The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1891-04-24
THE LAST OF THE PONY CLUB.
How This Band Of Southern Horse
Thieves Was Broken lip by the
Sticks.
Atlanta Journal.

Back in the '30s and '40s there
roamed over The States Of North
and South Carolina, Florida. Geor-
gia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mis>iSsip-
pi, Ohio and Tennessee a devil
may.care band of men who styled
themselves The "Pony Club"
They were regularly organized,
had grips, signs and pass words
and duly elected officers. The in
iiiary oath was filled with blood
curdling blasphemles and iron
bound benedlclions, the penalty
being death TO those who We're so
ioolhardy as 10 break it. The
story goes that many poor fellow
has fed alligaiors in Florida hogs
and panthers and wolves IN Ten
nessee's wilds for The least lenden-
cy toward their being inharmo-
nous.
Their plan of operation was to
steal Florida horse and meet on
halfway ground and exchange him
for one fresh from the Tennessee
or Ohio; vice versa with one from
South Carolina or one from Mis-
sIssippi, and it was extremely diff
ficull to catch up with The right
party. But these depredatons be.
came so numerous and daring, and
The consequent loss SO great, thai
The pioneers gathered together and
determined TO stop the ir maraud-
rings and bring the offenders TO
justice. So "A secret convention
was called and a band organized
styling themselves 1.-The Sticks"
When horse was stolen from
community runners were sent to
every cornty, and thus The news
spread, until from the Ohio to The
Everglades and from the Pedee TO
The Mississippi the warning rolled
along, and 1t seemed well-nigh i'm
possible for the thiet 70 escape
with a horse. Notwithstanding
all these precautions and walchlul-
ness, the club existed and did some
business.
During those days Heard, Car
roll and HarrelSon were the dark
corner of Georgia, and if a club
man could only get his booty in
their thick jungles and forests,
pursuit was of little consequence.
The ruth is The majority of the
settlers either belonged TO The or
ganlZatlon or were so coerced that
they dared moi fight them. This is
said with all due respect to a great
many heroic pioneers, whose hon
est souls yearned for a better civ
ilizallon, and when patience did
cease 10 be a virtue, rose in their
might and joined the "Slicks.'
About five miles north, above
Buchanan, on the banks of the
TallapOosa river, are two old race
paths, now overgrown with sap
iinss and brush, some of The trees
being as large as a mans waist.
The tracks run parallel with the
river, which at this poirt is straight
and wide. Parallel with and over
looking these tracks is a steep
bluff about forty or fifty feet high,
which completely shuts the track
from view, and, excepting a small
ravine. there is no entrance or
exit. AT this place The ''Pony
Club" had its rendezvous. From
all quarters they came here and
ran horse races, gambled, drank
home made corn whiskey, danced
and caroused generally; and here
it was they exchanged horses TO
be shoved in opposite directions.
No one lived near the place and
he gang only entered ii by night,
and then only on Saturday night.
Sunday night there would be a
general carousal and leave-taking.
1t was years before their retreat
vas discovered The information
fortunately fell into good, honest
hands, and on The Saturday follow
ng there was more than one
slick" vending his way towards
IN appointed rendezvous, careful
y and secretly. The initiated
hought every turkey and deer in
he country was going 10 be killed,
Judging from The promiscuous
rubbing up. priming and loading
IF the old "flint and steels."
Twelve o'clockl The sentry al
he ravine's mouth put his hand to
his mouth and "Whip-poor-wiIll
w Whip-poor-will! Whip poor. will ~
plaintive and weird, trembled up
On The midnight air and floated to-
wards The swamps below. Far
away, up the hills, came the an
swering note, "Whip with a will |
Whip with a will! Whip with a
will y As the reply, waited down
The ravine, tell upon the sentinePs
ears, he paused and listened. All
was still +; nothing was heard save
The impatient stamping of The
horses. He cautiously advanced
to The entrance and gazed up and
down the stretch of track. Lying
upon the ground, wrapped in blan'
kets, were the forms of about one
hundred men. They were Sleep
ing soundly. most of them, being |
fsiigued by a hard days ride.
More than hundred horses were |
tethered along the banks of the
stream. Some we're beautiful
Eanfnckv thorourhhreds others