The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-29


Speaking about balky horses and the
best way to cure them" said George Sper-
ry," according to the Lewiston Journal.
Il can tell you of a trick that Stephen Lee
land played one time and it worked like
charm-you fellers all know Steve, course
you do-he lives down to Bar Harbor.
Well, let's see, il was twelve years ago
this winter. the Goth day of January. YOU
remember the heavy sleet storm-same
night Linnike was married-when all The
trees looked so pretty after the storm. You
remember Stephen, he had wood lot out
near the foot Of Green mountain, where
he cut his wood, winters. That year he had
as handsome a pair of bay horses as ever
rein drew over. The nigh one was all right
in every particular, but the off one had
spells once in while when she would take
matters in her own way and throw up her
head. You might put rocks in her ears,
twist her tail, pound, whip, swear and rave
as much as you liked, but she would
never move till she got ready.
One day l met Leland when he was
hauling out the first load for the day. He
told me how she worked and / told him
then and there that if it was my horse
I'd just onhitch the nigh one and leave her
hftched onto the load in the woods They
went into the Harbor with the first load
aAA AAShNs bhN WIFI tiit SScOHu lOdQ was
piled on and under way things were diff
ferent. At a certain place in the road, up
goes that horses head again. It was in
just the same where she baked before
Steve was mad as halter. He took off his
coat and hat He swore till the trees
around him trembled. Next he took a sap
ling birch and whipped and pounded till
ne was allstired out. Then he sat down and
rested. Then he thought he'd coax the
aTfe tor H.
q spring. She drank it. Then he asked her
to go, but not muscle would she move.
Stephen fused till he became exhausted.
Then, as he told me afterward he took
Sperrys advice-onhitched the nigh one
straddled her back, and made for home
leaving the ugly, contr'y thing alone in
the woods, hitched TO sled with a cord
and half of green wood to anchor it, He
never so much as looked round nor said
aye, yes, or no. but made direct for home,
putting up his horse and eating his supper
1e had become so Disguised that he near
ly dismissed the thing from his mind That
night began with a little fine rain. 1t was
like cold mist, and wherever it struck
1t froZe. Then it showed and bowed for
while, then again it turned TO rain-the
queerest storm ever known on Mount De-
sert Island. There was not minute after
O'Clock that evening till daylight next
iiOIIlltlS out IL showed or ra1ned, ana the
wind was like a double-edged razor long
toward morning. Every tree was three
times its proper size, and the ones left
standing looked like the most beautiful
plumes you ever see in your life Lots of
trees were broken to the ground. The tele-
graph wires were nearly an inch and "a
half in diameter covered with solid ice.
Little limbs of birch and maple were like
branches of coral.
TN the morning Steve took out the old
horse and started back for the woods
When he got near the place where he left
the horse and load he was astonished The
old nag was there just where it stood all
night. Not the sign of a track did it make
Its legs were the size of flour barrels, its
body surely three times it's proper size It's
eyes and ears were hidden from view by
the snow that had drifted upon it, the
steam from its nostrils formed icicles that
reached the ground. All in all it was the
toughest sight he ever witnessed Mr. Le-
land at first supposed the animal was dead
but after a while he took an ak and broke
the ice and let the poor critter out. 1t
was like a chicken coming out of an egg.
The coat came off in large fakes. When
he hitched the nigh one on he only had to
speak once and he made lively time over
the icy road that morning. He kept that
pair till last year, when they both died.
They never baked again.