Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-05-11

CONT tnink they Will ever get rall
way train that will 60 so fast as once wal
carried over the old Bloomingdale road.
So said Senator Beck the other day TO {
number of his brother Senators They
were sitting in the cloak room, smoking
Cigars of varying fragrance. The new
Senator from Nevada, Mr.. Fair, pulled a
a segar about whose richness CT havol
there could be no doubt, but he became in
terested in the anccdote that the Senator
from Kentucky told that he permitted the
cigar to rest between the first and second
fingers long enough to lose the hamt
and therefore the fragrance. Senator But
er of South Carolina stood leaning agains
he wall, his face at times almost concealed
the delicate smoke that ascended from
Senator Vests cigarette. The grave Sena
tor from Texas, Mr.. Coke, was sitting il
an armchair just within the threshold OF
the cloak room, where he could enjoy his
Partaga, and at the same time see and heal
all that was going on upon the floor of the
Senate. But when the first sentence Of VI.
Beck s story fell Upon his ears, the dronlng
utterances of Mr. Dawes and the dreary
roll-call lost all interest. There were othel
Senators standing near, and their evident
interest encouraged Mr.. Beck to tell the
story with even more than his usually
vividness Of description.
81 dodt remember just what year If
was" Mr.. Beck said, ''but II was before
came to Congress, and when | was quite a
young man, that was in New York city
Ii was in the dav when the old Blooming
dale road was a fayorite drive for New
Workers with fest horses Now / like a
fast horse myself, and l thought l had rid
den behind some. One afternoon was up
town in New York, and gentleman came
along whom ! knew. His name was Cap
tain Norris. He was driving a dreadfully
bony and angular looking mare. and when
be asked me if / would like to take seat
beside HIM, was almost ashamed TO get
in behind such specimen Of horsetesh.
Still / kuew that Captain Norris was some
thing of a lover of horses, and besides
couldn't in courtesy refuse him. So Igot 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 10 drag her legs along.
'"We'll 60 out the Bloomingdale road
if you don't mind, the Captain SAID, and
see some Of the steppers.'
''Well, that would be pleasant enough,
for thought would have chance to see
a brush or two between some of the noted
horses of New York of that day. l said
to the Captain that almost wondered why
he wasn't out with a stopper himself,
knowing how fond he was of fast driving
He said that sometimes he did take a fast
horse out, and | remember looking at the
dIngy, bony old mare, and feeling for the
Captain some OF the shame which | thelght
he ought to have felt for himself. noticed,
too, that the people whom We passed, who
recognized him, were staring at his mare,
and | thought that they were wondering
how it happened that Captain 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. !
observed that now and then the gentlemen
who were driving noticeably fine and
speedy animals would turn to the Captain
as they were alongside and intimate a de-
sire TO match speed with him. The Cap
tain would shake hls head, and sometimes
would reply, No; you are no good; and
he said this in bantering way, as though
to return banter for banter.
''Then we logged along, and was really
getting sick of it.
''By and by a noble animal passed us.
The gentleman who was driving looked, as
he passed, around at the Captain. /
noticed that the Captain nodded, and that
he took little firmer grip of the reins.
The gentleman slowed up little. suffi-
ciently to let 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 frightened, and
put some little animation into her feet. By
and by We heard tie clatter of hoofs back
Of U.s. looked around and saw that the
gentleman was coming at a splendid pace.
''See if he passes us. said the Captain,
and he made one little chirrlp to the mare.
Gentlemen, | have seen transformation
scenes. / have seen the old man in the
opera of Faust changed in an instant to
the handsome young fellow. / have seen
a politician change his coat, but | never
saw such a transformation as then hap
pened. The mare lifted her head. Her
cars no longer hung limp. They were
erect and tossed back to catch the sound of
those approaching hcofs. Her dingy body
seemed TO CLEAN, and her legs looked like
the spokes of rapidly revolving wheel.
She was all fire, all animation all electricity.
| could think of nothing but a locomotive
rushing along at the rate of mile minute.
Heavens how the wind cut my face.
" Look out for your hat. Beck, SAID the
Captain. and pulled 1t down over my ears,
glanced quickly at the Captain. He held
lhe reins firmly, and his eyes were fixed
ahead. We were plunging ahead on a whirl- |
wind. l thought what beauty that mare |
now is, and thonght that there was only |
)ne end of ii all-annihilatIcn Igrabbed |
he seat firmly with both hands, and pressed |
ny feet against the dashboard. The wind |
noaned in my ears, although we made the
lreeze ourselves. | could hardly breathe.
could not see, except away ahead. l
NEW that we were passing team after team,
md heard the people cheer. | shut nv
yes, ! thought the crash would come. III
would have begged the Captain to stop, if
he speed had not been so great that speech |.
vas impossible. | said TO myself, James
Beck, your day has come. Whew-w-w-w!
low We were fiyingl There was no mo-
ion excepting speed. We were flying over
he road, horse and riders, seemingly i'm
'elled by an unseen, irresistible power. /
pened my eyes once and saw some men
way ahead waving their hats. In an in
tant we had reached and passed them, and
We went by, the thu ee men mingled into
ne. When will this end2 | wondered.
he suspense was awful. / wanted what
yer was going to happen at once. 1t
eemed as though We had been an hour
ding, when the speed slackened, slower
nd slower, and at last the mare stopped.
opened my eyes and saw that we We
ere standing at a roadside inn.
Are we through, Captalnl l tremb-
ngly asked.
- Yes he said, laughing, lets take
tile Santa Cruz
"The Captain turned tine mare over to
le hosler, and We went inside and | i
elped myself pretty literally.
" Captain, you gave me great fright :
said. Il had no idea that mare could 90. ;
Thy she's tit TO be racer