Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-01-23

saddles, and on either side of them her
bride maids; the bridegroom, on an
exceptionally fine horse, surrounded
by his friends; and then the rest of the
company, most of the men riding singly,
but many riding as | have described,
with a girl on the saddle-a bright gilt
tering mass of ribbons, flowers, bright
beads, gold-lace; the women in satin
dresses and slippers, the men in the
dress of the time in California, which
is exactly what we see in Spanish pic
tures-short velvet jackets, covered
with braid and gold embroidery, the
velvet trousers open over the full whits
drawers, while string of bells down
the seam jingled even more than do the
bangles of ladies in church.
The starting-point was almost facing
my place of observation. They would
form in great order and quiet, the
horses knowing the order of the pro-
ceedings evidently as well as their mas
tiers, and the signal for starting was
the exploding of fire-crackers by the
hundred boxes under the feet of the
horses. What with the sparks and
noise, it looksd as If the whole thing
had gone up like the end of pantO-
mime.
1t was point of honor to show which
horse behaved best under these circum-
stances. The horses were trained in
the way that has always been favOrite
with Spanish people, to make any
number of dancing movements in imi-
tation of progress, while in reality they
do not go forward at all. think they
are trained to this by having weights
tied to their legs.
Each one was perfect horseman.
Each man did not simply ride his horse,
but was in the habit of living with it
and upon it, and was consequently in
perfect rapport. Each one of these put
in force every art known to him to eX-
hibit the spirit and the beauties of his
horse. As they passed down the one
street of the town the correct thing was
for people from the side to advance and
throw fire-crackers in mass under the
horses feet; the firing of pistols was Of
course; no end of little shrill screams,
laughter, voices in every varying into
nation, couplets sung to the air which
was being played, and taken up with
shouts of laughter; the chorus by every
one who took the local allusions. With
all this the musicians played with as
much steadiness and animation az
though seated on platform instead of
the saddle.
The third day | feel myself incompe-
tent to describe. They had their field
sports for that day on the large open
green just by my perch in the ham
mocks. And here the evolutions in a
small space-the rush with which they
would go, as though shot from a bow,
across the plain; the bringing up all
standing. without any Stacking of the
speed, leaving them motionless as an
English horse-guard on duty; the con-
tinuous whirls in small circle, wind
ing nearer and nearer in towards the
central point, until it seemed as though
man and horse must fall from sheer
dizziness; the mounting of vicious,
screaming young horse, which would
spring like cat into the air, with all
its legs stiffened out and its back bowed,
making one jump this way, another
that, until it would seem as though
every thing would dislocate in its rider
were a part of the exhibition which
perfectly fascinated me.