Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-07-07
HORSE IS Dying
OF BROKEN HEART
United States Trooper Who Rode
Him Loses His Lite
in Mexico.
REFUSES TO EAT OR DRINK
Animal Almost Kills Trooper Who
Tries to Take Place OF Former
Master-How the Drama
Came to Columbus.

Columbus, N. M.-There's o horse
In Columbus dying of q broken heart
He's sound in wind and limb, but he
won't eat or drink, and he's slowly
starving to death.
When the Tenth regiment of colored
troopers went into Mexico, Private
George Hudnell of Troop C rode him.
And when stables" sounded on the
bugle at the end of long, dusty hike.
Hudnell was by the side of his mount.
Hudnell cared for him as he might for
q child.
All the little intimacies that bind
man and animal together were pres
emit In an accumulated degree between
the two. Hudnell carried sugar in his
pocket. The horse nosed the pockets
three times a day. Hudnell went with
out tobacco many, many times that he
might buy from the troop cook the
sweets the animal loved. Nights when
1t showed in the Sierras, and Colonel
Dodd's cavalrymen. with one blanket
and orders against q fire, shivered
through the long hours, Hudnell slept
on the picket line close up against the
horses neck.
Other animals might kick and roll
and bite on the line, but Hudnells
horse was different.
Then, on March 20. came the first
brush between the Americans and
villa men. Hudnell and the horse
came through safely. But two days
later Hudnell was one of a dozen
troops injured when q Mexican rail-
road train rolled down an embank-
ment He died later.
Nearly Kills Trooper.
Hudnell's horse was assigned to an
other trooper, whose mount had been
killed at Guerrero. The new rider.
who knew how Hudnell treated the
horse. tried to follow suit. He carried
sugar in his pockets. The horse quit
eating sugar. One cold night the
trooper tried to sleep on the picket
line as Hudnell had done. The horse
rolled on him, and would have tram
pied him to death had not a stable
guard interfered in time to drag the
man away.
Hudnen's horse, formerly the ex-
ample of every other troop horse In
the outfit, became unmanageable.
At first the horse was to be shot. A
lieutenant pleaded with the. captain,
and the death verdict was withdrawn.
IF you can use him. take him." was
the answer.
So the horse was held until an am
bulance corps went northward. On q
halter, behind the jolting wagon. the
horse went north, too.
He's in the veterinarians corral now.
They try to make him eat. A nibble
or two of even the best oats. and the
horse stops. Sometimes negro troop
er approaches the corral. The horse
pricks up his ears and trots up. expec-
fancy in every move. But the ears
drop and the brisk gait stops. and
the thinning sides droop pitiably. The
horse doesn't make mistakes and Hud-
neN il gone.
"t'ye known of cavalry horses that
loved their riders" said the white
haired veterinarian. but never this
way. One of the officers believed that
to call the horse by name might bring
him around. But 1t seems that Hud-
nell used to call him Baby and we
don't seem to say 1t like he did,"
How the Drama Came to Columbus.
Theatrical records that will be
handed to poeterity should contain the
name of Young Joe" German. Young
Joe" has made q name for himself In
Columbus, and in the role Of tank
town Frohman has literally dragged
the drammer" into the border country.
Not only did Young Joe" build .
theater, but he imported perforated
tickets. and, above all. q company.
When the soldiers came. to Columbus
there was a lone movie show to en-
terrain them. It's hard to get good
pictures down here. So Young Joe"
German started musing.
"A girl show" he opined. would
make money here"
First a theater was needed. An
18-foot board stage. benches and some
corrugated iron slabs to fool the dead
heads" quickly settled that problem.
Lo! Columbus had an 'airdrome." with
the stars for roof.
Getting the talent proved more DIFF
ficult. But here Dame Fortune, that
capricious old damsel that continu-
ally smiles on her sons Of fortune.
came to the rescue.
A girl show" went broke in Ell Paso.
They managed to get to Deming. the
county seat, where they went still
broker. That made 1t fine for Joe.
With his limited capital. he lifted
the lien on the scenery and costumes.
loaded ten girls and four men OF the
defunct company on a motor truck and
started across the desert for Column
bus.
Now Young Joe" German is IN
fair way to make a fortune.