Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-04-28
MIR. BECK ON A WHIRLWIND.
A Story Told in the Senate Cloak Room oi
an Airing Behind Capt. Morris Sleepy.
Looking Mare that Proved to be q Flyer.

A Story Told in the Senate Cloak Room oi
Looking Mare that Proved to be q Flyer.
THAT is very fast train that flies
between New York and Philadelphia.
but 1 don't think they will ever get a
railway train that will go so fast as /
once was carried over the old Bloom
ingdale road" So said Senator Beck
the other day to a number of his
brother Senators. They were sitting
in the cloak room, smoking cigars of
varying fragrance. The new Senator
from Nevada, Mr.. Fair, puffed at a
cigar about whose richness of flavor
there could be no doubt, but he be-
came so interested in the anecdote
that the Senator from Kentucky told
that he permitted the cigar to rest
between the first and second fingers
long enough to loose the flame and
therefore the fragrance. Senator
Butler of South Carolina stood lean
ing against the wall, his face at times
almost concealed by the delicate
smoke that ascended from Senator
Vests cigarette. The grave Senator
from Texas, Mr.. Coke, was sitting in
an arm chair just within the threshold
of the cloak room, where he could
enjoy his Partaga, and at the same
time see and hear all that was going
Oh upon the floor of the Senate. But
when the first sentence of Mr.. Beck's
story fell upon his ears, the droning
utterances of Mr.. Dawes and the
dreary roll call lost all interest.
There were other Senators standing
near, and their evident interest en-
couraged Mr.. Beck to tell the story
with even more than his usual vivid
ness of description.
~ don't remember just what year
it was," Mr.. Beck said, shut it was
before came to Congress, and when
l was quite young man, that was
in New York City. | was in the
days when the old Bloomingdala road
was favOrite drive for New Workers
with fast horses, Now, l like fast
horse myself, and | thought l 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 l knew.
His name was Capt. Norris. He was
driving a dreadfully bony and angu-
r-lookiug mare, and when he asked
me if / would like to take q seat be-
side him, was almost ashamed to
get in behind such a specimen of
horse1esh. Still knew that Capt.
Norris was something Of lover of
horses, and besides 1 couldn't in
courtesy refuse him. So l got in.
The sleepy-seeming old mare logged
along in most tiresome way: Her
head hung down, and it seemed as
though it was all she could do to
drag her legs along"
"We'll go out on the Bloomingdale
road if you don't mind" the Captain
said. land see some of the steppers.
"Well, that would be pleasant
enough, for thought l would have
Il chance to see brush or two be-
tween some of the noted horses of
New York that day. / said to the
Captain that | almost wondered why
he wasn't out with stopper himself,
knowing how fond he was of fast
driving. He said he sometimes did
take a fast horse out, and / remem-
ber looking at the dingy, beny mare,
and feeling for 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 at
his mare, and l thought that they
were wondering how Capt. Norris
was out with such plug as that.
Well, by and by we got on the
Bloomingdale road, and one after
another team passed by. l observed
now and then the gentlemen who
were driving noticeably fine and
speedy animals would turn to the
Captain as they were alongside and
intimate desire to match speed with
him. The Captain would shake his
head, and sometimes reply, No; you
are no good;' and he said this In a
bantcring way rs though to return
banter for banter"
Thin 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 a little
firmer grip of the reins. The gentle
man slowed up little, sufficiently to
let lis pass
"Try it, Cap" he shouted.
''The Captain nodded"
II saw that the mare lifted her
head a little as the grip on the reins
tightened, and put some little anima-
ton into her feet. BY and by we
heard the clattcr of hoofs behind us.
| looked around and saw that the
gentlemen was coming at a splendid
pace.
"See if he passes u.s." said the
Captain, and he made one little CHR
rnp to themare.
''Gentlemen, 1 have seen transfer
nation scenes. have seen the old
man in the opera of Faust changed
in an instant to the handsome young
fellow. l have seen a politician
change his coat, but l never saw such
. a transformation as then happened.
The mare lifted her head. 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 CLEAN,
and her legs looked like the spokes
of rapidly revolving wheel. She
was all fire, all animation, all elec-
tricity. l could think of nothing bu,
a locomotive rushing along at the
the rate of mile minute. Heavens
how the wind cut my face
"Look out for your hat, Beck, -
said the Captain, ''and pulled i
down over my ears. l glanced quick.
ly at the Captain. He held the reins
firmly, and his eyes were fixed ahead
| We were plunging ahead on a wbirl