Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1910-01-28
DROVE FATHERS PEI
CHEERING REMiniscENcE OF
soYHooo DAYS.
Story That Lifted Gloom from the
Brown Of overburdened Bust
ness Neutrality-suspicious. AZ
q Cure for the Blues.

Ever stop TO think OF your boyhood
days7
Nothing like II to drive away The
blues.
The other day a group OF business
men, whose cares are not b lighiest.
were seated about a table.
grabbing a hurryup lunch Every man.
of them vas grouchy. Just then the
door opened. and another. jlst as busy.
as far az results go. bTi nerer acting
as though he had a are on earth.
came in.
He cat down and everyone turned
with a halfscowL
They were feeling blue. and did not
want anyone TO convince them that
some of II was imaginary.
did / ever tell you about the tine
I raced the old mans driving mare
against timer" asked the CHEEKY indi-
yiduai.
No one spoke.
We'll, I did" he said. The old mai
and the mother had zone away on a
visit. Dad had a mare which he was
proud OF. and no one touched 81. Used
TO watch the hired man when he
hitched her up. like a hawk. Well.
on the day that they went away. got
restless. / had a pony. but II wasn't
fast enough. So what did ! do but get
that mare out and put her into a
suIky-"
The other men were listening now.
Put her into a sulky when the hireh
man was away. and down goes 10 a
stretch Of road near the railroad track
Say. but I lift up a pace. hanging onto
the lines for dear life.
When I got home | had half he
boys In the n~eighborhood running
across the fields TO meet me and We
put her In the barn. I got busy and
wiped her of. and the hired man
never tumbled.
Next day, By agreement. ! got her
out. and half the town. the hoy part
OF II, was there. drove her down the
stretch the proudest mortal IN the uni
verse. and the other boys looking On.
Next day was Saturday. The folks
were coming home Wednesday and
was getting down fine as n driver. and
the mare was falling on n little in
fesh. but the hired man wasn't wise.
Saturday who should come around
but the son OF a man down he -pike
who had another driving mare. Father
and he had always quarreled abou the
nags, but beyond going down the road
side by side. each one seeing that he
wasn't beat, they never came together.
Result vas that kid and I matched the
horses for a race on Tuesday.
Il went home and rubb that mare
Anurz Going nynr hnr Iann Tito rnpHHfar
jockeys and wipers do, and never aid
a word to the hired man. On Monday
I took the mare out for the last
warming up heat. n 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 as | Turned to 20 along
came that railroad train. The mare
vent down the road. scared. and | vas
perched upon the seat hanging on. A
wire fence on the side OF the road kept
the mare from boiling
ut looked like a spill for mo. but
l hung on Ike grim death.
Near the place where. the road
turned away from the track It ran
close and as we neared that I turned
toward the cars. expecting to crash
into the end OF the train"
He stopped.
Every man sat zap.
How did you ever get out OF the
hospital. II you went into the traln?"
asked one.
II didn't" said the CHEEKY one. but
say. dad and mother were riding in
the last coach and looking right al
mel"
Tanned your hide, / reckon" said
a quiet ligtner.
We'll. did he!" said the CHEEKY one
But he made me drive that c Said
he couldn't afford TO have the other
man think he would allow his boy TO
be biuffed.
And I won by n neck"
The party broke up.
Every man OF them was smiling and
things looked brighter. like the sun
had come from out under a cloud.