, 1891-01-31

OF Unusual lntelllgencer and his real lie
has been a romance rs thrilling AS novelist
ever portrayed, for he acquired some OF his
"cutest" tricks OF horsemanship while a
captive among the Indians.
He isn't very old, ~either-only T3-for his
fame WIS great in his early manhood. He
lives At Franklin. Essex county, n. J.,
where he owns a comfortable. old fashioned
house and eighteen acres Of land. He il in
easy circumstances and good health, fond
OF a chat, and has a whole trunkful Of
medals, testimonials, presents, mcmentoes
and the like from all sorts and conditions
OF men, from Prince Albert and She lord
may OF London to Artemus Ward aud
George ID. Prentice. Il was In 1851, when
all the world was %crowding to see the first
Crystal Palace, that Mr.. Stone rode at
Drury Lane, and Queen Victoria and her
husband first saw genuine bareback riding.
Eaton Stone was born in Burlington,
Vt, Jan. s, ISIS At the age of 10 he ran
of with Buckley * wick's circus, which
advertised as the greatest In America, &"
and had a canvas capable of seating 1000
people. No other show In the country
could hold half 50 many. The musicians
put up and took down the tent, the riders
cared for their own horses, except the one
equestrienne, and the clown had to serve
rs hostler for her. The manager records
ns an extraordinary proof OF his success
that he occasionally cleared SIS by n single
performance. At The end Of the year Eat
on's father found and too him home, but
he soon ran away again and Joined Purdy,
Welch & Co.'S circus. with which he be-
came an equestrian.
Then came a strange episode. His err
ratio disposition took him TO the Cherokee
Indians, among whom he remained several
years. lie WINS then captured by the Pot
uiwatomies, and in "A year among them
quite won their hearts by his skill ms n
rider lie escaped after some desperate
adventures, and in 1910 Joined Raymondis
circus, with which he first took rank as the
champion bareback rider. In 1915 he ex-
hlbited his 50 called Indian bareback
feats' in New York city, exciting an inter.
eat like that created In Europe by Buffalo
Bill, and in 1851 he went to England. He
says that In some of the remote towns the
english bullies would try to crowd into
the ring, In which cases he would let his
horse loose and utter wild Indian yells and
war whoops, which would scatter them.
His English experience ended in disas
ter, An American combination failed, his
partners ran off with what they could
grab. and Mr.. Stone paid 81, 600 debts out
OF his own pocket. The English a~pplauded
his honesty, aud 200 gentlemen Joined in a
banquet and testimonial to him at Biz.
mingham. For the next fifteen years he
wa the champion OF America. then his
suppleness began to fail. and in 1868 he re-
tired from the ring. Den. Stone remained
a clown till 1885, and now lives in Elan.
ders. n, J. He has a daughter. but Eaton
and wife have had no children.
Some OF Mr.. Stones mementoes are ex.
tremely interesting One, presented to
him by p 7. Blruum, is a c~urlously chased
gold watch aud a gold chain containing
5000 minute links. The whole weighs
two pounds and three ounces. Another is
a medal presented by sixty gentlemen in
New York. II Is of solid gold, surrounded
by a wreath and set with thirteen din-
monds representing the original states.
Five times In his career Mr.. Stone suffered
by falls, being borne from the ring insen.
sible ON two occasions. One Of his famous
teats was always supposed by the audience
To be an accident and recovery. This was
to fall and grab the horses tail
as he fell. After being dragged some dis
lance he would climb over the animals
rump to his seat again. Such were the
acts that delighted the boys of 1850 and
thereRbout.