KEEP; that position more or less
during the whole Of the task. Vaux-
hall Bridge was reached in thirty
four minutes. When she had passed
under it she passed her body through
a hoop feat which elected a spe-
clai cheer. AT Westminster the sight
OF an immense populace on the bridge
was itself remarkable. In seventy
minutes Miss Beckwith had reached
BlackiriaIs Bridge, and from this
point to the end of the course spec
taiors appeared on masis. crowded
wharf windows, End occupied every
available position. So far the young
swimmer had displayed not the least
fatigue She proceeded with the ease
of skilliul swimmer, while the dis
tance had not impaired the -enarka-
bic grace other style. London Bridge
crowded of course, was passed in one
hour and twenty two minutes. The
boats after this became more unruly
than ever, and on several occasions
Miss Beckwith was nearly struck on
the head with their bows. Opposite
Greenwich Pier Miss Beckwilh was
taken on board the Volunteer, having
swan the ten miles in two hours and
forty SIX minn:es. During the time
she was in tbs wafer she declined all
offers of refreshment, and when she
appeared on board the steamboat she
was apparently as fresh and sprigb;ly