Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-29
Remarkable Feats of Horsemanship.

n EFORE the days OF railroads or telc-
TX graphs, when messages were sent
Othrough the country by horsemen,
some astonishing Journeys were made.
Not only endurance and skill were neces-
sary for such feats, but great courage as
well, for the country was infested by rob
bers and the roads and bridges we're usual
ly in a wretched state.
A journey which combined endurance
and speed was made some centuries ago
when the news of the death of Queen
Elizabeth was carried to her successor,
James VI of Scotland. Robert Curry
started with the news from Whitehall be-
tween nine and ten on a Tuesday morn
ing, and reached Doncaster, 1855 miles
away, the same night. On the following
day he travelled as far as his own house,
at Witherington, where he spent some
time transacting business Starting early
the next morning, he would have reached
Edinburg by midnight had not an accident
occurred to delay him. AS 1t was, he com
pleted the journey of 400 miles within three
days.
Wolsey nearly century earlier made .
remarkable journey TO the Low Countries
10 hold an interview with the Emperor
Macmillan. Leaving London at four
O'Clock in the afternoon, he travelled by
boat to Gravesend, rode through the night
70 Dover and, crossing to Calais, finished
Emperor that same evening on the fol-
lowing morning he rode swiftly back TO
Calais, and was at Richmond by sunset,
after having made the journey TO Holland
and back in little more than two days.
A match for these feats can be found in
the present times, when South Africa
was the scene Of two performances In this
line Just after the breaking out of the
Kafir war Sir Henry Smith carried the
news from Cape Town to Grahamstown In
six DAYS, covering a distance OF zoo
miles on horseback through a wild and
trackless country, and Richard King rode
600 miles, from Durham to Grahams-
town. in ten days through a country
infested with enemies. and over a mul-
tltuda Of swollen and bridgeless rivers,
every one OF which his horse had TO swim.
The German Emperor instituted a long
distance ride some thirteen years ago. in
which the contestants were TO cover the
distance between Berlin and Vienna. seine
$50 miles. in the shortest possible time.
Count starhumburg completed the journey
in seventy-one hours and twenty minutes
thus winning the silver bust OF the En-
peror and $5O00. His horse unfortunately
aid not survive the contest.
No; long ago FIVE heutenants Of The
Twelfth Hussar regiment OF France &C,
complished a marvellous feat. They left
gray at three o'clock in the morning, and
rode seventy-tWo miles TO Belfort, which
thew reached at four o'clock IN the after
noon. Here they dOnned civilians clothes,
and walked TO a town twenty-four miles
away. where they dined. Then they walked
10 Belfort. saddled their horses and rode
back TO Gray. which they reached al three
o clock the next afternoon. They had
covered lJ2 miles on foot and horseback IN
thirty-slX hours.
But Major Barbour has the distinction OF
having achieved the most wonderful long
distance riding feat. He rode from New
York 10 Paris by way OF Vancouver
Alaska ana siberia. distance Of 1861
miles. IN l,OJO days and on a single horse
S-$ASHSNN
At the rate at 5.ut and a half 81 l'quli
a day, = man drlnks - $50 pints during his
nfG