St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-13
HORSES FOR A KING.
Mildly Morgan Tells How She
Was Commissioned to
Buy Them.
Story Of Her Purchase OF
Irish Mares for Italy'S
Monarch.
A Remarkable Chapter In a
Remarkable Woman'S
Career.
For Her Services King Victor
Said She Deserved a
Decoration.

To he commissioned by king to buy
hOl ses for his breeding stables would be
considered more than ian incident III
the life of any ordinary mortal. Such
was the humble manner i'll which Miss
MILDLY Morgan, the woman who died5in
New York short time ago, and who,
during connection of over twenty
years with the New York Times as
writer of the cattle markets,
became recognized as one of the
greatest authorities living on mat
terS relating to horses and cattle. She
used TO speak of the commission placed
in her hands by King Victor Emmanuel
of Italy to stock his stables with Irish
mares. In the remarkable life of this
woman, which ended on June l. it was
perhaps proper to speak of that event
in her career as IAN incident" but, at
all events. the affair was one which
demonstrated most completely the CHAR
acter of MILDLY Morgan.
She was always loath to speak of her
own doings when the relation of them
might seem to SAVIOR OF anything like
bOaStfulneSS on her part. but about ten
years ago she consented to write for the
Spirit OF the Times the story of her
rOval commission. The story. as re-
lated by herself, brings out in its style
and manner of expression much of the
nature of the woman, and in its repeti-
tion it is best, therefore, to use her own
words as far as possible:
'.On the 27th of November 1865 | left
the land pre-eminent for fox hunting
and FenianiSm, cloudy skies anG sunny
women, pigs, potatoes and priests, to 60
on what one of my sporting friends
called spree to Italy, Clad in deepest
mourning. with heavy heart and All
extremely light pulse, left the home
of my youth, lost forever. my fathers
large estates all passing into the hands of
my only brother.an but moderate sum
OF ready money being set apart to sup
ply the daily wants and neWly-tO- be-
acquired economical habits of us un-
worthy females, in number three. |
had not only to mourn over the loss of
an excellent father, but to weep over
the sale of divers choice quadrupeds,
fast tfOtters and able fencers. Two of
the most choice | could not screw up
courage to part with. left them to the
tender mercieS of the aforementioned
brother, whom may the Lord reward
according to his deeds to them"
She went on to relate how for nearly
two years she remained at Rome. fox
hunting ON the Campagna and reading
Byron, and then in her characteristic
way, she broke her story off abruptly to
say: Byron made a mistake in THE
Giaour' when lie says:
1.-The foam that streaks his courser's side
Seems gathered from the oceans tide
81 always hate the GiaOur for riding
horse out of condition" said she. "What
muff he must have been. Why, in
the name of everything sensible, did he
not give his horse 4 tve-dram bali and
three sweats before starting? Then the
poor brute would not have been all in a
lather by the time he got to the point of
the cliff"
Miss Morgan then went on to tell how,
finding that there was nothing to make
longer stay in Rome profitable or de-
sirable, she packed up her traps and
started for Florence. She arrived there
April l. 1867. She liked Florence from
the very first sight she had of it. She
had been told that she would find the
Tuscans hard, cold people, On the
contrary, she found them to be most
gracious in manner. and on the very
day after her arrival she had the honor
to make the acquaintance of Baron
RicasOli. then prime minister of Italy.
She said:
81 am rather more than three parts
crazed on the subject of horsefesh, and
/ naturally wished to be presented to
King Victor Emmanuel, who was doubt
less the most sporting crowned head i'll
Europe"
She went on to relate how she OBJ
tanned, through the medium of friend,
an official order to be at the Pitti pail
ace.
Il went. my head full of vague hopes,
my heart full of joy. with composed
demeanOr, and dressed in simple half
mourning. After short delay in the
anterOOm, which time was agreeable
spent in conversation with the orderly
officer on duty, my name was called.
the folding doors flew open. the magic
words were pronounced, four in num-
Der, Your majesty, Miss Morgan The
dream of my childhood was realized. |
stood face with Italy's soldier soyer-
eign.
"lIe addressed me thus: L am happy
to see you i'll my capital. / hear you
are great lover of horses l briefly
expressed my thanks, adding | fully ap-
precated the honor and pleasure of
cOnverSing with one of the most sport
ing gentlemen of the day. In the course
of few minutes his majesty desired
me to be seated. He then spoke ably
and rapidly on sporting in both England
and Ireland surprising me by his thor
ough knowledge of how matters are
carried on there, and concluded the
audience by asking me to proceed to
Ireland to purchase huntress mares Tor
the royal stud, telling me at the same
time L would receive all official com
munication on the subject.
Il made my bow and retired, but was
scarcely half way down the staircase
when L was recalled, as his majesty
wished me Immediately to visit
the royal stables, then attached
to the Pittl, that L might see
and be the better judge of the class
of horses required for his majesty's use.
How my soul glowed with admiration.
and how my heart fiuttered with fear.
L longed to do better, buk dreaded not
being able. as in truth l then saw some
of the finest specimens OF Irish weight
carriers it was ever my good fortune to
behold. Money matters being
arranged, which were conducted on
a most liberal footing. | was again hon
ored with an audience, when his
majesty desired me to visit the royal
stables at Turin and also the racing
stud and breeding stud at Manderia.
He then babe me lose no time, shook
hands most cordially with me, and eX-
des petits billets, ct non pas ses grandes
chooses qui sOnt CONNIE des depeches:
encore bon VOYAGE | retired from the
presence determined to do honorably
all in my power to insure the success of
the mission | had been so frankly. SO
graciously and so unexpectedly honored
with"
touching lightly on the incidents of
her journey to ireland, she said:
81 reached that abode of the blessed
in fuliness OF time, and in weather
which was so excellent an imitation of
the deluge that any one not native of
the Emerald Isle might easily have
supposed he had fallen back OH the
days of Noah. 1t was water, water;
nothing but water. 1t prevailed ali |
things, it encOmpassed all things. 1t
surrounded you. it seriously inconYe-
nienced you. You sat OF it in the form |
Of cushions soaked through with rain;
you walked in it; even in some places |