Daily Republican., 1881-05-09
A Senate Cloak Room story.

AScnate Cloak Room Story.
"That is very fast train that flies
between New York and Philadelphia,
but | don't think they will ever get u
railway train that will 20 so fast rs
once was carried over the old Blooming
dale road" So said Senator Beck the
other day to lumber of his brother
Senators.
They were sitting in the cloak room,
smoking cigars Of varying fragrance
The new Senator from Nevada, Mr..
Fair, pullcd at Il cigar about whose
richness of flavor there could be no
doubt, but ne became so interested III
the anccdote that the Senator from
Kentucky told that he permitted the cl-
gar to rest between the first and second
fingers long enough to lose the flame
aud therefore the fragrance.
Senator Butler, of South Carolina,
stood leaning against the wall, his face
at times almost concealed by the smoke
| that a5cendeh from Senator Vest $ cigar
cttc, The grave Senator from Texas,
| Mr.. Coke, was sitting in an arm chair
| inst within the threshold Of the cloak
room, where he could enjoy his Parta-
ga, and M the same time ScG and hear
all that was going on upon the floor OF
| the Senate. But Whcu the tirNt sentence
Of Mr.. Bcck'S story fell upon his etrS,
| the drnning ntteranCeS OF Mr.. Dawes
and the drcary roll call lost all interest.
There were other Senators standing
near, and their evident interest encOur-
aged 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, "butit was before
| | came t0 Congress, and when | was
| quite n young man, that | was in New
York city. 1t was in the days when the
old Bl0omingdalc road was n tavorite
drive for New Workers with fast horses.
Now | like n 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 Capt. Norris. lie was
driving drcadtuIiy bOnv and angular
looking mare, and when he asked me II
| wouid take seat beside him, was
almost ashamed to get in behind such a
specimen of horse flesh. Still | knew
that Capt. Norris was something OF a
lover Of horses, and besides couldn't
in courtesy refuse him. so got in. Ihn
sleepy old mare logged along
in Il most tircSOmc way. Ter head hung
dnwn, and it seemed as though it W Is
all she could do to drag her legs along.
Gwen go out on the BIu0mingdair
: 4 t1.
said, and see some Of the strDDers.
"Wrll that would be pleasant enough
for Thought would have Il chance to-
see , brush or i"u between some of the
noted horses Of New York OF That day.
! said to the Captain That | @lmoNt
wondered why h" Wasn't out with .
Srcpprr himself, knowing how fond hp
was Of fast driving, he said hr did
sometimes take a fast horse oUi, and | |
remember looking at the dingy, bouy |
mare, feeling for the Captain some Of
the shame which thought Il" ought to
have felt for himself. noticed, too, |
that III" people whom We passed, who
recognized him, were staring at his |
mare, and | thought that they We're
wondering how il Happened that Capt.
Norris was out with such n plUga' that.
We'll by and by we got UH the Bloom
ingdale road and one after another team
passed by. | observed that now and
then the gentlemen who were driving
fine speedy animals would
turn to the Captain as they We're @loHg-
side and intimate desire to match
speed with him. The Captain would
shake his head, and sometimes reply
no; you are no good aud he said this
i'll bantcrinE way, as though to rctmn
banter for banter.
"Thcn we logged along, and | was
really getting sick Of it.
By-md-by noble animal passed u.s.
The gentleman who wa, driving looked
as he passed around at the Captain. I
noticed that the Captain nodded, and
that he took little tirmcr grip Of the
reins. The gentleman slowed mp lit
tie, sufficiently to, to let us pass.
TRY il Cap" he shouted
"Thc Captain nodded.
saw that the mare lifted her head Il
little as the grip on the rrins tighten"d,
md put some animation into her feet.
By-and-by we heard the clatter of hoots
back of us. looked around and saw
hat the gentleman was coming at
splendid pace.
'See if he passes MS" said the Cap. ,
ain, and he made one little chirrup to
he old mare.
"Gentleman have seen trapsforma- ,
ion scenes. | have seen the old man
n the opera Oi Faust changed in an in =
tant to the handsome young fellow. |
Snny, a pnlitininu oh I,; ,,,- |
,ut never saw such transformation
IS then happened. The mare lifted her :
read Her ears no longer hung limp.
they were erect and tossed back to catch
he sound of those approaching hoofS. y
Ter dingy body now seemed to gleam, q
nd her legs looked Ike the Sp0keS Of i
apid revolving wheel. She was all fire, n
Il animation, all electricity | could
hink Of nothing but a locomotive rush
ng along at the rate of a mile q minute.
icavcnS the wind cut my face.
Look oLt for your hat, Beck" said o
he Captain, and | pulled it down over C
ny ears. glanced quickly at the Cap II
ain. He held the reinS firmly, and his u
yes were fixed ahead. We were II
lunging ahead on Whirlwind. | o
honght what beauty that mare now tt
5, and Thought that there was only Il
ne end of it decentralization. grab W
ed the seat firmly with both hands, G.
nd pressed my feet against the dash a
oard. The wind moaned in my ears, o.
Though we made the breeze ourselves, II
could hardly breathe. could not Sc" 81
xcept away ahead. | knew We were a
assing team after team, and | heard "A
he people cheer. | shut my eyes. | 81
lought the crash would come, ! would
ave begged the Captain to stop, if the
Deed had not been so great that speech
as impossible. ! said to myself, Jas. f
eek, your day has come. Whew-w-w-w! in
low we were flying! There was al
Dw no motion eXcept speed We Were p,