The Story of Astrup and His Sudden Demise As judged by his performances' in public, Astrup was nothing wonderful in the way of China ponies, and, indeed, had he been less fortunate than to come into the ownership of the benevolent Mrs "Omekrik," he almost certainly would have had an early introduetion to the sale-ring, with a note in the catalogue that he was perly sound and "should make" a lass polo pony or paperhunter—according to the season at the time of sale, Yet there was something about Astrup that attracted sporting men to him. As griffin, he was one of those about, whom each man said to his best friend:—"Don't tell anyone on your life, but just watch him! He's the Derby one for sure!" Astrup sad~ ly disappointed, but there came a time, not so very many.months ago, when he pulled off a mighty vamp, and all the "Omekrik" family and their retainers petted Astrup an hundredfold more, Poor Astrup has now gone to the fat pastures which one hopes are reserved in the far beyond for good China ponies, The manner of his passing was tragic, but Astrup had been treated very kindly by humans and he has repaid them by dying in a way that gives them a warning to look out for themselves, Mr. "Omekrik" lives in the peaceful solitudes of rural Changwarpang, with a large slice of China under his domestic rule, and there the petted pony spent lengthy period! of perfect bliss, munching sweet, fresh grass, dozing in cool shade, and wondering why so many. humans spent so much time on small patch of grass cut down to nothing, constantly shouting:
bring another: and cold this Forty-love, Game and setts as of course it was bound to: bel"
The pony summered well in this heaven on earth and an early ramp was in prospect, for last week be ttled off an amazing 1% miles, at the end of which he was asking for more, but he was not destined for nother race course success, It was the practice to walk him to the CI.C. course every morning, for work there, and he was going off aay usual eatly on September 24. On the voad thave was @ sudden spurt of fine. x mad plunge by. Astrup, and then a heart-broken old mafoo, for Astrup was lying in the road, The cause was a Joint in one of the 6,000 volt mains running to the Chapel Water~ Works. There are mafoos who can appreciate ponies for something be-Yond their race course performances, and Astrup's chief servitor has been speechless. since the accident.
One wko should know declares that the high-voltage mains in the district are a serious danger to anyone using the road to Woosung. He says they are suspended in a slipshod way, and, as the other side of the road is invariably blocked by cinder heaps—that "much at least can be guaranteed, for the road is never free from them—thore no option but to pass under the wires, Tt is stated that it is the usual practice to have safety wires on every joint of all such cables, that they are used on the local telegraph companies' cables and also on those in the Settlement. Poor Astrup will have done well if his tragic death leads. to precautions for the safety of human beings.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.