The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1917-07-07
How Jimmie
Kept His Horse
By F. A. mitchell

But we can't starvc. and the horse
is all there is left"
Jim and his mother lived in a
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 u
predispoSition to hOrsetleSh. Some one
had given him Il 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 inf
ty feet below. Jim was so disconso-
late that he thought of ending his
troubles by jumping into h water.
But it couldn't end them. because he
could swim like a duck and was sure
that when it 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 it. The more the
boy thought of the matter the stronger
grew in him a desire to take that leap
on Ginger's back-not now for sui.
cidal purposes, but because it would
be a daring feat. If he announced his
intention of doing so what a 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
so cents TO see the show. That would
than $50 at most.
What an idea!
Having got into Jim's head. he
couldn't get it out. 1t buzzed and siz-
zled. but it stuck. Jim thought lie
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
90. Tie experiment for awhile fail
ed. but SO great was the animaTs con
fidence 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 i'll
the boys brain. The bluff from which
, he thought of jumping was p%erpendic-
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 II matter of nerve.
One day jim appeared i'll Il pool room
and showed Il paper under the nose of
the proprietor. 1t contained IL 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 if making a mental estimate for his
coffin. then. taking up Il pen. signed FOR
so. Jim left the place with subscrip-
| tons for over 5000. and before night
the whole amount had been subscribed.
1t was stipulated that the money was
to be placed in the hands of Mr.. Jones.
to be paid to Jim's mother, for it was
not considered probable that Jim would
come out of the stunt alive.
The only person in Jones City who
did not know of the approaching enter
tainment was Jim's mother. and he had
persuaded her to visit her sister on
the day it was to take place. The ap-
,,.nnnh 70 fhn i1n1ninO nnint WAS rnnn1
off to keep back the crowd on either
side, and every II had been caution
ed to do no shouting till after the leap.
lest it should cause the horse to balk,
At 3 O'Clock in the afternoon Jim.
wearing his birthday suit and Il pair
of spurs. mounted Ginger bareback.
the only equipment being IL bride. Jim
was a trihe pale. but his mouth indi-
Gated resolution. The handkerchief
was tied carefully over the horses
eyes. and Jim rode him back and
forth for awhile rs a preparatory
measure. Finally he took Il position
about a hundred yards from the bank
A number of persons crowded around
him to bid him Oodby. and when they
were put back behind the ropes Jim.
at the signal of a pistol shot. gave
Ginger the word.
Rv the time they reached the edge
of the bank the horse was Looping. and
at the right moment Jim lifted him
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 air,
Every man. woman and child rush
ed 70 the bank. There was Il whirl or
waters where they struck, II after
what seemed an interminable time jim,
came up. swimming Justify. h horse
soon after appeared some twenty feet
frcm Jim. The handkerchief had been
arranged so that Jim could pull it off
,.L;lo l,tvaan tho hank. and tho wa