Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-30
TROLLOPE And MARK TWAIN
UnaVaIIingly Seeking InfoIma-
ton About Mustang Riding.

JOAQUIN Miller in tse somsrvills IN. J.)
UniJnist.
Pardon QUE depression from New
York, as | must say one word respect
lag a friend just departei-Anthony
Trollope. A strong man was he, with
a great, good human heart. 4 power
has gone out frDm London. A grand,
steady and sterling nature, and honest
10 all be had to say. There IS little
Of the flash and sensation order Of
things 10 iascinate and fill the Jour
nails OF to day. Md SO il is this sub
stantisl pillar, which once bore more
Of London on its shoulders than most
men know or London is willing to
concede, has passed away and little is
said. Strange he should have died
so soon, for physically be was the
largest and most powerful OF a large
aud most powerful race Of men. He
always visited me on horseback in
dense old LOndOn-ihe east side aud
most humble quarter Of the city-and
mounted on a horse as large and
power ul proportiOnately as himself,
be was the marvel Of The
dehizens as he slowly rode
through the crowded aud diDgy streets.
he was very partial to his saddle, and
had spent years on horseback in
Australia, where his sons, or the
most Of them, are settled, and are
now engaged in raising sheep far in
the interior. He had rode all over
Soutl. America and Mexico, and
while, | think, he had little admira.
ton for my writings, he liked my
preference for the saddle, and we
often rode together. He did not like
my big. SNOWY Mexican saddle, how
ever; aud on my insisting on its supe
rior advantages, he arranged that l
should come to his country place,
where he would furnish the horses
and we could put the qualities Of our
respective saddles to the test.
remember at a dinner at the Gar
rick Club, which be had given to
Mark Twain aud myself, he rode his
favorite hobby, the saddle, almost to
the verge of anger. You see Mark
Twain was then lecturing; or about
to lecture, on Riding the Mustang.
TTollope began to talk riding with
the soup. and endeavored hard to
draw the great humorist out and get
the advantage Of his long experience
with the mustang in the far West.
But Mark was silent and thoughtful.
he essayed once or twice TO talk about
Jerusalem, and even made some faint
illusions to the old masters; he went
of eloquently on the weather two or
three times. But be left the discus
sion Of the question entirely to Troll.
lope aud myself, greatly TO the disap-
pointment Of the former.
After dinner, as VIC sauntered back
70 Marks hotel (the Edwards, St.
Georges Square) where he was living
10 great state on the same floor with
Disraeli, Mark pulled me up suddenly
under a lamp post, aud said in his dry,
slow, and inimitable way: Look here.
old boy, now why didn't you help me
out Of that boss business, eh?"
,"Didn't know you wanted any help,
Mark"
"Well, now, didn't you see me try
ing to talk about Jerusalem and the
weather and the state Of future pun.
ishment2 Why, look here" And be
pulled out Of his vest pocket a short
dozen Of little bits OF p~astsboard.
See them2 Tickets for that riding
school in Queen street, down by Hyde
Park, l bought a dozen of 'em the
other day. Have IL left. Take EN-;
take EN- ell. I've used one. / got on
one Of the old mares there and she
scraped me off, and | WON'T 70 back
there any more
What said |, don't you know
how to rider
Never was on a horse before. and
never will be again But, you see, as
| am cturing on how to rids a mus
tang, | thought ! ought 10 know some.
thing about horses, But | know
eeough."
But, said /, as We parted, you
don't mean 70 tell me you know moth
ing about horse12'
"Ndhing. nothing a. all, and don't
want TO. You sec, I'm q steamboat
man."