"His fastest recorded time was when in 1862, in England, he ran ten miles in fifty-two minutes. This time, he claimed, was never beaten, though it is said an Englishman named Cummings, in 1885, did the distance a trifle under this figure. But he was certainly never beaten in a race."
TIGER TAIL, THE SEMINOLE CHIEF, AND THE PLATE-GLASS WINDOW.
Mr. C. 0. Livingston had an ambition to have the first plate-glass front in the Everglades. So when his brick block in West Palm Beach was nearing completion he made a special trip down from Jacksonville and personally superintended the placing of the polished plates in the frames. They were of large size and reached nearly to the level of the sidewalk. He was standing outside with his chest in the air, swelled with gratified ambition, admiring the crystal sheets, when along came Tiger-Tail, big chief of the once powerful but now fast disappearing Seminoles.
When his foot treads his native heath Tiger-Tail scorns to hide his noble form with any of the habiliments affected by his civilized brethren, but he has a white shirt hung up in his wigwam, which was given him by a commercial drummer in the early 70s and which he was wont to don when he made his monthly pilgrimages to Palm Beach for "fire-water," "fire-powder" and lead. He was thus attired when he walked up to Mr. Livingston and exchanged "Hows."
This was a good opportunity for the proud builder to impress the savage red man with the march of civilization, so he pointed out the building to Tiger-Tail, calling his particular attention to the plate-glass front.
Tiger-Tail looked at the polished surfaces, but his unpracticed eye could see nothing except openings in the front windows.
He walked up close, and thinking to get a better view, he tried to step through the window inside. His Roman nose came in contact with the glass, which surprised him very much. He rubbed his nose, gave a grunt and looked hard at the window, and still, not seeing any reason why he could not step inside, made a second essay. He bumped his nose harder this time, which caused Mr. Livingston to laugh long and loud.
Now the Indian is essentially a man of action and without emotions. Without the least sign of anger visible in his face, Tiger-Tail backed away to the edge of the sidewalk, picked up a scantling and went for that plate-glass front—the first in the Everglades—and before the owner could protest there wasn't a piece left big enough for a paper-weight.
Mr. Livingston stormed and cursed, but the big chief, adjusting his shirt, and explaining the whole matter by uttering the single word "Huh!" continued his search for more mysteries to unravel.