The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-07-16
THE DIFFERENCE IN HORSES.

! There has been great change in livery
/ horses in the last twenty years. Years ago
if a young fellow wanted to take his girl out
/ riding, and expected to enjoy himself, he had
to hire an old horse, the worst in the livery
stable, that would drive itself, OF he never
could get his arm around his girl to save him.
If he took a decent-loOlling team, to put on
style, he had to hang on to the lines with
both hands, and even if he took his eyes off
the team long enough to look at the suffering
girl beside him, with his mouth, the chances
were that the team would jump over ditch,
or run away, ut the conclusion. Riding out
with girls was shorn of much of its pleasure
in those days. We knew a young man that
was going to put one arm around his girl if
he didn't lay up q cent, and it cost him over
three hundred dollars. The team ran away,
the buggy was wrecked one horse was killed
the girl had her hind leg broken, and her
father kicked the young man all over the
orchard and broke the handspring Of his
watch. 1t cot so that the livery rig a young
man drove was an index to his thoughts. If
he had a stylish team that was right mp on
the bit, and full of vinegar, and he braced
himself and pulled for all that was out, and
the girl sat back in the corner of the buggy,
looking as though she should faint away If Il
horse got his tail over line, then people said
that couple was all right, and there was no
danger that they would be on familiar terms.
But if they started out with slow old horse
that looked as though all he wanted was to
be let alone however innocent the party
look people knew Just as well as though they
had seen it that when they got ont on the
road, or when night came on, that fellows
arm would steal around her waist, and she
would snug up to him and-O, pshaw, you
have heard it before.
''WelI, late years the livery men have ''got
onto the racket" as they say at the church
sociables. They have found that horses that
know their business are in demand, and so
horses are trained for this purpose. They
are trained on purpose for outdoor sparkling.
1t is not an uncommon thing to see young
fellow drive up to the house where his girl
lives with a team that Is just tearing things.
They prance and champ the bit and the
young man seems to pull on them as though
his liver was coming out The horses will
hardly stand still long enough for the girl TO
get in, and then start off and seem TO split
the air wide open, and the neighb0rs say,
''them children viii get all smashed up one
of these days." The girls father and mother
see the team start, and their minds expert
euce q relief rs they reflect that ''as long as
John drives that frislzy team the:a can't be
no hucgin' q going on" The girls older SIS
ter sighs and says. CHATS So and goes to
herroom and laughs right out loud Itwouid
be instructive to the scientists to watch that
team for a few miles. The horses fairly
foam before they get ont of town, but strlk-
ing the country road the fiery steeds come
down to walk, and they nope along as
though they had always worked on hearse.
The shady woods are reached, and the car
rage scarcely moves, and the horses seem to
be walking in their sleep. The lines are
loose on the dash board, ana the left arm of
the driver is around the pretty girl and they
are talking low. It Is not necessary to talk
loud, rs they are so near each other that the
faintest whisper can be heard. But a change
comes over them. A carriage appears in
front, coming towards them. The young
man picks up the lines and the horses are III
the air, and as they pass the other carriage it
almost seems as though the team Is running
away, and the girl that was in sweet rep0se
a moment before acts as though she wanted
to Jump out. After passing the intruder the
walk and conversation is continued. II You
meet that party on the Whiteish Bay road
at ten o'clock at night, the horses are walk
ing as quietly as oxen, and they never wake
up until coming into town. If the driver
seems to be asleep one OF the horses viii kick
the singlctrees and wake him mp, and then
he pulls up the horses and drives through
town like a cyclone, and when he pulls up 60
the house the old man is on the steps and lie
thinks John must be awful tired trying TO
hold that team. And he is.
It is thought by some that horses have no
intelligence, but a tAm that knows enough
to take in a sporadic case OF buggy-sparking
has got sense These teams come high, but
the boys have to have them.