Volume 9 Article 6 Issue 3 Spring

3-15-1990 Comrade, A Pony Claris Robinson

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Recommended Citation Robinson, Claris (1990) "Comrade, A Pony," Westview: Vol. 9 : Iss. 3 , Article 6. Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/westview/vol9/iss3/6

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My father’s name was Henry, (CLARIS ROBINSON was bom COMRADE, and my uncle's name was Jake. in Weatherford in 1906. It was at Jake bought me a buggy. I had her family residence that Mrs. A PONY sent subscriptions from Kansas Holliman as a girl left Comrade before I came to Oklahoma and during school hours. Mrs. as told by Helena Robinson has Jive children and Bergman Holliman to the money to Jake. He bought me a small buggy and harness seventeen grandchildren and Claris Robinson (he may have made the great grandchildren. Her Interest harness). are many: she's a writer, an artist, T h e first prize for taking a We lived Just two miles from gardener, and a spectator at newspaper subscription was a town. I would drive Comrade, several Weatherford events, horse, saddle, bridle, buggy, leaving home about 8:00 and including SOSU theater and harness. I won second prize then paid to put my pony in a productions.) consisting of a Shetland pony, shed at the Clarks' place across bridle, and saddle. 1 don't from the school. remember the name of the I would bring feed, hay or newspaper; I was nine years old fodder, for Comrade and my and living in Minneola, lunch too. I would unharness Kansas. my pony so he would be in a dry Comrade, my pony, already place and out of the wind, and I had that name when I got him. would put the buggy into the He came in a crate in the shed. When school was out, 1 baggage car on a passenger would water and harness train from Minnesota. He had Comrade, hitch him to the very long hair of a beautiful buggy, and drive home. black color in the winter and When 1 first started hitching very short hair in the summer. Comrade to the buggy, he was 1 was bom a mile north and afraid of cars; I would have to one-fourth of a mile east of whip him to get him to pass the Kom (that's’s the way Com was cars. But he soon got used to spelled then; it was changed them. when the United States entered Until I finished the eighth World War I in 1916). When 1 grade in 1919, I continued to was five years old, my family ride in my buggy. Later, many moved to Kansas in a covered classmates told me how wagon, and we lived in Western envious they were of a little girl Kansas where my dad who had a beautiful Shetland homesteaded. The closest town pony to pull her carriage to was Lakin, which had a post school. office and a grocery store. The When the harvest hands were largest town near us was here, they would try to ride Syracuse. Comrade; but I was the only one And in 1915, when I was whom Comrade would let ride eleven, my family wanted to him. He always bucked off move back to Oklahoma; in other people, especially adults. fact, my father wanted me to Those good days came to an ride Comrade all the way into end, however. We traded Oklahoma. When I got tired of Comrade to Jake for a touring riding my pony, 1 would ride for car. I didn't want to part with a while in the covered wagon. him. Later, Jake sold him but Now I wish I had stayed on never could collect the money. Comrade so I could say, "I rode So he took Comrade back and my Comrade all the way into put him out to pasture, where Oklahoma!" he eventually died. ^

4 Westview, Spring 1990