Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1905-04-15
Famous Long Rides


From eastern advices it appears that
the Russian Cossacks have done more
than the artillery to keep up the repu-
tation of the Slav army as to its power
of endurance under adverse circum-
stances.
But this is not the particular point
of this story The Cossack is really
to the eastern world what Clusters
men, Morgan's, Kilpatrick's, and
Roosevelt's have been to the western
armies-the men who could sit the
saddle, saber and shoot, starve and
swim, be all or nothing for the glory
of quick action in time of trouble.
AS to the proof of this here is the
story of Dmetree Pjeshkoff, a Siberian
Cossack, who rode from Blagovejech-
ensk, eastern Siberia, to ST. Peters
burg. He surpassed Burnaby, who
rode to Khiva, and Asayeff, who made
the hard ride from Lubeen, Poland, to
Paris.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT is a Cossack sta
ton on the Amur, in latitude so de-
grees north, longitude 127 degrees
east, and the distance to be covered
to the Russian capital 5000 versts, or
5,400 English miles
In 113 days out from his starting
point Pjeshkoff was at Omsk, having
accomplished 1900 versts, or nearly
$500 miles, of his journey. In Ill
days he was in ST. Petersburg, having
made an average of thirty miles a
day, in the saddle, from the start.
An average of this character re-
quires remarkable physical and nerve
endurance. 1t also requires fine judg-
ment as to forage for beasts and sus
tenance for the rider-calculatiOns as
to weather, temperature changes, wa
ter supply and kindred things that go
in with steady and long ride.
The hero of this remarkable feat,
man of some education. was command
err of hundred in one of the CosSack
regiments, stationed on the Amur. and
had to obtain leave of absence to show
what he could do on a long-distance
ride with horse.
But the feat became more remark
able because the Cossack made his
journey with one horse-the same
horse he started with ending the jour
ney. The horse, like its rider, was of
the ordinary Cossack breed. 1t was
born in Siberia, and was purchased
for $50 rubles, or about $50 in our
money. 1t was IS years old, and of a
light gray LII height anu weight
1t corresponded with fair-sized
American "cayuse" of the western
plains. 1t had the "cayuse' capacity
| for short feeds and minimum water
| supply.
The animal was fed only on oats
| and hay. 1t carried. including it's rid
| er, saddle, blankets and harness, a
| total weight of about 172 pounds.
| The appetite of the beast increased
with the distance travelled. At the
start it required eight pounds of oats
and fourteen pounds of hay a day to
| keep it up and for water it took the
| snow alongside the road as we'll or
| spring water was not obtainable
When two-thirds of the journey was
| completed the horse was eating thirty
| pounds of oats and fourteen pounds of
| hay each day. An English or an
American horse, aside from the plains
breed of the latter country, would
have surrendered quickly.
The western American horse has
made some wonderful long-distance
| journeys in quick time. During Gus
| ter's campaign of 1876, which ended in
the massacre on the Rosebud, some of
the scouts for the army covered $50
| and $50 miles in forty-eight hours on
three feeds and three chances to wa
| ter for their horses.
/ In Grierson's wild ride during the
| civil war to cut the confederate lines,
the ride which eventually gave birth
to Shermans march to the sea, one
i Chicago cavalryman was in the saddle
| ~~s~~-.~.~~.~~.~-~.~~~~-
| Has No Hands, But Threads Needles.
During her babyhood Emma Lou
| Lawson. now IA. lost both hands by
j amputation, made necessary by NEGRO
| sis of the wrist bones The little miss
is an exceedingly bright child, an or
| phan, and Notwithstanding her physi
cal disability. can write a beautiful
| hand and work examples in arithme
| tic. She can thread a needle almost
as quickly as anyone, and sews well
All this. coupled with her cheerful dis
position, makes her a favorite with
all who know her--Pulaski CORE
i Fpondence Nashville Banner.