San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-08-31
CONTEMPLATED PICNIC.
A Minister. Experience with an ImpIOus Nag.

Van Shack is q most accommodating
man. and the good pastor OF his church
wanted to borrow his horse and buggy
TO 90 out on the Whitefish Bay road to
look up location for Sunday'school
picnic, and Van said that was all right,
he could have the horse and welcome.
II should be remarked that Vans fam
ily horse, Redwood, has record OF
2 :2S, though to SEQ him come jogging
down the street hauling his owner to
business, nobody would think'he was
fast. The good preacher took Rich
wood and logged along up Prospect
avenue and out to the toll gate. The
minister was looking at the beautiful
groves along the road, selecting trees
to put up swings and then seeing better
trees ahead, until finally he got up to
Ferny Br@, when Redwood turned his
left ear backward and began to chew
the bit. The minister, who used to
handle horses before he began to han
die sinners, felt q nervous shock as
though q black bass had struck his
minnow. Just then he looked round,
and man was coming up behind driy-
ing q pair of red PAGERS to yellow
wagon. The PAGERS were going pretty
well, and the driver in voice louder
than the minister had ever heard out
side a revival, shouted ga lang" Rich
wood evidently felt that challenge
had been issued to him, and he jumped
into the air about six feet and came
down on square trot, and went up the
road as though lie never had Sunday
school picnic on his mind. At the first
imp the horse made the minister come
1ear going over backwards, and as it
vas, he only hung on by the calves OF
lis legs and the lines, but he righted
himself, saved his hat, and pulled
lard and yelled "whoa" There had
,een an understanding between Van
nd Redwood that when he said "whoa"
he horse should go for oil that was out,
nd he did. The gentleman with the
acers, who did not know that he was
acing with minister, kept yelling, and
he people up the road got out of the
'ay. The minister could not have been
lore surprised if all the brothers-in-
Nv in his church had come forward to
le anxious seat, and he was somewhat
nnoyed when he saw several acquain- {
ances witnessing the race. After pass
lg the woods they Stacked up and turn
/ round, and all three Of the horses ,
alked while they took breathing Y
,ell. The driver of the PAGERS, who
i'd on iocky cap, and who had swift
} pearance generally, drove up along
de the minister, and thinking it was
me stranger who had come to town r
l the sly to take in the boys on a
,rse race, winked at the poor preach
end said; "Boss, that is pretty
dden horse you've got there. Where'd
~ pick him up? The poor man felt
though he would sink, and asking
e pacing man if there was no way of
tting back to town without going
'wn that awful road. He was told he
uld turn off to the right and 60 over
: Ludeman's on the river, and keep
It of sight, and that was the last
en- Of him. When he drove up to
ans barn, it is said he remarked to
IN, Brother Van Setback, you have a
ry fleet animal" and Van said, "Good
acious, elder, you haven't been speed
3 him, have your" While they were
hitching the horse the elder told the
Try, and said he was afraid he had
en- ruined by the horse, but Van told 9
II that was all nonsense, as he had been :
wing the horse for years and he had I.
YER been ruined. "But how about :
, picnic ground?" asked Van. 81 {
an, l forgot all about picking out q :,
ce for the picnic. "--PeckS San. =