Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MrJamesWalker,popularlyknownasJimmyWalker,receivedmeattheCityHallanddid
me the great honour of presenting me with the New York City Medal, the Argentine Ambas-
sador, Dr Malbran, and other personages being present during the simple ceremony. Although
opposed to anything in the show line, I dressed up in the traditional costume of a gaucho for
the occasion, and Mancha wore the most gorgeous ancient trappings that have probably ever
beenseen inNewYork.These things hadbeenespecially sent tomebyacollector ofantiques
in Buenos Aires.
After a short chat with the lively and extremely witty mayor, and when I had presented
him with a set of bolas , some mounted policemen and a few friends in cars escorted me all
the way down Broadway and Fifth Avenue until we reached Central Park, where Mancha was
stabled.WhilstthisseeminglyinterminableridelastedImusthavebeenthemostembarrassed
and unhappy man, for there is nothing I dislike more than being stared at. I wished that the
skyscrapers would fall down and bury me, or that the ground would open and swallow us.
Mancha behaved splendidly all the way, and even seemed to take an interest in the strange
surroundings.
If any city in the world knows how to entertain it is certainly New York, and I had my full
share of it, and even Mancha was shifted from one place to another, according to where his
presence was required. After I had been back by rail to St. Louis to fetch Gato, both horses
spent ten days at Madison Square Gardens, where they were on exhibition during the Interna-
tional Horse Show.
Later I returned to Washington, where President Coolidge did me the honour of receiving
me in his office at the 'White House.' The audience was fixed for 10.30 a.m., and on the tick
oftheclockthosewhoweretopresentmeandmyselfwereusheredintothePresident'soffice.
In spite of the solemnity of the moment I could not help comparing this punctuality with the
kind we are accustomed to in Latin America! The President was sitting at his desk and rose as
weentered.Hestruckmebyhissimplicityofmannerandfreeandeasywayofcarryingonthe
conversation which chiefly centred around the proposed Pan-American Railway and the topo-
graphyofthecountriesIhadriddenthrough.BeforeweretiredthePresidentcongratulatedme
on our success, and, after having presented him with a small gift in the name of the Retired
ArmyandNavyOfficers'ClubofArgentina,Idepartedhighlyimpressedandinwardlyproud.
TheNationalGeographicSocietydidmethegreathonourofgivingmetheprivilegeofde-
liveringtheopeninglecturetothesocietyinWashingtoninthecityauditorium,andalthoughI
fully appreciated so great a recognition, I felt like a mere atom when I stood before the micro-
phones, making great efforts to describe our whole voyage in less than one hour, which is the
regulation time given for a lecture. Judging by the applause at the end of my talk, I came to
theconclusionthatIhadsucceededininterestingthelargeaudience,orelsethattheAmerican
public is very lenient when it sees a man making a desperate effort.
Possibly this lecture was instrumental in saving mine and the horses' lives, for I had con-
templated booking a passage on the ill-fated Vestris , and thanks to the delay I had to put off
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