Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-11-18
VIRGINIA PONY PENN|NG"
Animals on Chincoteague and
ASSateague are coTalled.
HOW THEY ARE BRANDED
A Mosquito for Every Grain Of Sand
They Bring a Much Larger Price
Than They Did Ten Years Ago
chincoteaguers Use Forcible Lam
guage.

interested parties. Probably that is
why I enjoyed so much the annual
pony penning on Assateague Island
this year. These sailor men, when
they begin to handle the wild ponies
which run on Chincoteague and ASA
league, indicate in a hundred ways
that they would be far more at home
with a tilIer or sail rope In their
hands. Probably that is why they ap-
proach the undertaking with such diff
dence and the certainty OF show"
causes large crowd TO gather. The
pony pennings bring many people to
the islands every year. The pennings
this year were not such great events
as usual. owing largely to the fact
that the owners of the ponies are not
anxious to sell, for prices are so much
higher than ever before that the men
who own the animals think they ought
to receive even more. Good prices
have dazzled them. The ponies are
bringing twice what they did ten
years ago.
After a drive OF mile and half
across Chincotague. through woods,
where there was a mosquito for every
Rrain of sand in the road, and sew
ORal for every one of the pine needles
that carpeted the ground on either
hand. j went aboard the little batteau
that was to take us across to the Is
land.
Several hundred people were on the
island for the penning. The corral Is
only a few steps from the beach, and
contains less than quarter OF an
acre. permanent fence around 1t is
kept up by the men who own the
ponies. which run wild on the island.
Assateague unlike Chincoteague, is
rugged. The magnificent lighthouse
Is situated on a considerable eminence
at the southern end of the island; to-
wards the north there are high hills.
unlike those OF the up-cOuntry. for
there Is not a stone large enough TO
throw at a snake to be found on the
island, and no earth but sand. The
soil and the grass are precisely the
same as in Florida, and the tall pines
suggets those of the forests of the
Land Of the Flowers. The woods take
up the greater portion Of the island.
Perhaps fifteen families reside on As
sateague. These have gardens and
corn patches. But the people live Off
the money they make from the oysters
and clans and the fish that TEEN in the
waters about the island The ponies
are owned chiefly by the people Of
Chincoteague.
The fun connected with the penning
began shortly after dawn. A dozen
men and boys. mounted on their
ponies, started out to corral the vari-
GUS punches. The young ponies ap-
peared to be as wild as the mustangs
which used to roam our Western
plains. But the old brood mares.
many Of the them twenty years of age
or more, are quite gentle by compari
son, though they are hard to corner.
When the riders have gotten to-
gether a dozen or more ponies, old and
young, the work grows steadily easier.
The men and boys drive the accumu-
lated bunch up with drove not yet
driven. and this constant work OF
benevolent assimilation" finally re-
suits in bringing all the ponies to the
corral gate. 1t is not an easy task
at all to get the animals within the
enclosure: but the inclination of the
pony to follow the leaders is worked
upon with success. Several of the
tame animals are turned into the cor
raj; one or two of the ponies. smart
young fellows who know 1t ALL ven
ture in; other follow when they see
that no harm has come to those who
have shown more temerity. and finally
the gate is closed upon the entire
drove.
Then comes the work of branding
the little colts and cutting out the
ponies which it is desired to sell. A
fire of branches and knots in which
to heat the branding irons was burn
ing at the corral gate. the smoke help
ing to keep off the mosquitoes, which
were keeping man and beast busy.
cannot quite understand yet why
It was that somebody was not hurt by
those ponies, for the little fellows
used their heels in truly pugilistic
fashion. With a moose affixed to the
end of pole. man would approach
the drove carefully. and after consid-
cradle manoeuvring drop it over the
head of the animal desired. Then he
would let the pole fall and seize the
rope. which had been loosely wrapped
around it, AS the moose would begin
to tighten the pony would commence
rearing and plunging, and it would re-
quire several men to hold him. The
pony rarely ceased TO resist until chok-
ed down The slip-noose would then
be changed for one of a different
knot. in the making of which water
men are experts. When the pony
would be gotten to its feet, and the
men would start to draw it from the
corral. the animals struggles would
become greatest.
In nearly every case it was gotten
out only by main force and TO the ac-
compartment of loud words, to which
the women serving oysters and ice
cream at stands on the beach few
feet away appeared to be turning deaf
ears. For really forcible and unequi-
vocal English. give me Chincote-
aguer trying to get pony out of the
corral at a penning Edward
Harris.
n L. H,ns ~ philas