Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-09-10
A PEACEFUL HORSE DISTURBED.

| 4 wagon load OF fireworks Stoou IN lron'
of No. - Park place one morning recently
In the shafts was Il dark brown horse. Ii
was a quiet and lazy looking animal, and
languidly whsked the flies from his slcel;
coat. As a cool breeze played with his
name Il peaceful, dreamy look came into the
BIC brown eyes, the restless ears sank into
repose and even the glossy legs expressed
happy contentment. The sun shone
brightly.
A wicked bootbIack approached with a
crafty smile and lighted cigar. The horse
camly chewed his bit and the sun kept
on shining.
There was a Kissing sound, followed by a
sound as of corks popping. The bootblack
hid behind 4 telegraph pole and hugged
himself The popping was succeeded by q
loud bang. The horse looked around and
noticed that the fireworks were going off.
A smile, us OF contempt, sat upon the equine
mouth. The animal lived at a fireworks fac.
| tory and was accustomed to breakfast upon
tender little torpedoes.
| Louder grew the noise and thicker the
smoke as the fire spread. The wagon began
| to tremhle and Il crowd collected. A fit of
| laughter seemed to convulse the sleek
| nanks of the brown horse, and the tail
gracefully swung TO and fro in careless
| fashion. Even when the detonations were
mingled in q continuous rattle rs of artil-
lery the equine veteran simply settled into Il
more easy position, as if 20 enjoy the joke
as much as possible.
Suddenly the fire reached the fancy lire
works. Pinwheels whizzed and hummed,
| dartng hther and thither; Roman candles
poured volleys Of colored lights out of the
wagon, and flower pots famed into the air.
| A big pinwheel lcaped out Of the vehicle
and fastened itself to the horses tail. In
IN instant all peace had vanished from the
animals mind. With wild snort he eaped
| into the air. The front feet paved wild
| IL, the tail stood erect, the ears were
cooked, the back curved and the diaphragm
inflated Its body first assumed the form
OF the letter S, and then Of turned up.
side down.
4 magnificent burst of silver and gold
rain fell upon the shining hide, and the
horse dashed into the street amid the yelis
Of the spectators. He danced and cavorted
about like the steed OF Il ST. Patrick's Day
marshal. Blue and red and peacock green
splendor rose from the roaring mass in the
wagon. but the horse had no eye for the eX.
uusite beauty of the scene. His hind legs
cut.a pigeon wing over the dashboad, and
tears started from his eyes as flame scorch.
ed the fetl0cks. Rockets tore through the all
and emerald fountains played softly through
the smoke. Crackers snapped, Srasshop-
pers hoped and torpeIoes banged. The
boxes III the wagon began TO burn and the
flames took hold of the wagon itself Still
the horse did not appear to be happy. lie
gailopcd down Park place and turned into
Church street, followed by hundreds of peo'
pie. Two men seized the bride and tried
to unharness the animal from the shafts
The task vas difficult one, for the horse
seemed intent on executing the second fig.
urc in the highland fling.
At this sine the fireworks were all going
of together 1t only needed Gilmore's
band and darkness to make the pic
ture complete. The horse was unhtched
at last, and when once free it looked around
reproachlully at the wagon, which was in a
blaze 4 fire engine dashed up and stream
OF charged water was turned on the flames
from patent extinguishers by the tiremen.
IN few minutes the lire was put out and
the urchins in the street made Il grand rush
for the fireworks which had not exploded.
After the wreck was nearly all cleared
away the horse was led home. As he left
the ruins the animal heaved big sigh and
wagged his ears pensively.
Soon aftcrward an innocent looking boot
black appeared in Church street. He was
smoking the stump of a cigar and gazed GU
riously at the blackened heap on the cob
bic stones.
"I'll bet q dollar that there was powder
burnin' 'round here" he said to one of the
fireman. "I can smell fireworks mile off
7 wonder how it happened.-"N. Y. Herald