Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-10-04

For whole year Skipper was the
pride of the force. He was shown to
visitors at the stables. He was patted
on the nose by the mayor. The chief,
who was bigger man than the mayor,
came up especially to look at him. In
the park skipper did his tricks every
day for ladies in fine dress who ex-
claimed How perfectly wonderful"
as well as for pretty nursemaids who
giggled and said, Now did you ever
see the likes O. that, Norah?'
And then came the spawn. All, but
HAT was the beginning Of the endl
Were you ever spawned? II SO you
know all about it. If you haven't
there's no use trying to tell you.
Rheumatism? Well, that may be bad,
but SPAWN is worse.
For three weeks Reddy rubbed the
lump ON the hook with stuff from q
brown bottle and hid it from the In
spector. Then one black morning the
lump was discovered. That day Skip
per did not go out on post. Reddy
came into the stall, put his arm around
his neck and said "Goodby" in voice
that Skipper had never heard him use
before. Something had made it thick
and husky. Very sadly Skipper saw
him saddle one of the newcomers and
go out for duty.
Before Reddy came back Skipper
was led away. He was taken to q
big building where there were horses
of every kind-except the right kind.
Each one had his own peculiar "out,
although you couldn't always tell what
it was at first glance.
But Skipper did not stay here long.
He was led into big ring before lot
of men. A man on a box shouted out
a number and began to talk very fast.
Skipper gathered that he was talking
about him. Skipper learned that he
was still only six years old and that
he had been owned as saddle horse
by lady who was about to sail for
Europe and was closing out her stable.
This was news to Skipper. He wished
Reddy could hear it.
The man talked very nicely about
Skipper. He said he was kind, gentle,
sound in wind and limb and was not
only trained to the saddle, but would
work either single or double. The man
wanted to know how much the gentle
men were willing to pay for a bay
gelding Of this description.
Some one on the outer edge Of the
crowd said, "Ten dollarsp'
At this the man on the box grew
quite indignant. He asked If the other
man wouldn't like silver mounted
harness and lap robe thrown in.
.Fifteenr' said another man.
Somebody else said TWENTY an
other man said ''Twenty-flvew and still
another "Thirtyr' Then there was a
hitch. The man on the box began to
talk very fast indeed:
ssThutty, thutty, thutty, thuttyi Do
I hear the FIVE? Thutty, thutty, thut-
ty, thutty! VIII you make it fivef"
"Thirty-fiver' said a red faced man
who had pushed his way to the front
and was looking Skipper over sharply
The man on the box said ssThutty-
five" a good many times and asked If
he ssheard forty" Evidently he did
not, for he stopped and said very slow
" and distinctly, looking expectantly
around: care you all done? Thirty-fve
once; thirty-five- twice; third and last
call--sold for $35r'
When Skipper heard this he hung
his head. When you have been a $3.50
blue ribboner and the pride Of the force
it is sad to be knocked down. for thir-
ty-five.
The next year of Shippers life was
dark one. We will not linger over it.
The red faced man who led him away
was a grocer. He put Skipper In the
shafts of a heavy wagon very early
every morning and drove him q long
way through the city to a big down
town market where men in long frocks
shouted and handled boxes and bar
rels. When the wagon was heavily
loaded the red faced man drove him
back to the store. Then tow haired
boy, who jerked yiciously on the lines
and was fond of using the whip, drove
him recklessly about the streets and
avenues.
But one day the tow haired boy pull
ed the near rein too hard while round
ing corner, and wheel was smashed
against lamp post. The tow haired
boy was sent head first into an ash
barrel. and Skipper, rather startled at
the occurrence, took little run down
the avenue, strewing the pavement