Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-04-24
MR.. BECK ON A WHIRIwuNn.
The Kentucky Senator's Turu ~.
the BlOOmfngdaie ROAD.
N ew York Sun

very fast train that flies between New
York and Philadelphia, but L don't think
they will ever get a railway train that will
60 so fast as I once was carried over the
old Bloomingdale road" So said Senator
Beck the other day to a number of his
brother Senators. They were sitting in the
ccloak-room. smoking cigars of varying
fragrance. The lew senator from Nevada,
MT. air, pulled at a cigar about VIII ose
richness of flavor there could be no DOUBT.
out ne became so interested in the anecdote
that the Senator from Kentucky told that
ne permitted the cigar to rest between the
hrst and second fingers long 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 Senator Vests cigar
cite The grave Senator from Texas. Mr..
Coke, was sitting in an armchair just within
the threshold of the coak-room, where he
could enjoy his Partaga, 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
his ear, the droning utterances of Mr.
Dawes and the dreary roll call lost all in-
terest. There we're other Senators standing
near, and their evident interest encouraged
@1Ais t1OSA w tOll VIZ cLOl Will SN6u- H1uT6
than his usual vividness of description.
Il don't remember just what year it
was" Mr.. Beck said, "but it was before I
came to Congress- and when [ was quite
young man, that was in New York city.
1t was ia the days when the old Bloom ng.
dale road was a favorite drive for New
Workers with fast horses. Now | like
fast horse myself, ana l thought had rid
den behind some. One afternoon was up
town w N at q that time II n tn in
New York, and gentleman came along
whom L knew. His name was Capt. Norris.
He was driving dreadfully bony and
ngular-looking mare and when he asked
me if | would like to take g seat beside
him, ! was almost ashamed to get in be-
behind such specimen Of no setlesh. Still
knew that Capt. Norris was something of
a lover of horses, and besides | couldn't
in courtesy refuse him. So got in. The
sleepy-seeming old mare legged along in IA
most tiresome way. Her head hung down,
and it seemed as though it WAS all she
could DO to drag her legs along.
So Well go out on the Bloomingdale
road if you don't mind the captain said,
and see some Of the eppers.'
well, that would be pleasant enough,
for thong ht would have a chance to
sea brush or two between some of the
noted horses of New York of that day. |
said to the captain that l most wondered
whyhe wasn't out with a stopper himself,
knowing how fond he was of fast driving.
He said tnAt he sometimes did take a fast
horse out, and | remember looking at the
dlngy, bony mare, and feeling for the
captain some Of the shame which thought
he ought to have felt for himself. L no iced
too, that the people whom we passed, who
recogn zed him, were staring at his mare,
and | thought that they were wonderiD g
how it happened that Captain Norris was
out with SUCH q plug as that. w ell, by
and by we got on the Bloom ngdale road,
and one after another team passed by. L
observed that now and then toe gentlemen
who W re driving notlceaby tine and
speedy animals would turn to the captain
| as they were alongside and intimate a de-
| sire to match speed with him. The captain
would shake his head, and sometimes reply
| No; you are nc good;' aud he said this IL
| a banterlng Way as though to return ban
| ter for banter.
Then wejogged along, and was really
| getting sick oft.
BY and by 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 8
| little frmer grip of the reins. The gentle
| man slowed up little. sufficiently to lei
| US pass.
60 Try it cap he shouted.
| The captain nodded.
| saw that the mare lifted her head {
little as the grip of The reins frightened, ant
| put some little animation into her feet
By and by we heard the clatter of hoof
| back Of US. looked around and saw tina
| the gentleman was coming at a splendid
pace.
"See if he passes u.s. said the captain
and he made one little chIrrup to the mare
"Gentlenan, l have seen transformation
scenes. / have seen the old man in The
opera of Faust changed in an instant &c
the handsome young fellow. have seen 1
politician change MS coat, but never saw
such q transformation as then happened
The mare lifted her head. Her ears no Ion
ger hung limp. They were erect and toss
| ed back to catch the sound of those ap
proaching hoofs. Her dngy body nov
seemed to CLEAN, and her legs looked lik
the spokes OF Il rapidly revolving wheel
She was all fire, all animation, all electric
ity. l could think of nothing but locomo
| tive rushing along at the rate of a mile
minute. Heavens how the wind cut ~.
| facet
80 Look out for your hat, Beck said tn
captain, and l pulled it down over M
ears. I glanced quickly at the captain. Il
held the reins firmly. and his eyes wer
fixed ahead. We were plungIng ahead OF
whrlwind. l thought what beauty tina
uudIo HOW IL, anu L LhOuSut tHdI LuGIc va
only one end Of it decentralization.
grabbed the seat firmly with both hands
and l pressed my feet against the da h
board. The wind moaned In my ears, al
though we made the breeze ourselves.
could hardly breathe | could not see, ex
cept away ahead. knew We were passiDj
team after team, and [ heard the peopl
cheer.ss 1shut my eyes | thought the cras
would come. l would have begged tn
| no MT in fo If ba hoH NJ hoo
so great that speech was impossible. | sal
TO myself, James Beck, your day ha
!, come. Whew-w-w-w How we were fly
ing. There Was now no motion eXceptin
speed. We were flying over the road, hors
and riders seemingly impeled by IN un
seen, irrstlble power. L opened my eye
once and saw some men away ahead Wav
i ing their hats. In an instant we had reach
ed and passed them, as We went by tn
three men seemed mingled into one. Whe
will this end | wondered. The suspens
was awful. l wanted whatever was gOin
to happen to happen at once. 1t seemed d
!, though we had been an hour riding, Wbe
the speed slackeLed, slower and slower
and at last the m re stopped. l opened N
eyes and saw that we were standing at
roadside inn.
g Are we through, captainF l trem
blingly asked.
O. Yes he said, laughing; let's take
{ little Santa Cruz
Tine captain turned the mare over to
, hostter, and we went inside and I helpe
f myself pretty literally.
Captain, you gave me great fright
L said. L had no luea that mare could &,
, Why she's fit to be IA err
Yes, don't know but she is said th
, captain nonchalantly.
So How long were we coming dow
here?' l asked
| 80 A hOnt eirht rninntas1