The Detroit times., 1914-11-23
DROVE ACROSS
COUNTRY WITH
LITTLE PONIES
Thompson Carried Full Camp
ing Outfit Lashed Beneath
His Light Buggy
LEFT PASADENA MARCH 10;
EIGHT MONTHS ON TRIP
After Seeing New York He Will
Start Back, Going Through
Southern States

NEW YORK. Nov. 23.-Two sturdy
Canadian chestnut ponies with dark
white tails and names pulled stand
ard buggy with q strange equipment
strapped to its various parts along
West One Hundred and Sixty-hrst-st.
The man behind the ponies had q
healthy looking coat Of tan on face
remarkable for the glow OF health that
mantled IT, He sat under canopy in
the standard buggy, cried a gentle.
persuasive "Whoai" TO the ponies and
then sang to them IT'S q long way to
Pasadena" The ponies shook their
white names, switched their long
white tails and trotted into the Audu-
bon Stable at No. 512 West One Hun
dred and Sixty-nrst-st. to clean stall
Uttered with clean straw and full
measures Of welcome feed.
They had been travelling since last
March and were having their first
whiff Of New York ozone and expert
ence of how the greater city looks TO
a Canadian-bred pony with California
associa tons.
The man who drove the ponies was
]. Owen Thompson. O retired business
man OF Pasadena Mr.. Thompson Ii
q great lover Of nature. For years he
always menaged TO drag himself away
from the cares OF his real estate bust
ness and spend three months each
year In the mountains of California or
on an occasional jaunt into the Sier-
ras over the line In Nevada. But be
had Eeen promising himself that the
first time he got the chance he would
extend his sphere and get more inti-
mat, acquaintance with nature In the
open In the states east OF the San
Joaquin Valley and the Siskiyou range
Of hills.
The chance came this year. and Mr..
Thompson took Trixie and Dixie, his
pair Of Canadian ponies, into his con.
fidence. told them he was going to
take them on q long hike to New
York city and started to rig out and
equip HIS buggy so as TO make II look
like one OF the prairie schooners that
western pioneers piloted over the
plains when Indians and buffalo were
the overlcrds Of the country where
the Rocky mountains stand as senti
nels.
II have had q great time" said Mr..
Thompson yesterday. and would not
have missed the experience for a
whole lot. You see, I have always
been passionately fond of life in the
open. and every chance got took
out my camping OUTFIT. books. gun and
fshirg equipment and went away an
far from civilization as I con.d. But
somehow or other I never did ret far
enough away from my home city.
Every year I got hungrier to see the
middle west and eastern country In my
own way. Last March I finally could
not stand the wanderlust any longer,
30 I fixed up and started on March 10.
/ carried along only Just what was
absolutely necessary for my conven-
ience on the road. I.had cupboard
to hold my provisions, a place In 1t
for books. my tent poles and canvas
were strapped underneath to the body
of the buggy. and folding cot tied
to the side.
'T slept In my tent the greater part
OF the time. We went through the
San Joaquin Valley In California.
then over the Siskiyou rance into Ore
gon to Portland, and then along the
Columbia river east into Idaho. There
Is some splendid scenery in the Snake
river country OF Idaho.
I'VE made complete circle OF Yel-
lowstone Park. going out on the north
at Gardener and into Montana. fol-
lowed the course Of the Yellowstone
river into Wyoming and spent three
days on the Crow Indian reservation
In South Dakota. From there came
through Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois,
skirting the shore OF Lake Michigan
and taking I'm Cleveland, Buffalo.
Rochester and Albany on my way to
New York city. 1t was dandy trip
In every way. I never felt better In
my life and the ponies are as hard as
nails. propose to take them back
by WY Of Washington and the south
ern States after they have seen some
thing OF New York city"
Mr.. Thompson said he observed
union hours during the journey. He
usually started at z a. m. and drove
until IL. then fed and rested the
ponies until /, then drove on again for
another four hours.
For the eight hours q day OF actual
driving we averaged 80 miles q day.
day and our highest mark was 36
miles. We always rested on Sunday.
The most serious II not the only incon.
venience we suffered was when We
had to travel over 40 miles In the Mo-
have desert without our usual supply
OF water. had filed a canvas hag
with water before we entered the
desert, but found It was necessary, In
order to conserve the supply. to make
a dry camp that night. The ponies
did not get their usual supply of water
end felt some worry on their ac-
count. However. was lucky enough
to strike water the next afternoon"
Mr.. Thompson has the shoes with