Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-09-27

&d61W his deep, powerful cnest, MS
chunky neck, his substantial shaggy
fetlocked legs. He had family tree
registered sires, you know-and had he
wished could have read you pedigree
reaching back to Sir Navarro (6S93).
Despite ali this, Chieftain was guilty
of no undue pride. Eight years in the
trucking business takes out of one all
such nonsense True, as three-year-
old he had given himself some airs.
There was small wonder in that. He
had been the boast of Keokuk county
for a whole year. Wen show 'em
what we can do in Indiana" the stock
master had said as Chieftain, his silver
white tail carefully done up in red
flannel, was led aboard the cars for
shipment east.
They are not unused to ton weight
horses in the neighborhood of the Bulls
Head, where the great sales stables
are. Still, when Chieftain was brought
out. his fine dappled coat shining like
frosted steel in the sunlight, and his
splendid tail, which had been done up
in straw crimps overnight, ripping
and waving behind him, there was a
great craning of necks among the buy
ers Of heavy drafts.
ssGentlemen," the red faced auction
eer had shouted, here's buster; one
Of the kind you read about, wide as a
wagon, with leg on each corner.
There's ton of him, whole ton
Who'll start him at three hundred?
Why, he's as good as money in the
bank"
That had been Chieftain's introduce
ton to the metropolis. But the triple
hitch is a great leveler. In single har-
ness, even though one does pull load,
there is chance for individuality. One
may toss ones head-aye, prance bit
on nipping morning. But get between
the poles of breast team, with
horse on either side and twelve ton
load at the trace ends. and-well, one
soon forgets sach vanities as pride of
champion sires. and one learns not to
prance.
In his eight years as inside. horse of
breast team No. At Chieftain had for
gotten much about pedigree, but he
had learned many other things. He
had come to know the precise mo-
ment when in easing a heavy load
down an incline it was safe to slacken
away on the breeding and trot gently
He could tell, merely by glancing at
rise in the roadway, whether a slow,
steady pull was needed or If the time
had come to stick in his toe calks and
throw all of his 1000 pounds on the
collar. He had learned not to fret him
self into lather about strange noises
and not to be overparticular as to the
kind Of company In which he found
himself working. Even though hitch
ed up with vicious Missouri Modoc
on one side and raw, half collar
broken Kanuck on the other, he would
do his best to steady them down to
the work. He had learned to stop at
crossings when six foot Broadway
squad officer held up one finger, and
to give way for no one else. He knew
by heart all the road rules of the
crowded way, and he stood for his
rights.
So in stress of storm or quivering
summer heat did Chieftain toll between
the poles, hauling the piled up truck
year In and year out up and down and
across the city streets. And in time
be had forgotten his Norman blood,
had forgotten that he was the great
grandson of Sir Navarro.
Some things there were, however,
which Chieftain could not wholly for
get. These memories were not exact
II clear, but vague as they were they