The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-09
GLORY OF MAN AND HORSE
-,o1rrEy DAYS OF TRIUAEPH ON
NV" COUNTRY ROADS.

man -idlnE through the country on horse
- Ia as much OF n curiosity In this year
zoos "A a man spinning about on q bicycle or
w rollipg along In a horseless carriage would
s,va been thirty years ago. A horsoman may
INA and cantcr about n public pn=k or any
nero in the suburbs Of a city and attract lit
q, notioe. no matter how admirable in gait
- appearance the horse may be or how skill
All the rider.sIf the horseman have a gun and
. doa along. some ostensible purpose In his
,u,,nk. he is also comparatively free from no.
~, but Just let him have saddlebags. no at
t.,dant. no visible object OF pursuit, and no
,s.minR reason for hurry or quest OF any
IND. and he becomes the cynosure OF all
,,es Aman Just back from an eighteen days
,o,r Of the country. which he elected to take
,strlde of and in company with q favorite
horse. has many things to tell OF the interest
he excited as he rode along on his very inno-
,on, and inoffen sive vacation pastime. He
might have gone awheel over n good part of
tho route; some Of the places visited are to be
reached only by stage and are of the line OF
railway travel. but he prefers a living, flesh
and blood stecd. especially one known to and
IN sympathy with him. to the swiftest and
most accurate of mechanical coursors. So
he and the horse went off together in search
pf new scenes of inspiration and left u trail Of
aCitated interest behind. And this was a
Knowing, sensitive horse, three-quarters thor
oughbred and the other quarter pure AIneri-
can. with all the American wide-awakeness
and appreciation OF things and people.
II should say now that his here fellow
with a slap of approval on the bays sleek back
had heard n lot Of cannonadin' since the
spring set in would be a farmers remark in
fondly admiring tones. as he led the shapely
Ben out of the farm stable that had sheltered
- - I-IU III
ward course. and that astute animal wouldn't
shake his head one bit in denial. or turn u hair
In reiutation. although he knew well enough
that he hadn't spent a night out OF comfort
oble New York quarters or been for a single
moment in voluntary danger since he could re-
member. His master stood by and gave no
sign. The hero's most telling equipment Is
silence. rugged. unapproachable silence. and
though this old farmer and the farmer
on the other side OF him and the one
next ahead Of him. to be encountered present.
", were each and all b~urnlngswith curiosity
to hear all about the campaign and the ex-
p~eriences that they were sure this travelling
cavalryman had gone through In defence Of
his and their country, the man and the horse
kept the secret to themselves. partly through
Incidence and partly because they knew it
pleased their simple-heartej entertainers to
feel that they were rubbing down and water
ing and tending to a soldiers horse and meet
ing face to face q stalwart defender of the
country. who could. II he would. tell won
drous tales Of battle and derring-do.
Its a mighty long time since ever I see q
man go through this country on horseback"
said q hearty. happy-faced haymaker. who had
come to the roadside in order to Retsa.closer
view OF this strange couple. Il see q man in
buggy or q road cart sometimes goin' along
giving out circulars or sellin' something or
other. but I don't remember hearin' Of any
body Just a-Roin' pleasurin' days together on q
horse since ! was Q boy. and I'm. gettin' on
toward sixty"
You see plenty Of people on wheels2" in
CURED the traveller. who had courted the old
farmers advice and direction as to finding o
suitable horseshoer to look after Ben's feet.
and so:wanted to repay is:courtesy In kind.
"oh. yes." was the answer. Nearly every
family about here's got a wheel or two for the
young folks. and they junket about back and
forth on them considerable. But even the
young fellows who 60 sparkling the girls now
adays don't go on horseback any. and amt
been a-goin' that way for a long time. A man
startin' out to go anywhere about these parts
harnesses up and drives: he doesn't make a
dash and Gallop for it as people used to. Horse
back ridin' Is clean out OF fashion. and it
tfN - tNS NNS Sui 4S oAA v Oil
the better for it. They don't stand up
straight and square and noticeable like the
old-time sportin' fellows did. They hoop over
either In a buggy or on a wheel or on these
pIantin' and reapin' machines they drive round
the fields in, and 1t don't seem as good for them
as sittin' in a saddle with nothin' to lean back
on. and the feel Of the stirrups and the motion
dthe horse to out life in 'em. 1t does ne good
To- see a well-fayored young man like you come
nil tnlF and IIIEV Al in tnNF.E. - - hlanA 1NI~,
. buggy or Il cart hitched to him TO carry a
person about like he was'a bale of goods"
THIS vacation on horseback began and ended
ID Anew York city and included a tour Of Long
isiand from end to end and \ zigzag circuit
through the state Of Connecticut. reached by
voat from sag Harbor to New London. The
Huet got some mixing OF the interest he might
excite on lower Fifth avenue as he journeyed
GOWN toward the ferry for Brooklyn. whence
9e meant 70 reach Garden City. He was In or
binary riding dress. with a campaign hat. leg
~ MS saddlebags were feldRlasses. some
SaIipie writing and toilet appliances, and a few
GIlspensable articles allowing, OF change Of
press ahead Of him % a certain hotel On the
ffpate mapped out. Whether 1t was the sad
se style and mettle Of his horse that riyetted
SasntonIpeopi on all, s.des eyed him as
ne ierryboat he found himself the object OF
SS pH scrutiny and speculation from the
SrlSers Of teams, the cabmen. the boat hands.
sul the, Passengers. Even the bootblacks ia
Eored him with critical and audible interest,
shu one astute member OF the elan exclaimed
That's Teddy Roosevelt. certain. sure!
SSS MS glasses and them there fine leRgingsl"
uThereupon everybody looked at the innocent
NtiSen embarrassed thus at the outset Of his
%ueh.heeded vacation and tho boys. and the
mon as Wen, got IA close to the horse as they
telance.
"a New York crowd Is always looking for q
oSoHaiSatlon; 1t will DO different when we get
~ 10 the country" the horseman said to
mmsell VIII, a reassuring stroke Of his horses
ISne. and the steed took like comfort to his
n91lee he excited.
But IL wasn't different when they got out in
o country, To use the vacation takers
S SIseassSf EXPRESSION. il he had had an advertising
~ maSara hitched onto him before and behind
S Sr nad worn an Illuminated lantern for a hat,
SSSStrteu Q gay atriped umbrella with some
SS1Tvu5ys baking powder or insect ~exterminator
e SovpItiea IN fancy letters over the surface, he
S HSSII not have attracted more notice. The
NSSrs road book. kept Informally. but with q
m II 70 hiking localities and distances in his
~Iu, reSds ln places like this;
aEoii Norwich Sunday about II noon and
fTrNeu at brooklyn CONNECTICUT at Z L. Nj.
tneuty-slN miles. Had q smile on the way