Arizona republican., 1904-12-07
HORSEBACK RIDING
Interesting Features of First Lesson
 in Henry Georges School.

Mir Joseph O'Reilly, of Chicago. who is spending the winter in Phoenix, is unfortunate in having fallen among the Philistines instead of among friends as he supposed. A few days ago he was jobbed to a fare ye well.
 A horseback party was arranged by a number of ladies and gentlemen who were supposed to be interested in his welfare and desirous of promoting his happiness. The ride was to the Hole in the Rock, q nice little jaunt for first lesson. Mir. OReilly had secured horse at a local corral and joined the party promptly on time. Henry George being a professional horseman rode alongside the young man to lend him encoura cement in trying moments. As usual with young riders, MT. OReilly began bragging about his mount. He cCntended that it was the most likely animal in the whole party while the others were unanimous in their condemnation. They describe the horse as being about ten feet long, in color burnt orange roan, with a backbone like the corrugated crest ot the Phoenix mountains, slats that were obnoxiously and indelicateiy protrud ing, complete absence of adipOse tis- sue, and a gait like a pair of bars in stake and rider fence. They led MT. O'Renly to believe though, that the gentle and urdulating movement of his horse was an animated poem without words and that for an accomplished rider his graceful weaving to and fro was as soothing as an evening lullaby.
 The party started on a trot and ev- eryone knows how interesting that particular gait is to the beginner as well as to the horse. especially if he is geared high and built like an ice wag- on. MT. O'Reilly clung to the pom mel of the saddle in frenzied fear and placed his faith in-Henry George.
 A horse, like q steam engine, has to be kept in control to assure regular speed, Mr. O'Reilly had but little time to manage the throttle and did not un- derstand the brakes. The progress of the horse was therefore cratic and spec otacuiar. Sometimes like Abou Ben Athens name, he led all the rest, and again he would lapse into a state of partial coma, suggesting strychEia or digitalis.
 Finally Mir. George proposed a gallop which wc1ld be more like the motion Of a cradle, and remind him of the in- nOcence of childhood. At the first lunge MT. OReilly leaned forward as though looking for something. For the next five or ten minutes he poised beautiful ly on the horn of the saddle whicE was gradually working its way into the re- zion of the vermiform appendix. "Didst say that this is an easy gait Horatio?" queried MT. O'Reilly. Aye Spartacus, 'tis the most restful of all equestrian diversions" responded Mir. George, to which the other murmured sotto voce that the rest cure was not all that it was cracked up to be.
 The ride was finished with a series of similar incidents but the blow that aI- most killed father was administered the next day by MT. George. He tele- phoned to Mr. O'Reilly at his apart ments, telling him with tears in his voice that the handsome and valuable horse he had ridden the day before was dead. MT. O'ReiIy asked to what cause his sudden demise was attribut- ed and Mir. George told him the veter- marian had given it as his opinion that it was an acute spinal attack re- sulting from the terrible pounding on the back that he had received the day before. MT. George suggested that in such an emergency he would save trouble by calling upon the owner and arbitrating a settlement. MT ORctl- ly protested that the horse was only q cheap skate any way, though he was very sorry he was dead. Still, when he soliloquized upon his own macerated condition he was not sure but that the horse had a little shade the best of him. Mir. George reminded him that the day before he had considered him a very fine appearing and valuable an- imal. MT. O'Reilly remarked that he fr4de hi colf 1 nd might have been mistaken and that the rest of the party had insist ed that the horse was the conmonest kind of beast. Mir. George told him that the others in the party were uniformed but that he was a good judge and he believed the animal was worth easily $275.
 Anyhow MT. O'Reilly decided to do