Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-07-21
RACING or a nARRo~ PLANK.


TO co-ooss - aedor. f.las rbsir
Bsrsss - Fa-u speed Aeross ths Lltfis
alss0sn H-lIro-d bridss oas haaassa
fsst AApse ths water.
"a Flasl pioneer Press
A gentlenaAn ~le cane ia or the North
sru faeinc Road yesterday adds another
o. tie Startling "co~b boy stories of th~
Slld " esG" thal is enutled O. rank eith
auy of tne u0vvi psrforiuaoces ~ these
daredevil fellows which The ~orli hAs
heard heretofore " heu tbs train stopped
az 4od0r4 ne hea14aaFteEs 0l tle Mar
ggis De Mor~s aud Theodore Roosevelt,
some J~h or dozen oo~ boys. mounted ga
their typical horses II The plains, we're
cutting All Nu1s " capeFs aud eis ~ a
sort ~ free show Tor the edlhcatlon ana
amusement ~ the citizens aud passeu-
sers They were puttug the harses
through reckless esolutlous aAd named
Yers, giving al exhibition II equestrian
lsm that astoulshrd the ts,4derfcet on
board the train. The b.ys had just come
Ia from roundup, and were Hush with
money and considerably flushed With Da-
kota tanglefooJ The railroad tridge
which spans the Little Missouri River at
above the surface OF the water. To enable
fO0tmen u cross narrow plank walk. not
more than two feet vide, Is laid along OA
the ties from shore 70 shore in the center
OF the bridge. II requires steady nerve Tor
a man o. make the trip successfully. with
cut losing his balance and falling through
between the ties into the river Tar below,
which, Of course, would mean certain
death. Two OF the cowboy -more reck-
less than their companlons-rode their
horses upon the track AZ rapid gait, and
then, IN single file, dashed onto the bridge
and made for the other side, flying along
on the narrow plank walk just as il they
were racing across the prairie after an
obstreperous bovine
Tho spectators were thrilled with horror,
and expected 70 see the two daring men
dashed u death at every jump the horses
made. The riders yelled vociferously aud
rode with the same easy confidence they
always display when at home upon the
plains One OF them was somewhat in adj
vance of the other, and the passengers
wero astOnshed and their suspense great
Is relieved when he reached the other side
safely and gave vent 10 IA regular yell Of
triumph. But his companion was not so
lucky. He was within thirty yards of the
end OF the bridge-going at full spe d
when his horse stumbled. The rider was
seen TO sway To and fro for few seconds
and 10 make IA desperate effort 70 pull
the animal on its feet again, and
then both went down in heap.
The crowd Of loOkers-On with one inn
pulse gave vent TO cry OF terror, and
number Of people started ont on the bridge
% render assistance 20 the unfortunate fell
low. But almost Immediately the fallen
cowboy arose, helped the horse upon its
feet in some miraculous way mounted and
cleared the remaining space with "A rush,
yelling like demon as he flew down the
track on the other side i'm hot pursuit of
his companion, who was almost out of
sight and running as If he was trying 10
get out of the way of a cyclone. II horse
or rider was injured neither showed signs
Of it from the distance that interviewed.
The cowboy must have had the skin
scrapei off his shanks at any rate. Evi-
IDENTIFY the horse fell over on it's side on the
board walk and managed To keep its legs
free from the spaces between the ties. thus
saving itself from serious injury. IL was
one Of the most fOOlhardy feats on record.