Arizona republican., 1909-10-23
PACKARD TRAINING
 FOR MARATHON RACE
It Is Feared Though He Will Not Have the Courage to Enter Against the Indian.

E. A Packard of Douglas, who vas here yesterday for the purpose of en- | tering himself in the Marathon race | against Harry Mclean during fair time, is a man who never knows what he-can do until he tries, nor does woman either, for that matter. Though Mir Packard is pretty husky he has never been much of pedestrian. Two blocks is about the usual limit of his sidewalk strolls in town. If he has to go farther than that he takes street car, patroniZes an automobile agency or subsidies a livery stable. But he has learned that almost any body can do a good walking stunt if he has to, and then he related how he | and Mrs. Packard strolled thirteen 1 miles over a Mexican desert the other ! day. not because they wanted to but because they had to.
 He had planned to drive from Doug
 las to his ranch, eighteen miles away. and return again. and had ordered a team from a livery barn. They were late starting. and when the team was inspected 1t proved to be a pair of broncos and a weak jointed vehicle that in its general appearance rather spelled misfortune Mir. Packard. who has a good horse eye, protested, but the liveryman said it was all the roll ing stock he had left on the premises. and as Mir. Packard was very anxious to visit the ranch he took chance. By driving carefully they reached the ranch and got back three miles on the home trip when disaster overlook them. The wagon struck a rough place in the road and went to pieces. NIT. Packard struck the dashboard and went out head first on the desert. Mrs. Packard held on and saved herself from Injury.
 Mir Packard secured the horses be- fore they ran away and then organ ized a council of war. There was no use of walking back to the ranch for there was no conveyance there. nor was there telephone communication. He suggested to Mrs. Packard that she stay there and guard the wreck and the luggage until he went after an automobile with one of the broncos, providing of course that he could ride it. He said it was only thirteen miles and he wouldn't be gone long. but Mrs. Packard said she would not stay there thirteen minutes. alone. for thirteen million dollars. and as MT. Packard was short of change at the time. there was no further argument.
 Consideration was then given the plan of liberating one of the horses and tying a note to his tail and send ing him back home on the run. but the project would not work for there was big fence to go through and the horse could not let down the bars. The only alternative was to walk to Douglas and lead the broncs. Mir. Packard told his wife that he was not a bit alarmed about himself. for he was a great walker but he feared she might become fatigued. so he suggest ed that she try to ride one of the horses, though the animal did not act as though he had ever been used for a saddle horse. The harness was made fast and a line was run through both sides of the bit so Mir. Packard had a strangle hold. He assured his wife that the horse would not get away although he gave no assurance as to what else he might do then helped the lady on board. The horse instantly assumed an attitude of double bow knot. but Mrs. Packard held on re- gardless of the pitching and jumping and finally demonstrated that she could ride if she wanted to. but at the end of a mile she announced that she would rather walk.
 And they did walk. clear into the suburbs of Douglas or to the residence of Jim Woods, which the caravan reached at S:30. While waiting for cup of tea and bite of food MT.