The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-07-29
SENATOR BRCK,S RIDE.
How n sleepy Old Mare Astonished IIIm.-A
Vivid Description Of a Fast Horses

l came to Congress and when / was
quite young man, that was in New
York city. 1t was in the days when the
old Bloomingdale road was a favorite
drive for New Workers with fast horses.
Now I like fast horse myself, and L
thought 1 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 drea1fully bony and
angular looking mare, and when he
asked me if would like to take seat
beside him was almost ashamed to get
in behind such a specimen of horsehesh.
Still, l knew that Captain Norris was
something of a lover of horses, and
beside couldn't in courtesy refuse him;
so I got in. The sleepy-seeming old
mare logged along in the most tiresome
way. Her head hung down, and it
seemed as though it was all she could
do to drag her legs along.
"We'l go out on the Bloomingdale
road if you don't mind, the captain said,
and see some of the stoppers.'
"Well, that would be pleasant enough,
for I thought I would have a chance to
-oo n l,,.,,cb ~. tu-o bot,roo,,. eo,,,o &c t1,o
noted horses of New York of that day.
I said to the captain that almost won
dered why he wasn't out with stopper
himself, knowing how fond he was of fast
driving. He said that he sometimes did
take a fast horse out, and I remember
looking at the dingy, bony mare, and
feeling for the captain some of the shame
which / thought he ought to have felt
for himself. l noticed, too, that the peo-
pie whom we passed, who recognized
him, were staring at his mare, and l
thought that they were wondering how
it was that Captain Norris was out with
such plug as that.
"By-and-by noble animal passed us.
The gentleman who was driving looked,
as he passed, around at the captain. I
noticed that the captain nodded, and
that he took little firmer grip of the
reins. The gentleman slowed up lit
tie, sufficiently to l5t us pass.
"'Try it, Cap" he shouted.
The captain nodded.
81 saw that the mare lifted her head a
little as the grip on the reins tightened
and put some little animation into her
feet. By-and.b by we heard the clatter of
hoofs back of us. | looked around and
saw that the gentleman was coming at a
splendid pace.
"'See if he passes us, said the captain
as he made one little chirrup to the
mare.
Gentlemen, 1 have seen tran5forma-
ton scenes; | have seen the old man in
the opera of Faust changed in an instant
to the handsome young fellow. l have
seen politician change his coat, but l
never saw such transformation as then
happened. The mare lifted her head.
Her ears no longer hung limp. They
were erect and tossed to catch the sound
of those approaching hoofs. Her dingy
body now seemed to CLEAN, and her legs
looked like the spokes Of n rapidly
revolving wheel. She was all fire, all
animation, all electricity, l could think
of nothing but a locomotive rushing
along at the rate of mile a minute.
Heavens how the wind cut my face.
"Look out for your hat, Beck said
the captain, and pulled it down over
my ears. glanced quickly at the cap
tain he held the reins firmly and his
eyes were fixed ahead. We were plung-
ING ahead on q whirlwind. / thought
what beauty that mare now is, and l.
thought there was only one end OF it all
humiliation, / grabbed the seat
firmly with both hands, and I pressed
my feet against the dashboard. The
wind moaned in my ears, although we
made the breeze ourselves. ] could
hardly breathe, I could not see, except
away ahead. I knew we were passing
team after team, and / heard the people
cheer / shut my eyes. / thought the
crash would come. Iwould have begged
the captain to stop if the speed had
not been so great that speech was i'm
possible. I said to myself, James Beck,
your day has come. Whew-w-w-w ! how
we were flying. There was no motion
excepting speed. We were flying over
the road, horse and riders, seemingly
impelled by an unseen, irresistible
power. I opened my eyes once and
saw some men away ahead waving theil
hats. In an instant we had reached and
passed them, and as we went by the
three men seemed mingled into one,
When will this end? wondered. The
suspense was awful, ] wanted whatever
was going to happen to happen at once
It seemed as though we had been an
hour riding when the speed s!ackened
slower and slower and at last the marc
stopped. | opened my eyes and saw
I that we were standing at q roadside
{ inn.
, care you through, captain ?