The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-11-01
1ATTEST SWIVEL CHAIR HERO
RIDES BEST IN ARMY HORSEBACK
TEST, LEADER IN AN AUTO
Washington Still Laughing Over Result of First Experiment Fol-
lowing Roosevelt's Order That the Officers Do Some
Real Military Stunts.

Washington, Special: Wasllingto.: is
still laughing over tine results of the
first horseback exercise this week by
army officers pursuant to President
Roosevelt's edict that the officers III
the capital with soft-cuStlioned office
jobs get out and do something for their
country in the open air, every once in
a while.
Headed by General w. T. Duvall,
anked and followed by the beauty and
fashion of Washington in automobiles,
and with an ambulance in the rear,
thirty staff officers today set out on
the great practice ride.
ON all sides. as far as the eye could
reach. embattled photographers sought
by the United States army. AT the
head Of the column foxy photographers
who had saved energy by r~efraining
from Il battle with the army were IN
readiness 10 lead the procession in au-
tomobiies, and did so. All along the
sounded the deadly snap, snap of the
kodak. /.
AT i p. m. the officers had left the
war department, most of them on
horseback. to show that they were Will
ing To throw in an extra few miles.
Wilen they arrived at Fort MNer their
gallant commander was not there. Al
VI 81 III q " SiSoa' - ~
Duvall had been thrown off his horse
the ride might yet be postponed. Sud
denly an automobile chugged, chusged
into view with Duvall mounted secure
" on the back seat.
The editorial comments of those Off
GERS who had ridden all the way from
the war department to the starting
point on horses no doubt are recorded
in the book of the Recording Angel, but
they are unfit for publication else
where. Duvall jumped off his chue
wagon as fresh as a daisy and sur
veyed his regiment With a triumphant
smile.
Riding Two Abreast.
At ten seconds of 2 o'clock Genera
Duvall directed the officers to form ii
a column two abreast, at . the
bugler sounded the signal to start. Al.
were off on the Jump With the genera
in the an.
! AS soon as the officers started Tho
ladies gave h signal to the chauffeurs
the newspaper men dug their heels ir
the spare ribs of their livery mounts
and the photographers chug-chugget
into the lead With kodaks unlimberec
and swapping. For the first fifteen sec
onds it was u dead heat. Then Il pho
tograpler in an made T;
desperate charge on the extreme left
where Major Randolph had been de,
ployed as Il skirmiSher. AS the photog'
rapher bore down honk-honking. "a.
ski1tish steed on which the majoI wa
MOUNTED made the effort of his life Il
climb a tree. The major descended b.
q handy buugn, but in the meaatim,
AIS charger had removed Il shoe from
a horse belonging to Il newspaper ma
who was making u gallant charge ol
Duvaii's little army. and the news
, paper man was standing on his head il
! the road calling for help. Both horse
t-. la.t EAar ~ 4v,Drfn fn h
about fifty miles east of Pittsburg an
still going fast.
Two orderlies seized the o%pportunit
10 flee from the scene of slaughter !
quest OF Randolph's horse. Nothin
daunted, the major made a quick sprin
for a horse belonging to a g:inaing cav
alrylnan. requisitioned it. mounted
and darted after the column at u ga
lop. He caught up. finished the rid
and came back fresh as a daisy. 1t wa
generally agreed at the wind up tila
le was The hero of the day.