Year: 1872

Mark Twain, the greatest living Amer
lean humorist, delivered lecture at the
opera house in ColuMb bus, on the even
ing Of the 9th Of Janusry. The subject
Of the lecture was "Roughing 1t, or
Several Years Life aad Travel in Neva-
da and Arizona" II was fund OF an
ecdotes and quaint descriptions Of Ari


zonian scenes and life, and such a feast


Of amusement and information as reVcr
before fell to our lot to enjoy. Among
more than a score Of laughable incidents
of personal adventure, he told Of .
"horss tradeH that he made while in
Carson City, and this is it:


Everybody rode on horseback in that
town. / never saw such magnificent
horsemanship as that displayed in Car
son street every day, and l did envy
them, though | was not much OF a
horseman But had soon learned to
tell g horse from 8 cow, and was burn
ing With impaticpce TO learn more.


was determined TO have horse snd
ride myself While this thought was
ranking in my mind, the auctiOneer
came securing through tn e plaza on a
black beast that was bumped and -
like a dromedary, and fearful homely-
He WAS going st twenty, twenty two
dollars for horse. saddle and bride"
A man standing near me-whom |
didn't know, but who turned ont to be
the auc,oneer's hyother-noticed the
wistful look in nv eye,snd observed that
that was remarkable horse to be going
at such a price, let alone the saddle and
bride said had half notion to bid


Now he save, ~ know that horse. |
know him well You are a stranger,
lake it You might think he is an Amer
lean horse, but he is not anything of the
kind He is y Mexican plug-that's s
what lie is-a genuine Mexican plug
but there was something else about that
mans way OF saying it, that made me
just determine that would own genu-
inc Mexican plug--if it took every cent
had And l ssid HAS he any other
advantages: :" lie hooked his ginger in
the pocket Of his army shirt, and led me
to one side and uttered: "Sh don't say
a word. He can out-buck any horse in
America he can out buck any horse in
the world just then the auctioneer
came along. Twenty four, twenty
four dollars FOR the horse, saddle and
bridle', l said: "Twenty-sevsn."- y
"S0ld'


took the genuine Mexican plug,paid
for him, put him in a livery stable, let
him get something to eat and get rested
and then in the afternoon brought him
out in the plaza, and some of the c.ti-
zens held him by the head, and Others
held him down to the earth by the tail,
and l got on him. And as soon as those
people let go he put all his feet tn a
bunch together, let his back sag down,
and then he arched it up suddenly, and
shot me one hundred and eighty yards,
and | came down again, straight down
and lighted in the saddle, and went up
again. And when | came down the next
time, l lit upon his neck, and seized him,
and slid back into the saddle, and held
on Then he raised himself stra ght in
the air on his hind feet, and stepped
around like member of Congress, and
then he came down and went up the
other way, an6 walked around on his
hands Just as school boy would. Then
he came down on all fours sgain with
the same old process of shooting ne up
in the air again, hut the third time !
went up, heard man say. "Oh, don't
he buck!" So that WAS "bucking." l
was very glad to lear it. Not that | was
enjoying it, but then l had been taking
a general sort Of interest in it, and had
naturally a desire to know what the
name Of it was. And while | was up
somebody hit the horse whack with q
strap, and when / got down again the
genuine bucker was gone.


at this point Of the interesting scene,
kind hearted stranger came to the
rider, and told him that he had been Ia
ken in, explained the mysterious tcrns,
and gave him the comforting inturma-
iton that anybody in town could have
told him all about the horse If he had in
quired.