Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-04-25
A Story Told in the Senate Cloak
Room About a Biz Of
Horse Flesh.
New York SUMS washinzton Letter

tween the first and second fingers lonp
enough to lose the flame and therefore
the fragrance. Senator Butler of South
Carolina stood leaning against the wall,
his face at times almost concealed by the
delicate smoke that assembled from Sena-
tor Vests cigarette. The grave Senator
from Texas, Mr.. Coke, was sitting in an
armchair just within the Threshold OF
the cloak room, where he could enjoy
his Partsga, and at the same time see
and hear all that was going on upon the
floor OF the Senate. But when the first
sentence OF Mr.. Beck's story fell upon
bis ears, the droning differences OF Mr.
Dawes and the dreaiy roll call lost all
interest. There were other Senators
standing near, and their evident in
terest encouraged Mr.. Beck to tell the
story with even more than his usual
vividness OF description.
81 don't remember just what year it
was" Mr.. Beck SAID. "bus il was before
came to Congress, and when / Was
quite young man, that was in New
York city. 1t was in the day when the
old Bloomingdale road was a favorite
drive for New Workers with fast horses.
Now / like a fast horse myself, and
thought had ridden behind some. One
afternoon / was up town, or what was
at that time up town in New York, and
a gentleman came along whom / knew.
His name was Captain Norris. He was
driving dreadfully bony and angular
looking mare, and when he asked me il
| would like TO take seat beside bin, |
was almost ashamed to get in behind
such a specimen of horsriesh. Still
knew that Capt. Norris WAS something
| OF lover.of horses, and besides couldn't
in courtesy refuse him. So | got in.
The sleepy seeming Old mare logged
along in a most tiresome way. Her
head hung down, and tseemed as though
it was all she could do to drag her legs
along.
"We'll go out the Bloomingdale road
il you don't mind the Captain said,
and see some OF the steppers'
"Well, that would be pleasant enough,
for thought would have a chance to
see brush or two between some of the
noted horses OF New York OF that day.
! said to the Captain that l almost
wordered why he wasn't out with step
per himself, knowing how fond he was
OF fast driving. He said that ne some
times did take a fast horse out, and i
remember looking at the dingy, bOny
mare, and feeling Tor the Captain some
OF the shame which thought he ought
TO have felt for himself. / noticed, too,
that the people whom We passed, who
recognized him, were staring AZ his
mare, and l thought that they were
wondering how it happened that Captain
Norris was out with such a plug as that.
Well, by and by we got on the Bloom
ingdale road, and one after another
team passed by. l observed that now
and then the gentlemen who were driv-
ing notieeably fine and speedy animals
would turn to the Captain as they were
alongside and intimate adesire to match
speed with him. The Captain would
shake his head, and sometimes reply,
NO; you are no good;' and he said this
in banteriny way, as though to return
banter for banter.
"Then we logged along, and l was
really getting sick OF it.
"By and by noble animal passed. us.
The gentleman who was driving looked,
as he passed, around at the Captain. l
noticed that the Captain nodded, and
that he took little tirmer grip OF the
reins. The gentleman slowed up
little, sufficiently to let US pass.
"'Try it, Cap he shouted.
"The Captain nodded.
81 say that the mare lifted her head
little as the grip on the reins frightened,
and put some little animation into her
feet. BY and by we heard the clatter oil
boots back of US. looked around and
saw that the gentleman vas coming at
splendid pace.
"'See il he passes u.s. said the Cap
tain, and he made one little chirrup to
the mare.
Gentlemen, have seen transforma-
ton scenes. / have seen the old man IN
the opera of Faust changed in an in
slant TO the handsome young fellsw.
have seen politician change his coat,
but never saw such transformation
as then happened. The mare lifted her
heal. Her ears no longer hung limp.
They were erect and tossed back TO
catch the sound of those approaching
hOofs. Her dingy body now seemed to
y,eam, and her legs looked liked the
smokes OF a rapid revolving wheel. She
Was all fire, all animation, all electricity.
| could think OF nothing but locomotive
rushing along at the rate OF mile
a minute. Heavens how the wind cut
my face!
"'I.ook out for your hat, Beck, said
the Captain, and pulled it down over
NV ears. / glanced quickly at the Cap
tain. lie held the reins firmly, and his
ewes were fixed ahead. We were plung-
INC ahead on a whirlwind. / thought
what beauty that mare now Is, and 1
thought that there was only one END OF
II decentralization l grabbed the seat
firmly with both hands, and / pressed
my feet sgainst the dashboard. The
wind mosned in my ears, although We
made the breeze ourselves. L could
hardly breathe. could not see, except
awav ahead. knew we were passing
tealn after team, and heard the people
RI. ser shut my eyes. thought the
crash would come. would have begged
the Captain to stop, il the speed had not
been so greet that epeech was impossible.
/ said to mySelf, james Beck, your day
has come. Whew.w.w-w! How we
are flying! There was now no motion
Excepting speed. We were flying over
the road, horse and riders, seemingly
| inpe,led BY an unseen, irresistible
power. opeaed my eyes once aud saw
some men away ahead waving their hats.
In an Instant we had reached and pass
sd them, and as We went by, the three
men seemed mingled into one. When
will this end? I wondered. The sus-
pense was awful. l wanted whatever
was going TO happen to happen at once.
Ii seemed as though We had been an
hour riding, when the speed slsckened,
| slower and slower, and at last the mare
stopped. l opened my eyes and saw
that We were standing at a roadside
inn.
"Are we through, Captain? i tremb-
linely asked.
ayes he said, laughing, lets take
little Santa Cruz.
THE Captain turned the mare over 70
the hostier. and we went inside and
helped myself pretty literally.
"'Captain you gave me great fright,
said. Il had no idea that mare could
90. Why, she's fit to be Q racer
"'Yes, / don't know but she is said
the Captain nonchalantly.
osHoy long were we coming down