Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-12-04
PRESIDENTS HORSES.
The Government Stables in Washington

situated on Seventeenth street, just
south OF the state, war and navy de-
partments. often excites the curiosity
OF visitors to Washington. 1t is the
presidents stables. 1t is built with
three sides of Il quadrangle, the CEN
ter space being about forty feet square.
The building was erected ut govern
ment expense, but the horses. ~calria-
Ses and servants are something the
president pays for out of his own
pocket.
What any man thinks of a horse is
often a good indication of what the
man is himself. 1t tells whether he
has good Judgment and good diges-
ton, or, in the words Of the old Rom
ans, a sound mind in "A sound body.
Washington was a great horseman. I
saw the other day an unpublished let
ter of his written to his brother, Sam
Washington, TO whom he intrusted
one of his favorite mares while he
was in camp at Moorestown n.
j. to be kept for, a season and
bred TO one of his favorite stations.
Washington was in all things a good
business man, an especially good far
mer and a great lover of horses. When
he was president there was a state
coach, which he provided out of his
own funds, which was regarded us the
finest carriage in Philadelphia. Usual
" it was drawn by four white horses,
but when he proceeded to Federal hall
six horses were driven. The coach was
cream-colored, ornamented with Cupids
supporting f%estoons, and around the
panels were borderings of flowers.
Besides this coach. Washington had Il
light carriage and a chariot, all Of
which were c~rcaM-colored, painted with
figures and panels. When the general
went to church he drove two horses,
and when he went ont in the country
for an airing he drove four, but always
six when he went to the senate. He
employed white servants. who were
dressed In liveries of white or with
scarlet or orange trimmings. His sec
rotary carried his message to the SEN
ate often in a sedan chair, and it is
told that he once caught a severe cold
because one of the glasses was broken.
Nowadays the presidents secretary,
Mr.. Pruden, has coupe with a single
horse. a big old bay who has been in
the business for years. to carry him to
and from the capitol.
Old John Adams was not much of a
horseman. He kept his coach and
horses, although when he first came to
Washington-and he was the first
president in Washington-there was
no stable nearer than half a mile away
from the white house. He drove with
out servants, had very plain looking
coach and an ordinary bay horse. His
wife, Abigail, in her letters described
the capital very interestingly, as COM
pared with its present smooth concrete
pavements, a~ggregating upwards Of one
hundred and fifty miles. There was
but one tavern in the place then, about
forty rods from the capitol. There
were no hotels, only II few lodging
houses where now the magnificent city
has arisen. A few small. miserable
huts and brick-kilns made up what
there was then Of the city. All around
the white house was forest. A huge.
old-fashioned Pennsylvania wagon,
drawn by six horses, auled wood to
the white house, driu..i by the first
clerk in the treasury.
Jefferson kept horses and was
brought up 20 the use Of them, but was
not particularly known as n horse
man. He loved TO ride in n
sedan chair and also enjoyed horseback
riding. Contrary to the usuai ideas Of
J~effersonian simplicity, hiss dress was
hHht iHDSHt oc bhiIob IutSbiHCCul, dub
he was often seer in rich black velvet,
astride OF n sleek-limbed gray horse.
riding up and down Pennsylvania ave-
me and surveying the work which was
being done to improve the young city.
II was on horseback that he superin-
tended the planting of the long rows of
| poplar trees that once lined the avenue.
The story about his riding to his in
auguration and hitching the bride of
his horse to the fence has long ago
been exploded as a silly newspaper
myth. He did not ride to his inaugu-
ration, but was richly appareled and
had servants who took care Of his horse
during the reading of the address. He
usually drove a phaeton and good
horses. He never had six and only
rarely rode behind four. His horses
are all spoken of in the correspondence
of the time rs magnificent pedigreed
animals. He was fastidious. and when
"A saddle horse was led out, if there
was n dull spot upon it he would whip
out "A big white silk handkerchief and
rub it in the presence of the groom. If
the handkerchief was soiled the groom
received IA Jeffersonian blessing. The
quality of phaeton springs in those