Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-11-20
Equestrian Spurs.
HOW THEY ARE MADE AND WHO USES THEM.
JACK HAMILToN's RIDE DOWN BROADWAY.
New York Sun.


American navy fifty years ago was Quarter
master Jack Hamilton. He was typical
sailor in his parsimony at sea and his pro-
digalty on shore. but his good qualities and
his adventures have given him place in
history. Sailors have many ways of getting
rid Of their money after long cruise, but
in the old days when the fashionable prone
made Of the city was down Broadway from
Wall street to Battery Park, the man-o'-
warsman who did not take ride in fash
ionable carriage through Broadway when
ever he obtained shore leave in New York
was looked upon with mingled contempt and
curiosity by his shipmates. Jack Hamilton
was not content with carriage. He prided
himself on his skill as a horseman and so
determined 10 have a horse of his own.
With three years pay in his pocket, he had
no difficulty in satisfying his ambition. His
purchase was a sway back black gelding, Sc
date beneath its load of cares borne for IF
teen years, but capable under strong incen-
tves of considerable exertion. Unfortu-
nately for Jack, a new found friend induced
him to add pair of spurs to his shore out
fit. In relating his first experience with the
old black to shipmate, he said
The gentleman as keeps him for me in
Water street hsted me on to the poop d, OK
and handed me the tller ropes He told
me to keep the critter full and b, ill sight
ed the big be aeon at the head O. Wall street
Then | war to shove the helm hard over and
sail down Broadway with my spanker
brailed up and my foretopma.t stun.alls
set. Whatever | war to do with the ing
ling things he'd made fast abaft my heel.
didn't know, but reckon.d as how they
mus, be for steerin' the craft, as they were
reglar wheels. with spokes a-s,ickIng out al
around. SO heads the animal up Nader
lane I'LL ! opened up the Broadway land
mark as ! told YOU Of, and then says, says
|. Stand by ter ease of Yer lee sheet. ship
mate, when puts up the helm. With that
takes in The slack o one Of the ii,.er ropes.
The crltter he runs his nose off To port al.
proper and right. but never bit did he al
ter his course; so | saws. It'll never do to
be drlitin' 10 windard and all them pretty
girls watchin' me, for talnt' regar.' so
ietches him diff on the starboard quarter
with that ar steerin' gear had on nv heel.
managed to get my hands on to some OF
the flynn riggn' about his to'ga.lant fore
casle and so saved myself from slldln' of
10 starboard, but the next minute | touched
him 10 port. and then as | was heelin' over
took rollin hitch with both feet around
his midship section. I'm ahaymakers mate
il the bloody beast didn't hist his stern ten
feet IN the air, and with that | grounded on
rocky ledge half cables length TO lee
ward"
Spurs said Warren street dealer IN
saddler's hardware, when he heard Of the
adventure OF Jack Hamilton, "are little
dangerous to the man who uses them with
out knowledge; but | can tell you some
things about them that will interest YOU.
How many STYLES and varieties Of spur. are
TO be found in the market. do yos. s4Ppcst :"
Not wishing to appear wholly ignorant
the reporter said bIithely, mo doub, as
many as fifty or seventy FIVE"
The dealer took down an illustrated cata-
logue Of about sixty pages and turned the
leaves slowly. Each page had. on the aver
age. pictures Of dozen spurs. and no two
Of them were exactly alike. There are
more than 200 kinds Of spurs made" the
dealer said. They vary in size from the
llghtest steel racing spur, which weighs not
over one ounce TO the pair, TO the heavy
Nexicans, known to the trade as the Don
Pedros, which weigh twelve pounds. There
Is the old style, with an iron band TO encir-
Gle the heel, and crane neck behind that
holds a serrsted wheel called n rowel The
latest style is the gentleman's pocket riding
spur. 1t has small silver plated crane
shaped neck, with n small steel wheel in the
end abou, half an inch in diameter. At the
base Of the crane is a screw that is wormed
into the boot heel, and just above it set
! screw that keeps It from turning when
screwed in. Al the end Of the ride pair
can be taken from the heels, and carried in
the vest pocket"
What is tine size Of the largest wheel or
rowei made ?"
six inches in diameter They are regu-
lar Young buzz saws"
Cut a horse all up. eh r.
Yes. But spurs are not used solely to
urge horse forward"
I've read tnat they were, after a manner,
musical instruments in the frontier bar
rooms. The sM-lnch saw must make rrgu-
lar chimes
Exactly. Ii il common notion that the
little IRON bells that hang down beside the
wheel are put there simply to increase the
jingle, but that is only an incldeatal feature
o! the bells The cowboy that wears the
b!g spurs lives where he has to ride for his
life. When attacked BY Indians he has to
drop down to leeward Of his horse. AS Jack
would have said. He takes hold Of the
pommel of his saddle with one hand. throw,
the bells (which are simply bell-shaped
pieces of lron) into the teeth of the rowe
so as TO keep 1t from revolving, slides over
the side of his horse until the rowel catches
on the cantel of his saddle and holds him
safe, and then with his free hand he pulls
mis- gun. The situation at once becomes in
teresting to the Indians and TO the student
of the history Of spurs"
Then spurs have a history p
They are at least historical. The origi-
nal Arabs who descended from Abrahams
other boy invented the spur. 1t was in
those days single sharp prong six inches
long, and vas used to prod up the camels.
1t was attached TO the heel. Spurs have
always been attached to the heel. Some
luxurious Bedouin who was too lazy to
throw his heel out from the side of the cam
e to get the momentum necessary for Wig
orous prod, substituted the serrated wheel,
so that raising the leg slightly would ex-
pedite the passage of the ship Of the desert"
"What does the instrument of torture
cost the cowboy?"
If he is young and not proud. he gets a
pair for twenty five cents. but he car ex-
pect to move in the best of social circ 5 in
that kind of a dress. For 90 he can get
good servceable spurs but after he has
killed his man and helped hang horse
thief he's likely to think twenty-five dollar
spurs are good enough for him they are
the hest in the market In the old days the