The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-10-23
A PEERLESS RIDER.
How he Demonstrated the Superiority Of
American Horsemanship.

How he Demonstrated tho Superiority Of
American Horsemanship.
James Robinson was probably the
king OF the trade. Joseph Wheelock,
the actor, who was the boon compan-
ion of the rider, once told me the Incl
dents in the career of his friend during
q visit he paid to England about ff-
teen years ego. Robinson had been
engaged at a salary of $4,000 a week
to ride in Astley's royal amphitheater
in London. For four weeks before he
arrived he was heralded as the great
est bareback equestrian of the age. To
amuse himself he took over with him
team OF American trot-
ting horses and a light buggy,
but neglected to bring such
horses as he would need to ride. The
oversight rather astonished the English
managers, who thought their contract
of course included the furnishing OF
horses. Robinson made light of the
matter, and said he could break the
animals to his liking in the fortnight
intervening between his arrival and the
date of his debut. There was nothing
left for the managers to do, than to
swallow their disappointment and pro-
vide him with horses. These he re-
hearsed day after day at the circus
with skill and assiduity, but to find at
last that they were beasts far inferior
in intelligence to the Kentucky
thoroughbreds with which he was ac-
customed to deal. The enight of the first
~f L A IL
arrived. The great building bearing
the historical name of Ashley was
packed to suffocation to, see the per-
over the sea. Robinson had, how
ever, in the short time allowed been
utterly unable to train the English
quence was at sad disadvantage in
what he attempted. The chest features
of the acts, including the vaulting, he
failed in. The audience hurried his
exit from the ring with hisses. Amore
dismal fasco could not have awaited
an artist. The Englishmen naturally
took keen delight In the failure of the
American, whom it was announced
would eclipse the best exploits in
horsemanship as illustrated by
English and French riders. The
disgrace Inundated Robinson to the
dust. That very night he went to the
manager of the circus to- release him
from his contract. "An ] ask" he
said, ''is that 1 may be retained in the
establishment on the salary of the
tumblers with whom 1 Will appear at
each performance unannounced. Then.
l want the privilege of practicing in
the morning." The manager, glad
enough to be relieved from the heavy
cost of the bargain, accepted the con-
ditions. The next day Robinson had
disposed of his trottlng horses and
vehicle, as well as other traps and
jewelry, until he had enough to pur-
chase six horses of the best blood at,
tainable, none of which had ever been
ridden in airing. The selection of the
animals occupied some time. When.
at last the troupe was completed he
began breaking them to his business,
task which required great patience
and an absolute insight into, the
nature of the beast. Weeks passed.
James Robinson, who had in the mean
time been the butt of ridicule, was for
gotten. Nightly he was turning flip
fiops in sawdust with a pack ofmounte-
banks, some of whom did not know
that among their number was thebest
rider in the world. About the time
that the menials about the circus es-
tablishment began to whisper that
they guessed that "blarsted Yankee
could ride a little bit after all, Robin
son called on the manager. 81 WISH"
he said, "that you would bill me to-
reappear next Monday night. If l
don't succeed I'll pack up and go home
With more than a misgiving the
posters were pasted up over
London's dead walls. Again there
was an unusual throng to have their
sneer at the epresumptuousf fellow whom
everybody thought had long before
gone back But the American made
them laugh on the other side of their
The display ofequestrianism,
which he gave threw the house into
an ecstacy of delight. The way he
vaulted on and off the backs of fly
ing steeds electrified the frigid hearts. ,
before him. Recall after recall made
him famous in London town. The
rang with his praise and
spoke of his previous failure as re-
markable Renaissance. The Ashley
people were glad enough to renew the
original contract to retain the Amer
can rider, who returned home two
years later, with a European reputa-
ton and fifty thousand dollars to boot.
Syracuse Standard.