Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1915-09-16
How Jimmie
Kept His Horse
By F. A. Mitchell

i ---N-
ne Is like brothers"
"Bnt we can't starve. and the horse
Is all there Is left"
Jim and his mother lived IN a
new town on the bank Of 10, 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
pretlisposition to horse1esh. Some one
hid given him Il colt. which he had
traded for d mare, and after q number
of other trades Ginger. the apple OF
Jim's eye. was acquired.
Jim left bis mother and went out
to the river bank. exceedingly sor.
rowful. The mighty stream rolled ff'
ty feet below. Jim was so disconso-
late that he thought Of ending bis
troubles by jumping into the water.
But 1t couldn't end them, because he
could swim like q duck and was sure
that when It came to drowning ne
would paddle ashore.
Anyway he was orrosed to the Jump
without taking Cling 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 a daring feat. If he announced his
intention Of doing SO what crowd
I 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
30 cents to see the show. That would
| be $1,5OO. Ginger wouldn't bring more
than $3.50 at most.
What an idea!
Having got into Jlm's head, he
couldn't get It 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
70. The experiment for awhile full,
ed, but so great was the animars con-
Hdence 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
| " under the handkerchief
BY this time the idea had bloomed ir
the boys brain. The bluff 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 o matter Of nerve.
One day Jim appeared in pool room
and showed q paper under the nose o1
the proprietor. 1t contained q state
ment that Jim Hawkins proposed FOL
$1,000 to Jump on his horse Ginger Oh
the bank into the river In front OF the
town. The proprietor looked at jim
as II making a mental estimate Tor his
coffin, then, taking up pen, signed fol
s25. Jim left the place with subscrip
tIons for over 5000. and before night
the whole amount had been subscribed
It was stipulated that the money was
to be placed In the hands Of Mr.. Jones
to be paid to Jim's mother. for 1t was
not considered probable that Jim Woule
come out Of the stunt alive.
The only person In Jones City whf
did not know Of the approaching enter
tainment was Jim's mother. and he nae
persuaded her to visit her sister OF
the day It was to take place. The ap
proach to the jumping point was ropee
of to keep back the crowd on eithel
side, and every one had been caution
ed to do no shouting till after the leap
lest It should cause the horse to balk.
At 8 o'clock in the afternoon Jim
wearing his birthday suit and a pai
Of spurs, mounted Ginger bareback
the only equipment being bride. jim
was a trihe pale. but his mouth indi
Gated resolution. The handkerchie
was tied carefully over the horses
eyes, and Jim role him back ant
forth for awhile US a preparator.
measure. Finally lie took position
about hundred yards from the bank
A number Of persons crowded arount
him to bid him goodby. and when the.
were put back behind the ropes Jim
at the signal Of pistol shot. CAV
Ginger the word.
By the time they reached the edg
Of the bank the horse was loping. ant
at the right moment Jim lifted hin
with the bride and gave him the spurs
He cleared the bank. and down. down
down went rider and horse. Jim cling
Ing to the horses name. Ginger paw
ing the ar.
Every man. woman and child rush
ed to the There was a -whirLl o