Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-01-13
Sightseeing.

! came TO me that my old friend, Isaac
| Smith. who lives way down among the
| Black Mountains, was expected to live
| but short time. / had not seen him
| for good many months. You know
we old folks like to see and get to-
| gether and talk over our old hunting
days and all of the early life in the
! old. old days. when times were differ
ent from these latter days. So last
Monday morning, as the sun was shin
ing so bright and warm and it looked
as if the new year was going to make
up for some of the bad of the old year,
Fred came and said. PA. you have
been wanting to go down in the coun-
try for a good while, and as it is so
pleasant and nice, you had better go
to-day: you can have that nice, gentle
horse Of Mr.. Stee's and you can ride
as long as you please. The horse is
very gentle and kind; if you find it
tires you, you can stop at any of your
friends and take your time. Need not
be in any hurry" So I thought his
advise was good and l would take il,
and as soon as I could get ready
found the horse hitched and waiting
for me. I took my old saddle bags
that had been hanging up in the closet
for years, and filed them with
change of clothes and my night shirt.
and a good number and variety of pa
pers 10 read, and l was soon of on my
trip.
l had not been op a horse for almost
a year, and do you know how it makes
the blood go tingling through my
body at the motion of the horse? /
felt as though l was being borne along
on springs. There is something in the
motion of a good saddle horse that
nothing else will give. Every muscle
brought into play, and horseback rid
ing has been in all of the ages, by all
the nations of the world. both civilized
and uncivilized, in peace and in wars,
and there is no way of pleasure riding
that can begin to Compare to horse
back riding. love to see a woman,
a young lady, on nice
horse. That is my idea Of beauty Of
grace. l almost fall in love with
every girl I meet that's on a
good horse If she knows how to sit on
a horse as she ought. Well, well, how
my thoughts run away with me to the
old, old days, After good long ride
l, at last, reached Mr.. Blanton's just
before noon. did not feel much IA
tigued until I had got off my horse. |
As put my feet to the ground l could |
not stand on them for quite awhile. |
At last got to the house and the diff
ferent members of the family greeted |
me with that warm greeting you will
always get at that home. You see
school keeps down there, and all of
the children but the little tots go. Mr.. |
Blanton was at the barn grinding
feed IN one of those little patent
horse mills, and it was surprising to
see how fast that mill would grind:
one hund red bushels of corn a day,
with just pair of mules or horses.
Well, after we had had our dinners,
and my horse fed. l said to Mr.. and
Mrs. Blanton. Il would try the noun
tains." They just put their foot down
on my going over those mountains or
any other place that day You are
tired enough now. You stay with Us
tonight and you will be rested for to-
So 1 staid with them, and
when school was out and all of those
young folks came home with their
teacher. l was welcomed as if had
been their own grandfather. o, it
makes one feel that life is worth liv-
ing TO meet with such kind reception
from the young folks, and such an en-
joyable evening as l spent with that
family that night!
Next morning the weather was very
fne and warn. MIR. Blanton caught
my horse, and. after the good byes,
my horse and started for the
Black mountains. Do you remember
the first article I wrote for your good
paper, way years and years ago,
Among the Pines? Well, these are
the same old high mountains that ]
rode over that time and they seem to
have grown with time. They looked
taller and larger and the rocks thicker
On the ground, and the woods more
iense. and such a sight as saw as my
horse labored up the side of the noun /
ain. You have not forgotten the ter
,ible storm we had a few days ago
when it rained, showed and sleeted
md covered the whole earth and all !
he trees were covered with ice As
cached the tops of the mountains
aw great pine trees broken all to !
pieces, Some of the trees had most /
,very limb broken of with the weight {
# ice or frozen rain and snow. Trees
,roken in two-way up to the tops i