The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-10-25

geration. Many
a time had stood on the forward
platform OF horse car and observed
with the greatest interest how the
thing was engineered. And il car
driver isn't scientific, who is?
But must admit that when ] saw
that horse, had misgivings as to my
own ability. Let me describe him.
In the first place. ho was called Chesa.
peake-I suppose because he was a
bay. 1 forget just how many hands
high he stood, but il was somewhere
between thirteen and twenty. He was
educated for n trotter, and although
only five years old, had record OF
2.34. He had been taken off the
track, however, because on two or
three occasions he had run away.
sulky and all, and played havoc with
the fences, and once he had tried to
get up on the grandstand, causing a
panic in which several people were in.
lured. There wasn't a man in the
county who could be sure of holding
him down to a trot if he should take n
notion to rum so his owner gave up
the record-breaking idea, and decided
to make family nag out of him. He
was turned over to stableman with
instructions to give him plenty of ex.
ercise every day, and not allow him TO
speed. In few months he was pro-
nounced no longer danger Gus, and Mr..
Owner took his wife for buggy ride
But Chesapeake got excited, and after
a run of about two miles through
town collided with a telegraph pole.
broke Mrs. Owners arm, and made ex.
celsior out of the buggy. Then he was
announced for sale, very cheap.
When l first saw him he had been
standing for week in dark stall.
and was somewhat impatient. He was
harnessed into a buggy, and stood
with two men at his bit, one on each
side, while the stableman and I got
IN. My companion wore a pale, rer.
Ben. h, os4I. al.Ng .aere IVES a
troubled look in his eye as he took
the reins. Nobody told me how /
looked.
care you ready?" from one of the
head-holders.
"Y-yes; let him CO." And he went,
just missing the curb on the other
side OF the street, as the buggy went
around on two wheels, and then what
IA ride All the driver could do was
to keep him pointed down the road,
and it was fully ten minutes before
Chesapeake came down to trot.
During that time l think we must
have travelled nj least fourteen miles.
"You see" said the man, when
Chesapeake finally struck moderate
pace, "all he needs is little excr.
else, and he's all right"
l didn't say much, but did a lot of
thinking; and the thinking resulted in
decision that that horse was too fast
for me and | didn't want him. A
higher authority, however, decided
otherwise.
I'm telling this story backwards.
First, ! ought to have told who am,
and when, why, and how this all &C.
surred.
Well, in the summer of 1890, re-
ceived an appointment upon the
United States Geological Survey, with
orders to report at once for field duty
at Hutchinson, Kansas.
was young-in fact, had Just com
pleted my educatIon--and the pater-
nal roof had been almost nv only
shelter. Consequently, the thought
of camp life on the billowy prairies
filled my soul with wild excitement.
Visions of painted Indians and long
haired cowboys rose in my mind, and
| went and bought revolver. Law
ishly | squandered my fathers cash
on an "outtit' such rs | thought suita-
ble for the plains--boots, spurs, IA
white sombrero, and pistol holsters;
rough, gray flannel shirts and cordu-
roy clothes. No one was going to
size me up as n tenderfoot.
On reaching my destination, was
somewhat surprised to see handsome
residences, beautiful lawns, tennis
courts and ladies promenading the
streets whose sleeves were of Just the
fashionable size-I forget what was
proper at that time. Fortunately,
had some fairly decent clothes which
j had travelled i'll, and began to re-
gret my corduroys and my boots II
might be mentioned here that IA month
later l gave them to our cook, but
never saw him wear them.
When arrived, my "chief' met me
nt the station, and conducted me to
nm elegant hotel, where | lived on
everything good imaginable, and where
the tables were waited upon by lovely
dlyinlties in cool white dresses. MY
soIourn at that hotel was one of the
happy incidents OF my life.
by his intimates, my chief was
called "Doc," because he always knew
what was the matter with everything /;
70 l might as we'll make that his name
Tor the purposes OF this narrative.