Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-10-17
thursday. OCTOBER II. 1885.

| was SO poor the potatoes that grew
there were blue. looked as though
| .hey had had the ague, and nothing
would grow there to perfection but
whortleberries and grapes. O., such
sights of whortleberries as We used to
gather there every year, and grapes!
My, they beat the world! Every year
as soon as the grass got green. father
would send all OF his young cattle over
to that farm, and every week would
send US three boys over to see how the
cattle were doing, and give them salt.
and we most always rode on Old Blacky.
And how we did ride up and down the
road through the gulf woods. We rode
like Comanche Indians. tell you we
! were wild riders. I used think they
to stick, whether l liked it or not.
He was engineer and I was sswooder
up'' l was always glad to put my feet
On the ground after one of those rides.
Now, I want to tell You about the
| first horse owned. 1t was before
was married. A man who lived down
| where Logtown is now, got in debt to
me for fifteen dollars one spring. He
was to pay me in few weeks. When
the time was up. he came to me one
day; he was riding a splendid big gray
mare, followed by one of the worst,
homeliest, scrawniest looking colts I
had ever set my eyes on. / had never
seen the beat for looks. He had the
biggest, ugliest-looking head, the big
gest, crookedest legs. His body COW
cred with wool, all turned towards his
head. He looked like an old gray ar
my blanket hung on corner of an old
Virginny fence. This man said, Il
told you would pay you what I owed
you, and the time is up; and haven't
got the money. But here is this colt.
I'll give you the colt for the debit
/ told him 1 did not want the colt.
| He said, .sNow that colt will make
a big, likely horse He had a bad
show, and is poor. but you give him a
chance and you will have fine horse. :"
looked at him, and it just made
me sick to look at the ugly, homely
thing. Why he was worse than Phar-
oah's lean kline that came up to de-
YOUR the fat of the land. But the man
said so much that finally took the
colt for the debt. 1 happened to be at
home. and all the men-hired men
and all-were at the field. When
noon came they all came home to din
ner. As they came to the house they
saw that colt in the yard. They all
stopped to take look. / heard one
say, "What sort of animal is that?"
Some acted as though they were afraid
of it. One hollered to me and said,
'.Say, Thid, what sort of animal is
that you've got out here?" l said,
didn't you never see hoss before?''
You see l was pretty mad, taking all
| things together. ga boss! my you
call that hoss? It's disgrace to the
horse kindi Don't call that thing a
horse!'' And they teased me about
that thing for the next three years.
l got no peace of mind.
About the time it was four years old
it began to come out, and at six years
old there was not horse in this end
of the State of Missouri that could put
more miles behind him in a good
square trot, under a saddle, than Old
Hickory-for I had named him Old
Hickory. I would get on his back af-
ter had done my chores at home and
eaten my breakfast, and ride to Fred
ericktown in time to answer to my
name at jury call; and after court ad-
jourued ride home before sun had set.
Every day, as long as court lasted. /
rode to Pilot Knob every few days.
OuC ohs tAiO hdaheSSOh SoiiON INC inso
his office and said to me, .sThat's a
very fine horse you are riding, and
want him for my wife to drive in my
buggy" / said, ..Col.. thore is no
woman living that can drive that |
horse; he is so hard on the bit it takes |
both of my hands to hold him. He |
said, "Well. I've got big negro that |
can drive him. and as he said it, he |
piled down on the desk before me one /
hundred and fifty dollars in gold. 81
will give you that hundred and fifty
dollars for the horse. That is too good
a horse to be owned on farm; you
can bay two good mares for the mon
ey, and they will raise you two good
colts year." But had been anger
ed so much about that colt said if / I
lived / would see some of those fellows
laugh out of the other side OF their
mouths. The old Colonel was right.
I ought to have sold him the horse,
and he kept making me the same of
fer every time he saw me, for two OF
three years. Finally, one day, when
he was just in his very best, he took
cold and had the pneumonia and died,