Strident Steed Speeds

HAVER, NEILL, PETTY

Posted By: David W Sinclair (email)
Date: 3/2/2008 at 16:32:34

Old Mike" Exceeds the Speed Limit
Mike, Haver & Co's old delivery horse, who is a familiar character to almost everyone in town, while waiting in the street in front of a residence in the north part of town for the return of the delivery boy and no doubt becoming peeved at the long delay or thinking that if they were to make other deliveries before supper he would have to hurry, turned around and started for town, without asking any further questions and the nearer he arrived to the store the faster he was running, so by the time he reached the crossing at the north east corner of the square he was going some, and if "Dad" Neill, city marshal, had noticed him he would undoubtedly have been arrested for exceeding the speed limit. But Mike is a wiser old guy than his looks would indicate, and while he takes these buzzers occasionally, he is very careful not to hurt himself or do any damage to the rig. So it was the same in this case as in numerous others, he made the entire distance of about ¾ of a mile, making all the abrupt corners and sharp turns, without doing a particle of damage to himself or the wagon and when he reached the square deliberately turned to his accustomed hitching place at the rack opposite the store and stopped. It was not Mike's fault that he came near running over Paul Petty, who was coming around the square on a motor cycle at the time Mike turned to the rack. The boy should have known better than to have been in his way when he was in such a hurry. As it was he just merely brushed Paul off the machine without doing any damage to the boy or machine. Pete the little brown and white dog, who is an inseparable companion of the rig, tried his best to keep up with Mike on his fast trip back to town, but as he is not made along speedy lines arrived at the goal about a block behind the horse and the exertion and effort was so great that he has hardly quit panting yet.
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Lineville Tribune
Lineville, Wayne Co., IA
Austin and Austin, Publishers
March 29, 1917