Glacier County chief., 1940-10-25
LAUREL LAD ENDS
RIDE in NEW YORK
ELROY GILES, IS, COVERS $500
MILES IN 121
DAYS
Horsemen Bet He Would Turn Back
Before Reaching Miles City But He
Stuck Out Hardships to Reach His
Goal.

Laurels for the man from Laurel.
The boys who knew horse riding
for long distances in modern times
laid bets he'd be back before he
reached Miles City, but New York
saw him as he rode Shamrock, his
Arabian horse, down its man-made
canyons after completing a trip of
$500 miles through IL states in
121 Days. Elroy GILES, IS. is the
young man who made the trip.
Three years ago Giles began talk
ing to his family and friends about
driving covered wagon to New York
but no one seriously believed he would
try 1t. Last spring, when his plans
took definite shape, he decided horse
back would be the more feasible mode.
Dressed in colorful attire known by
fasteners as the wild west" the
brown-haired, blue-eyed youth, who
liked high school dramatics, left
Laurel May Is. He was mounted on
Shamrock, and was leading bay colt
as pack animal; Skeptics began plac-
ing 10 to l bets he would never make
the 167 miles to Miles City.
Reports soon came that Giles had
passed the North Dakota line. At
Mandan he met the first severe test
pose. His pack horse wrenched her
foreleg and would not respond to
treatment. Giles was forced to trans
Ter her burden to the 950-pound Sham
rock. Sadder still to a boy who loved
his horses, was the fact that Sham
rock missed his mate so much he re-
fused to eat for some time.
The second test came when a Man.
dan car dealer offered him a new
car in trade for Shamrock GILES had
raised the horse from a colt and he
was also highly conscious of the home
towns greeting of gutter" June II
he turned his back on the enticing
offer and headed toward his REMAND
ing 1900 miles.
Gains Attention
the rowing cowboy" began attract
ing the attention of newspaper men
and he was frequently interviewed.
In larger cities, papers noted young
to meet the Montanan.
Elroy kept his Laurel relatives post
ed on his schedule by sending them
road maps marked with the date and
tlme OF his arrival and departure from
the various cities on his itinerary. Dis
played in the windows of the Van
Nice studio was map showing his
route following highway 10 That his
trip was carefully planned was at
tested to by the fact that he CON
SlStently kept three days ahead of
his planned route.
1nrough clustering July and August
days, when the thermometer scared
week of rain, GILES pushed on, aver
aging about IS miles a day.
Giles made many interesting con-
LactS, among them being E. G. (Jackl
prouty, formerly of Wyoming, who
April !. 1910, left Hoboken, N. j.. and
rode horseback to Pasadena, Calf,
records a similar ride by Ezra Meeker
VINO IN 1852 made trip from Seattle
months
In western states GILES said ranch
erS were more hospitable than city
folks but as he proceeded east he
Il can always tell when I meet some
one from the west. It's written all
over them and generosity is bred in
them" 49,
Sold Photos
GILES financed his trip by sale of
autographed pictures and at times
the going was tough At one time he
said he Travelled four days on IS cents
He never rode on Sunday using that
day to rest his horse and do his
laundry.
To horse lovers of the west. Sham
rocks history is interesting. He was
born pinto but when a yearling he
ioSI ILLS SpoLS. he Is beautiful white
now, showing his Arabian heritage
strongly. He has stood up well under
his gruelling ride and only once, at
Columbia City. Ind, when his right
foreleg. stiffened, did GILES have to
give his mount additional rest.
:, What to do about the horse now
that he has reached Fifth avenue still
puzzles Elroy, but he declares "things
will work out all right. People have
said should sell him but I never
could do that. not after I raised him
and he took me all this way. / hope
him back"
OF the advantages of taking such
a trip by horseback, he says: II
passed several cars on the way. You
see I get no flats, burn no gas or oil
and when I go up steep hill my
horse doesn't boil"
Giles is a native of Montana. He
Is the son of the late Joseph L. GILES
and Mrs. Cora Giles During his high
school years he took an active part
IN dramatics and was a member of
the Future Farmers of America. He
plans to operate his mothers cattle
ranch south of Laurel.
Peeled apples can be kept by i'm
mersing in salt water until used.