Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1902-12-27
WHERE PONIES RUN WILD.
-ghseEsIfora's Bauk3- % the Coast
81 North CsroIina The Homs Of
Handreds Of Thsm.

est.nq and curious territory is In the
United states than the long sand
banks which mark the eastern
boundary Of North Carolina. and
which form a vast breakwater within
which are the sounds through
which the government now proposes
10 provide an inland waterway which
will end the terrors Of Cape Hat
teras.
On that part Of the banks further
10 the southwark Of Cape Hatteras
there are little pories, the only wild
horses east Of the Mississippi-Pouies
which have more than three cen
turtles Of history behind them and
which date back 90 the time OF
knightly Sir Walter Raleigh and the
days when the Moors Of Barbary
were q power, says the New York
Herald.
The part Of the banks in question
Is known as Shaekelford's banks,
taking It's name from the chief own
err. Beginning at ocracoke inlet this
stretch Of sand reaches TO Bogue in
let, terminating at Shaekelford's
point, in front Of the town of Beau
fort. shackelford's banks is almost
40 miles long, low lying, with here
and there dunes or sand hills rising
10 a height of say 40 feet, tree COW
cred. the trees loaded with vines, and
IN this mass OF nearly sub-tropical
vegetation. much of il evergreen, are
the Spanish bayonet, prickly pear or
small cactus, and the fan or scrub
palmetto.
On Shackelford's banks alone the
little ponies are found in their wild
state-nowhere else. There are said
TO be about 1900 OF them on the
banks. Inquiry made of residents as
90 whether the number Of ponies had
decreased during the last so years
brought the response that it had,
and that until about 1850 the ponies
had increased.
The ponies weigh about 500 pounds,
and their height is about 10 to IA
hands-that is, Az to AZ feet. Their
life is mainly on the banks, though
in very stormy weather they some
times swim over TO the mainland,
a distance Of from two to five miles.
Their food is marsh grass, leaves of
scrubby trees and shrubs and ber-
ries, particularly the berries of the
holly. The woods usually give them
a good shelter, and hence it is sell
dom that they seek the shelter Of the
mainland. They live to quite an age,
but the average is about 22 years.
Some reach the age Of 40. When
they want water they bore holes in
the sand in low places and secure
plenty of It.
These ponies have owners. The
"banks" are owned by various per-
sons, largely by grants sold by the
states. These people make pens out
of driftwood and rough logs and
poles, and into these some Of the
ponies and their colts are at times
driven and branded. A colt follow
ing n branded mare is considered
the property Of the owner of the
mare, and he holds it, In cases
where there are colts which do not
follow the mares, the "penners"-
that IL, the men who make and own
the pens--take them. Such is the I'M
written law.
The ponies are driven out of the
scrub by drivers or herders, and this
Is a matter of no small difficulty, as
the scrub is often so thick as 70
be jungle, threaded by thousands of
narrow paths through the shining
sand. The wind and salt keep down
much of the vegetation, so that there
may be seen hickory trees not over
three feet in height, yet loaded with
nuts, and horse chestnut trees equal
ly dwarfed.
The colts r covered with hair
several inches in length, natures
protection against the weather. This
looks like felt. II falls off in large
flakes. Most Of the colts are Of 4
faded brown color, but some are
black. These ponies are known in
all parts of the state as "banker"
ponies. They do not appear to be
sold much outside Of North Carolina.
as the people in other states do not
know anything about them. They
cross well with horses.
When taken up country and fed
upon corn, hay and oats they fill out
and darken in color somewhat.
Their instinct is remarkable. Thev
know by means of II the way to get
TO the mainland or TO islands with
the minimum amount of SWIMMING
and the writer has seen them wade
great distances without getting out
of their depth, making various turns
and changes of direction to conform
to the shoals, yet they are fearless
swimmers.
Though an inlet only about two
miles in width separates shaokel.
ford's banks from Bogue banks, the
ponies never go on the latter banks
nor do they cross the 0cracoke inlet
The ancestors of these hardy and
valuable little horses were the Bar.
barry horses which Sir Walter Ra.
leigh sent over with his colop;sts
70 Roanoke island. Sir Walter IA.
leigh's colonists. when the relief
from England was so long DELAYED
in reaching them, went with the Tn.
dams to the mainland, but INNS,
have left the ponies. The Indians
were unused to horses. These In.
dams were the H~aterasks. who gave
their name to the dreaded cape.
These sturdy little ponies are
therefore a part of the ror..oce
which hangs about this quaint mari
OF North Carolina. There are persons
who hold that Raleigh's colonists
first landed on Shackelford's banks
and later went to the isle Of pco