Smyrna times., 1901-09-11
THRILLING EXPERIENCE or
TWO WELL-KNOWN RIDERS
STRIKING FEATS OF ENDURANCE IN THE
PIONEER DAYS OF THE WEST.
Aubrey's Ride Was the Greatest Physical
Achievement Ever Accomplished in This
COuntry-Jim MOOre's Hard Ride.


ever accomplished in this country was
the ride of +. y. Aubrey from the
plaza of Santa Fe, n. NJ, to the Pub
lie square at Independence Mo-, g dis
tance of nearly 800 miles, through a
country inhabited by warlike Indians,
large part of which was then a san
dy desert. 1t was about the year
1851 that Aubrey gave his wonderful
test of human endurance, before which
all other attempts of the kind pale
into inSignificance. He was a short,
heavy set man, 3S years of age, in the
prime of manhood and strength. His
business for ten years as a Santa Fe
trader had made him perfectly IA
miliar with the trail and all the stop
ping places. He was a perfect horse
man, and, although there were great
riders in those days. none of them
cared to dispute the palm with Au-
brey.
On a wager of $1,000 he undertook
to ride alone from Santa Fe to Inde-
pendence inside of six days. 1t was
without a thought of fear that he un-
dertook the terrible feat. 1t was to be
sent half a dozen of the swiftest horses
ahead, to be stationed at different
points for use in the ride. He left
Santa Fe in sweeping gallop, and
that was the pace kept up during near
ly every hour of the time until he fell
falnting from his foam covered horse
in the square at Independence. No
man could keep up with the rider, and
he would have killed every horse in
the west rather than have failed in the
undertaking. 1t took him just days
and 10 hours to perform the feat, and
it cost the lives of several of his best
horses.
After being carried into a room in the
old hotel at Independence Aubrey lay
for 49 hours in a dead stupor before he
came to his senses. He would never
have recovered from the shock had it
not been for his wonderful constitu-
tion. The feat was unanimously re-
garded by western men as the greatest
exhibition of strength and endurance
ever known on the plains.
The ride of Jim Moore, a noted from
tiersman of the pioneer days, is also
worthy of mention. Moore was man
of almost perfect physique. In fact. by
military standards he was a model.
He weighed 160 pounds, stood feet 10
inches. straight as an arrow, with good
neck well set on his shoulders, small
waist, but good loins, and had the limbs
Of n thoroughbred. No finer looking
man physically ever rode a broncho
i'm 10
Indian, was as active as panther. the
best natured man in the world. but a.
courageous as lion.
In the early sixties Moore was a pony
express rider. His route was from
Midway station, half way between
Fort Kearney and Cottonwood Springs
to Julesburg. a distance of 140 miles
Moore rode the round trip of $50 miles
once a week. The stations were from
10 to ii miles apart. and a fresh hors
of Spanish blood was obtained at eacl
station. There was little delay in thes
changes of horses, as the rider gave tn
'coyote yell" half q mile away, and
day or night, the station men had tn
pony ready, so that the rider had onl
TO dismOunt from one horse and noun
the other. and with dig of the spur
he was on a run again. This ride @
140 miles usually was made in 12 hours
On each route there were two expires
riders. one going each way. AS easy a
1t may seem to some for a man to b,
stride fresh horse after horse for Il
miles, there were few men able I
stand up to it.
Upon the occasion of which | am I
speak Moore's route partner had bee
ailing. and Moore was anticipating az
dreading that he might have to doub
the route. In this anticipation he rea
ized that there is time limit to endu
ance, and therefore he gave the brol
chos little more of the steel tina
usual and made the trip to Julesbur
in IL hours. Arriving at Julesburg, /
had his fears confirmed. His partn,
was in bed. He had hoped that |
might have a few hours for rest, bl
before he had time to dismount al
stretch his cramped and tired muscI
the coyote yell'' of the east going ri
er was heard.
He drank some cold coffee, filed b
pocket with cold meat and was In Il
saddle again for another 140 mile rio
In order to be able to live the route o
he sent them for all there was In the
with the result that he arrived at MI
way, after having ridden 290 miles,
% hours from the time he had L
there. Ben Holiday gave him a &c
watch and a certificate Of his remal
able performance. Many of the {
frontiersmen now living knew Moo
knew of his 2S0 mile ride in % hot
and have seen the watch and cert
cate.-Spirit of the Times.
Cheerful Inducements.