Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-07-17
BRAKES GIVE WAY
ON STEEP GRADE


1t was a run for life. Two hundred
yards this side of the Lamoille sum-
NIT the brake broke.
1t was a moment Of great danger
The team Of eight horses, the driver
and sixteen thousands pounds of -four
started down the mountain on the dead
run.
1t all happened so suddenly. The
split end of the brake and had given
way. This threw the two loaded wag
ons on to the horses and away they
went on the gallop.
What was to be done? One has to
think quickly in such an emergency.
Could the team outrun the load to the
bottom of the grade a mile away?
Will Woodring was on the drivers
seat and had the lines taut when the
accident happened. He drives with
eight lines, line to each horse.
And the team was running away,
down a steep mountain. Would they
all pile up and be killed? Would the
wagon go off the grade and be dashed
TO pieces? Could he head the team up
the mountain at the turn $50 yards
away?
Woodring did not desert his charge.
He could have leaped and saved hinI-
self without taking chances. But he
said last night at the Mayer after it
was all over, Il think as much of those
horses as l do of myself" And he
stayed with his team.
That team is Tom and Jerry, the
wheelers; shorty and Mike are the
pointers; on the swing are Hawk and
jim; the leaders are Bird and Prince.
Every one is a young horse, not over
seven nor under four.
Ever since a year ago last May
Woodring has driven that team for
Arnett and Hanna the merchants ii:
Hylton. Each horse knew his driver
and abeyed him. Now was the SUI
preme test. 1t was a race for their
lives and every horse seemed to know
it. Each horse minded what was told
him.
About the second jump Hawk, the
near horse in the swing team, got his
right foot over the double tree of the
leaders. He seemed to know he didn't
belong there and struggled to free his
foot.
Hawk had to hop along on three legs
and hold up the double tree with the
other foot. And the team was run
ming away. The grade was getting
sleeper and every moment the speed
was increasing.
If they Strengthened the chain 1t
would throw the swing team and pile
up the whole outfit.
Woodring talked to those horses and
every horse semed to know. Tom and
Jerry laid back on their launches with
every ounce of their strength. But
they had to keep on going. Every
second the pressure from behind was
becoming greater.
The pointers are free except for
their traces. but Shorty and Mike
kept true to the road. If one had
turned aside 1t meant n wreck.
Could Woodring keep the team In
the road? There was a swerve In
the road just ahead before he got
to the big bend. Could he safely pass
this and hold the wagons on the
grade? II was an anxious moment.
And suppose at the bend he could
not turn the team up the mountain.
Woodrlng was doing his thinking
rapidly. If he couldn't turn up the
| mountain and got by the bend safely
he had planned to tie his lines and
go back to the brake on the trail
wagon. Beyond the bend was long
stretch of straight road. He could
trust the team to keep to this while
he set the brake on the trail.
Those horses knew. II was not
their first runaway, not the first time
they had been forced to run for their
lives. And horse does not forget.
Coming down the grade on the Skel
ton road the other side OF the Hot
springs last winter about New Years
the rough lock gave away. Woodrlng
applied the whip and outrun the wag
ons. He had on eighteen thousand
pounds OF barley. Every horse was
rough shod and kept his footing on
the icy grade a full half mile long
And the horses outrun the load and
saved their lives.
The present mishap was similar, but
Woodring did not apply the whip. He
was holding them back. He did not
dare throw Hawk In the swing team
The horses had run 900 yards. They
had reached the swerve or slight bend