Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-04-27
THE BRONCO THAT BALKED.
The Men That Walked.--Three- Act
Comedy Drama Enacted Saturday.

Advice Given the Men from Putney
During the Three Trials at starting
the stubborn Beast--ResOIutIOn which
Was Broken.
A small, white bronco of decidedly
evil temperament, with a supporting com
pany of two patient, longsutfering Put
new men, starred in three-act comedy
drama last Saturday afternoon and met
with pronounced success. The opening
scene took place In front of the American
Express company's office, the second act
near the Common, and the finale at the
top of West River hill. The play not only
furnished amusement but it gave at least
two dozen men a chance to tell what they
didn't know about balky horses, and the
occasion proved valuable on account of its
bringing TO light the many different meth
DDS which will not persuade horse to
move against its will.
About l O'Clock Saturday afternoon the
aforesaid team came down High street
and stopped near the Office of the Amer
lean Express company. One Of the men
in the office went TO the door to see what
was wanted, but the occupants of the team
took no notice of him, and he went back
to work. Happening to the door again a
few minutes later the expressman saw the
team in exactly the same place, and
broad smile overspread his face as the stu
ton dawned upon him. By this time the
existing state of affairs had become known
to several passers-by, and crowd began
TO form along the sidewalk. As the crowd
grew some of the more knowing persons
began to volunteer bits of information re-
garding balky horses.
"Whale him." said one who was less en-
owed with patience than the men from
Putney,' "you'll never get home for sur
per IL you DON'T But the Putneyites
settled back in the wagon with looks of
resignation upon their faces, and said not
a word.
Feed him sugar." suggested another of
the crowd, and forthwith one of the spec
tators wasted about a pound of fine gran
ulated upon the animal.
Yet another man had heard that pebble
put in the ear of balky horse would al
ways start him, and on this suggestion
nearly a half-pint of stones and coarse
sand was dumped into the auricular ap-
pendages of the quadruped, but without
avail. One hard-hearted spectator sug-
gested that the horse be Grated and sent to
his destination by express, but the owners
did not appreciate the good sense of this
advice any more than that of the man who
thought 1t good plan for them to buy
copy of David Harum.
Finally the unwieldly bronco was I'M
hitched and led up Main street as far as the
Common, the wagon being taken up in
the rear of a job team. Here the animal
was again harnessed but failed to retract
his former views regarding locomotion.
Several sympathetic onlookers tried their
hands at bronco busting, but all were I'M
successful. One man pounded the ami
mails hoof to make him think he was in a
blacksmith shop and therefore "take his
mind from the subject of balking;" an
other punched the creature in the ribs and
yelled whoa land a third touched off a
card of birthstone matches undar its nose,
but the bronco still stood. Several men
and boys then got behind the wagon and
pushed, but desisted when the horse went
into the air and came down crosswise with
the shafts.
In fit Of desperation the owner again
embarrassed the horse and led it to the top
of West river hill where third and more
radical attempt was made to "start the ma
chine" A man passing by with stout
piece of rope was drafted into service, and
one end of the rope tied securely about the
Dronco's neck. The other end was grasp
ed by force of men who pulled until the
horse grew black in the face" to speak
fguratively, and fell down, breaking one
shaft and nearly spelling the harness.
This last resort having failed, the unfortu-
nate owner climbed into his wagon, swore
roundly for several minutes, then lighted
his pipe and vowed he would sit there I'M
til doomsday if the id bronco wouldn't
start. How he kept his resolution will be
shown by the fact that at o'clock two de-
Jected looking specimens of humanity were
seen crossing West river bridge, one lead
ing white bronco and the other toiling
between the shafts of a somewhat dilapi-
dated buggy.
At the rate the men had traversed the
distance between the post-ofice and the
bridge it was estimated that they
reached home in time for a late supper
Monday.