The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-08-19
How Jimmie
Kept His Horse
BY F. A. Mitchell


the house. You've got to sell Ginger"
NAV, can't do it. That horse and
me is like brothers"
| But we can't starve. and the horse
is all there is left"
Jim and his mother lived In q
new town on the bank of the Missis-
sippi river The population was varie-
gated. excitable and believed in the
future Of the town. which was called
Jones City after its founder. Jim was
fifteen years old and born with a
predisposition to horseHesh. Some one
had given him q colt. which he had
traded for a mare, and after a number
OF other trades Ginger. the apple OF
Jim's eye was acquired.
Jim left his mother and went out
to the river bank, exceedingly sor-
rowful. The mighty stream rolled tif-
ty feet below. Jim was so disconso-
late that he thought OF ending his
troubles by jumping into the water.
But 1t couldn't end them. because he
could swim like duck and was sure
that when 1t came to drowning he
would paddle ashore.
Anyway he was opposed to the jump
without taking Ginger with him. Gin
ger would back. But he might blind
fold the horse and he would go over
without knowing 1t. The more the
boy thought Of the matter the stronger
grew In him desire to take that leap
on Ginger's back-not now for sui
cidal purposes. but because 1T would
be daring feat. II he announced his
intention Of doing so what q crowd
would collect to see the leap! Every
one in Jones City would turn out.
There were 5000 persons In the
town. Now, suppose every man. wo-
man and child could be made to pay
90 cents to see the show. That would
be $500, Ginger wouldn't bring more
than $3.50 at most.
What an idea!
Having got into Jim's head, he
couldn't get 1t out. 1t buzzed and siz-
zled. but 1t stuck. Jim thought he
would try to see what he could do with
Ginger blindfolded. He tied a hand
kerchief around the horses eyes,
mounted him and tried to make him
60. The experiment for awhile fall
ed. but so great was the animals con-
adence in his master that he soon be-
came reconciled to walking In the dark
while Jim guided him. Then he would
consent to trot slowly. And SO by de-
grees Jim got him to move quite rapid
ly under the handkerchief.
By this time the idea had bloomed In
the boys brain. The blur from which
he thought of jumping was perpendic-
ular and the water beneath it forty
feet deep. Jim considered the danger
to be that the horse In his struggle
might injure his rider. He didn't think
much Of any other danger 1t was en-
tirely matter OF nerve.
One day Jim appeared In pool room
and showed a paper under the nose of
the proprietor. IL contained a state
ment that Jim Hawkins proposed for
$1,000 to Jump on his horse Ginger off
the bank into the river In front Of the
town. The proprietor looked at Jim
as II making a mental estimate for his
coffin. then, taking up a pen. signed for
$25. Jim left the place with subscrip-
lions for over 500 and before night
the whole amount hsd been subscribed.
10 was stipulated that tho money was
to DO placed In the hands Of Mr.. Jones,
to be paid 10 Jim's mother. for u was
not considered probable that Jim would
come out Of the stunt alive
Tho only person IN Jones CITY who
aid not know Of thu approaching enter
tafnment was Jim's mother. and hs had
persuaded her 10 visit her sister on
the day u was TO take place. The ap-
preach TO the jumping point was roped |
or to keep back the crowd on either
side. and every one had been caution
ed to do no shouting till after the leap,
lest II should cause the horse to baik.
At 8 O'Clock in the afternoon Jim,
wearing his birthday suit and a pair
Of spurs, mounted Ginger bareback.
the only equipment being bride. Jim