Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-24
DICK GALLANT, NOBLE
STEED, TELLS OF HIS
LIFE AND EXPLOITS
Thoroughbred, 40 Years
Old, Remembers Blizzard
of '88 and Still Works
Hard Every Day of His
Life.

"B-r-r-r-r! Every time March IL comes
through. You know it was my first win
ter in Philadelphia and the first year l
ever saw snow. And let me tell YOU,
young fellow, that that blizzard back in
'SS, q years ago, was one grand little
snowfall. My ears are still frost-btten.
years old. That makes me 40 now. quite
n venerable old age for a horse, eh,
what?"
Thu spoke Dick Gallant thorough
bred, prophet of the Centaurs. Surely he
spoke, He Is the most sociable and
1t makes little difference whether YOU
call upon him in his throne room, in the
palace adjoining his Wallets hovel, at 2S73
East Victoria street or while he Is taking
his daily exercise pulling his keepers
peanut wagon through the streets of
Frankford. Mr.. Gallant will always have
time for at least half hours chat
Yes, yes. That was a great blizzard.
l remember that Market street fire 20
years ago, too. Come up little nearer,
my boy. Don't be bashful. You know l
better. When you get TO be my age your
eyes will go back on you bit. Let's
see, you can't be more than p or so. I'm
old enough to be your father"
And here he laughed at his little jest.
Then. sududenly becoming grave
But l want to tell you one thing
young man, I'm not old Why, unless
do my few miles a day l begin to worry.
can't stand idle, Here, look at my
feet. You see the hoofs are juust as good
as colts, and although rather rough,
they're mighty strong. Look at my teeth
I've got a full mouth, and can bite
through bushel measure without any
trouble. Yes, those two teeth you see
broken off knocked out when I ran into
q lamppost.
''It makes me laugh whenever I think
of it. The old man over here, who drives
me, was doing in the wagon when I
started off at n gallop all OF sudden.
Before he knew where he was at | had
gone half a mile and was just getting
my wind. This was only a few years
ago. Well, l ran into that lamp-p post,
broke the old rig and then galloped four
miles home
"I guess I'm the oldest in years of any
horse alive now. ] was born In Missouri
back in 1875. Some people say in October
of "A. l used to do lot of racing all
through those parts. Then when | was
IL my keeper swapped me to old Johnnie
Larkin. He's dead now; and the same
year he sold me to William Cliff for 500.
I've been with Cliff ever since, and I'm
just like one of the family. I play with
the boys and girls, and all that. Moth
ing up stage about me.
For more than 26 years ! pulled Cliffs
huckster wagon about town, doing from
5 to 20 miles q day. Then last year
he hitched me to this little peanut cart,
and I'm out every night from 6 TO l
o. clock In the morning. l go down to
town during the day sometimes, too. You
wouldn't believe 1t. but / can get to
I'd and Dock streets from Richmond and
Victoria before the car. and l make 1t
with n load. too.
"I haven't done much running In the
last few years, but five years ago I ran
in races at Bridgeton, Merchantville and
Pitman. n. j.; Milton. Del; Hatboro and
Point Breeze. About the same time /
beat Al Shrubb, the great English dis
tance runner, by two laps, or more than
five minutes, in a four-mile race at the
Central Park course. There We're 4S
laps In the whole thing. and l guess 1
covered about mile and a half more
than he did.
Call around some day when you're in
this nelghborhood. l guess you've got
all about me how. Glad to have met
you. And say, any time you need any
advice, why, just come around
and see me. Don't be bashful Good
luck u you, young fellow"