The Adair County news., 1907-05-22
THE EARLY HISTORY OF MELVIN
WHITE.
By u. l. Taylor.
CHAPTER x.

am coming now to the close of the
early history of this remarkable man.
His later history will have to be written
by some other scribe. This letter will
finish his life to the time he left this
country, and cast his fortune in the
sunny South. He never did get to
'keep store" The one great desire of
his life had been denied him, but in
passing through the town of Columbia
of court days, he frequently fell in on
jockey street, and kind of insane de-
sire seized on him to be horse jockey.
He had seen the Yarberrys on that ia
NOUS street. and seen what splendid
horses they always rode. He had heard
of one of them getting a horse from
Uncle Billy Moore, and then in few
days letting have the same horse back
end getting heavy boot. All these
things conspired to make him determine
that he would be a horse jockey. He
had slow kind of a horse, but before
showing himself on that noted street,
he wanted to trade him off for a horse
named Eli-one that would get there.
One of the McClisters had a horse
that filled his eye to Overlooking. 1t
was beautiful gray mare, full of spir-
it and get up. Melvin bantered Nc
Clister for trade McClister did not
seem much struck on Melvins horse,
but as he wanted to follow farming,
and his mare was a little too frey to
plow in new ground, he would consider
the question. AS to where the gray
mare came from, nobody seemed to
know. At that early day the gypsies
had not become common, and they
could not be accused of bringing her in
20 that community. On account of the
reputation she afterward acquired for
getting there, it was not wondered
that her native country was not known.
Melvin asked many questions about the
gray mare, to all of which McClister
gave straight forward and equivocal
answers. He asked if the animal ever
ran away? McClister answered, we'll
she is not inclined to rum | won't say
that she can't run, because she can.
She has an individuality that sometimes
asserts itself, and at such times she is
inclined to scamper and play little
just for the fun of it. Melvin asked if
she ever kicked? Well no, McClister
assured, she never kicks, at least hard
iy ever. Of course, if a fly gets on
her, and she can't knock it off with
her tail, she will kick it off, but l would
not recommend her as kicking ami
NAL by any means. Melvin asked about
her municipalities. McClister said
she worked we'll, that is so far as he
3ad ever tried her. He had not work
ed her great deal, but he was free to
say, that under certain conditions, and
peculiar states of her mind, she might
sometimes refuse to work, or at least
would go faster than a man might
want to go. But will say Melvin one
thing that sometimes. when riding her,
without any previous warning, and
seemingly without any purpose in view,
she will break off at rapid gate, as
sorting her individuality as it were, and
at such times, all you can do is to hang
on, and let her have her way. Melvin
said, being good rider, he did not
mind little thing like that, and so
they traded. This conversation and
Grade took place at Mr.. George Tay-
lor's, on the Crocus road, in the pres
ence of Mr.. Taylor, Lucien and Rollin
Hurt and severalneighbors. The house
where they had congregated, was about
two hundred yards from the road, but
between the two points was a mule lot
with fence heavily stacked and rider
ed. The parties present were crack
ing Jokes, and discussing the merits and
dement's of the two horses, and the adj
yantages and disadvantages of the
trade, until Melvin concluded tc mount,
and see how his nag felt under him.
She remained perfectly quiet until
something was said that sounded like
go; and she went. She jumped at least
fifteen feet the first jump, and fairly
split the wind Immediately in the direc-
ton of the mule lot Melvin pulled
with all his might, and sawed on the
reins alternately, but all to no pur-
pose. When she reached the fence,
she made one supreme effort to go
over it, but it was a little too high. |
She got her fore feet over, crushed the
top rail, and she and the rider, their
legs trngled together, went over and