The morning times., 1896-11-03
PASSING DISTRACTIONS.


Another circumstance under which an
almost human Intelligence is displayed is
when, by accident or otherwise tas wa the
case after the recent storm, the roadway
of the routes are obstruCted In such cases
it is said, the horses Will make the cir
cult of the square in order to get To the
next box, while the collector will go
over or around the obstruction by the most
direct route to the box. On arriving he
will not have long to wait for the coming
of the horse and cart.
An instance of this kind occurred few
days ago. a tree on II street between
Eighth and Ninth streets which had been
partially uprooted by the storm, in being
removed caused blockade of the street
preventing the mail cart from going di-
rectly from Ninth to Seventh street through
II street. The collector was obliged to
go to the corner OF Eighth and streets.
and as the roadway was blocked by the
fallen tree he started the horse up Ninth
toward I street, while he took the direct
route on arriving at the corner of Seventh
and II streets, he says, he saw his horse
coming down Seventh at a slow trot
1t is, however. in the suburban districts
that the horse shows the greatest in
telligence. Here the boxes are far apart
and often reached in a roundabout way.
This does not seem to puzzle the animal,
though, and once having made the circuit,
that some times extends over ten or twelve
miles, it never forgcts it.
1t was in one of these suburban districts
in the early days of cart collecting, that
two very remarkable occurrences hap
pencd.
PREVENTED A ROBBERY.
The first was where the horse on the
route, by foresight, premOntion, or
whatever it may be called, prevented the
robbing of one or more boxes.
The night was very dark and the distance
from the last stop to the box, where the at
tempt was made, was about a mile. Be
a cen, however. there was another box
which, by all rules, regulations and Gus
tom, was emptied first.
The collector noticed while taking the
mail from the last box that his horse was
nervous. 1t began nefghing and paving
the earth and as soon as the collector
stepped into the cart started down the road
at a rapid rate.
On nearing the next box the driver en-
cess. The collector became alarmed. The
idea OF his horse passing a box, thing
he had never done before, and at full
run. too, was more than he c ould understand
The horse kept on, never for a moment
slackening his speed until he arrived mt
the third box, where it was found that an
effort had been made to detach it from
its holding with a crowbar. The collector
heard the wculd-bc robber breaking his
way through the underbrush along the road
way.
On another occasion q mail-cart horse
saved the life of collector The latter is
| out of the service now land does not object
to having his name mentioned.
SAVED HIS OWNERS LIFE.
twas during heavy snow storm several
years ago when Mr. James Pennington was
on the Tenleytown route. For several DAYS
he had been ILL., but stuck to his post, and
in spite of the advice OF 3 physician and the
entreaties of his wife. started out in the
| face of driving snow storm.
He had not gone more than two miles
, when, suffering from the cold and weakness
| he became unconscious. II was found on
| examining the boxes on his route next morn
| ing that he had taken the mail from only
| two-those nearest his home.
He had gone as tar, as the third box
for the cart was noticed there by persons
who lived Eearby. 1t was also observed
that while the cart remained an unusuall,