Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-09-26
BUFFALO ELLIS HORSE CHAR
LIE.
Endowed with Almost Hnman In
tclliSence.

My gallant ard faithful horse Char
lie. which found grave beneath the
weltering waves of the Atlantic Ocean,
was twenty years old at his death. He
was half-blood Kentucky horse, and
was bought for me as a five year old in
Nebraska. From that time he was the
constant and unfailing companion of
my life on the Western plains and in
the "Wild West" exhibition. He was
an animal of almost human intellI-
gence, extraordinary speed; endurance
and fidelity. When he was quite young
l rode him on hunt for wild horses,
which he ran down after a chase of
fifteen miles. At another time on a
wager of five hundred dollars that
could ride him over the prairie one
hundred miles in ten hours, he went
the distance in nine hours and forty
five minutes.
When / opened my "Wild West"
show at Omaha, in May. 1888, Char
lie was the star horse, and held til at
position at all the exhibitions in this
country and in Europe, where L took
the show in 1887. In Londen the
horse attracted full share of atten-
ton, and many scIOns of royalty solic-
tied the favor of riding him. Grand
Duke Michael of Russia rode Charlie
several times in chase of my herd of
bnffaloes and became quite attacked to
him. In May last, the English en-
gagement having closed. we all EN-.
barked on the persian Monarch at
Hull for New York. On the morning
OF the 14th l made my usual visit to
Charlie between decks. Shortly after
the groom reported him sick, and l
found him in a chill. lie grew rapidly
worse In spite of all our care, and at
two O'Clock on the morning of the 18th
he died. His death cast an air of sad
ness ovea the whole ship, and a human
being could not have had more sincere
mourners than the faithful and saga
cious old horse. He was brought on
deck, wrapped In canvass and covered
with the American flag. When the
hour for the ocean burial arrived the
members of my company and others
assembled on deck. Standing alone
with uncovered head beside the dead
was the one whose life the noble ami
NAL had shared SO long. At length
with choking utterance he spoke, ard
Charlie, for the first time, failed to hear
prompt to obey.
Here beneath the ocean pillows you
must rest. Would that l could take
you back and lay you down beneath
the verdant biilows of that prairie you
and have loved so well and roamed so
freely; but it cannot be. How oft at
the most quiet hour have we been jour
neying over their trackless wastes
How oft at break of day, when the glo-
riOus sun rising on the horizon has
found US far from human habitatiOn,
have you reminded me of your need
and mine; and with your beautiful ears
bent forward and your gentle neigh
given voice as plainly as human tongue
to urge me TO prepare our morning
msall And then, obedient TO my call,
gladly you bore your burden on, little
knowing, little reckoning what the day
might bring; so that you and 1 but
shared Its sorrows and pleasures alike.
Nay, but for your willing speed and
tireless courage l would many years ago
have lain as low as you are now, and
my Indian foe have claimed you for his
slave. Yet you have never failed me.
All, Charlie. old fellow, have had
many friends, but few of whom could
say that. Rest, entombed in the deep
bosom of the ocean! May your rest
nevermore be disturbed. I'll never
forget you. L loved you as you loved
me my dear old Charlie. Men tell me you
have no soul; but if there be heaven,
and scouts can enter there, I'll wait at
the gait for you, old friend:'
Whereupon Charlie was allowed to
slide gently down a pair of sklds into
the water.