Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1909-10-23
DROVE FATHER'SPET
CHEERING REMINIscENcE OF
eoYHooD DAYS.
Story That Lifted Gloom from tho
srows Of overburdened Bust
e.. ness Neutrality-suspicious. AZ
Cure for the Blues.

days! 49,. ....:..;..-
Nothing like 1T TO-. drive away the
blues. ~ -r.'-'-
~ The other day: a.. group of business
men whose cares are not the lightest.
were seated about a restaurant table,
grabbing a. hurryhp lunch. Every man,
OF them was; groucby. Just then the
door opened. and another, just as busy,
as far as results go. but never acting
'as"though he had. care on earth.
came in.
He sat down and everyone turned
with a half-scowi. :.
They were feeling blue, and did not
want anyone to Convince them. that
some of it was Imaginary. ..,...- o..
j, did ever tell you about the time
/ raced the old MANS driving mare
against time % asked the CHEEKY indi-
yidua1. q" f.;
No one spoke. 8. 1872, :..!.1 -r..t...
=, We'll, did," he said. The old man,
and the mother Had gone away on a
visit. Dad had aimare which he was
proud of, and no One touched 1t. Used
to watch the hired man when he
hitched her up, like a hawk. Well,
on the day that they went away, I got
restless. I had a, pony, but it wasn't
fast enough. So what did do but get
that mare out and put her into a
sulky-" :''... =. .....
The other men were listening. now
Put her into sulky when the hired
man was away, and down goes to a
stretch Of road near the railroad track.
Say, but hit up a pace, hanging onto
the lines for dear: life ...
':When got home had half the
boys in the heiehborhood running
across the. fields to meet me. and we
put her in Tho barn. got busy and
wiped, Der. CT and the hired man
never tumbled.."''' "..". ;: 49,. .:..', g..
Next day. by agreement, got her
out. and half. the town, the, boy. part
Of it, was there I drove her down the
stretch the proadest mortaI,.n. the uni,
verse. and the OTTER boys looking on.
Next day was Saturday. i, The, folks
were coming Home Wednesday and. 1
was getting down fine as a driver. and
the mare was falling off little in
flesh, but the hired man wasn't wise.
-. Saturday who should come around
but the son of a man down the pike
who had another driving mare. Father
and he had always quarreled about the
nags, but beyond going down the road
side by side, each one seeing that he
wasn't beat, they: never came together.
Result was that kid and L matched the
horses for race on Tuesday.
II went nome and rubbed that mare
down, going over her legs like regular
Jockeys and wipers do, and never said
word to the hired man. On Monday
took. the mare out for the last
warming up heat, and all the boys in
town were there. The other kid was
afraid to take out his horse except for
the race. -"
I'VE went down to the. head Of the
stretch, and astI trirned to go along.
came that RAILROAD train The mare
went down the road. scared, and I was
perched upon the seat hanging on. A
wire fence on the side of the road kept
the mare from boiling. .As.:'
81, ut, looked 4tfke a'spiIi for me, but
| hung on 1ike grim death. ,,..rI -
. -. NEAR the place Wherei the :. road
turned away Hfrofn the track 1t ran
close and as we .neared that 1 turned
toward tiie.;!cars, expecting to crash
INTO the end of the train" -,
=, he atappsa.' i>,~.
Every man sat up. ~ -. e.. .....'
d: How did ry9u. ever get out Of the
hospital,sif yon went into the train?'
q
asked one. , :.y@y ., ,...' ..,-:
""1 didn't" said the CHEEKY one, "but
say, dad and. mother we're riding In
the last coach and looking right at
mel" ~ =
Tanned your hide, 1 reckon" said
a quiet listner.
We'll, did he!" said the CHEEKY one.
but be- made me drive that race. Said
he couldn't afford to have the other
man think he would allow his boy to
be bluffed.
And won by a neck"
The party broke up. .... .....