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Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19564, 1 May 1935, Page 5

The "Livery” Stable. —Only a few years ago it was a common Sunday afternoon sight to see a rather depres-sed-looking gentleman on a brokendown racehorse leading a string of ponies on which were mounted children of various ages acquiring proficiency in ‘‘the art of horsemanship." Occasionally the spectacle was varied by the performance of a coterie of bouncing young women whose afternoon ride was made miserable by illbred youths whistling “Pop-Goes-t-he-Weasel" in exaspcratirigly accurate time with the movements of the horse. But apparently the custom is gone for ever. Two New Plymouth people who wished to hire hacks for an afternoon yesterday spent a fruitless two hours in search for the vanished livery stable man. Reduced at last to inquiring from training stables by telephone, they were met with the almos't Invariable reply that backs were “pretty well unheard of these days, but why not try Mr So-and-so?" The quest was abandoned when the last trainer said: “Hacks! What do you \vant hacks for?" ‘‘Just for a ride," was the reply. “Where to." “Oh, just a ride —anywhere." “You •mean you just want to ride ’em?" was the final inquiry of the puzzled trainer. “Yes," was the meek reply. “Orhh!” said the trainer in disgust—and hung up.