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Suey Zy 04 p DY Intelligencer a Had her mother not died the year before, had her older sister not hurt her ankle, aroused and ae her father not \~) ie) Ss i Fece.ae eee and propelled’Gwen to the fore with a broken ankle. _ “If my mother had been alive at that time she would ee never oe te go. My older sister said I couldn’t go poner to reconstruct the details o' Sock aaveatake 80 years ago. JA eave the area resident recounted, had lent her his former cavalry horse named Tip which she had to go and bring it in herself from a rural farm about eight kilo- metres out of town. “{t took me a good two hours to bring Tip in,” she Ata benefit concert held at the Griffin's Opera House weie4 in Belleville, a total of $102.65 was raised to sponsor Lazier's trip, an amount that, as she discovered as she oy needed. Dressed in her sister’s riding cloth ts and carrying with her her brother's incoat ‘her father 's derby hat, a shawl, a dress, pair of slippers and changes of underwear topped with a small Colt revolver, Lazier headed out on her adventure at 3 p.m. on April 24, 1924. Her route was planned ahead and the trip took her igh Shannonville, Napanee, Kingston and the cross- ing at Cape Vincent, passing through Watertown, Utica, Schenectady, Albany, Renesselaer, Rhinebe Poughkeepsie, Peekskill, Yonkers, New. York City, Newark, their eo “officials offered me meals and a place to stay,” recalled Braidwood. from the two incidents where she had to an thrown to the ground when a car in New York side- 8 e ss ° 4 g eH 5 eee = dren er on. On May 30, thirty-six days after she foees she Wi on and stayed overnight at Ral Hotel where she met with pponee and according to. her logbook, went out for dinner with one of nent e next ie May 31, took her to the lawns behind th White House where she met President Coolidge anil handed to him the official invitation from the Mayor of Belleville. “He seemed very friendly. He Eun ned a book I had with me,” said Braidwood. Tip made sure even the President of ‘the United States pay his respects to his friend when he removed with his teeth the hat the president was still wearing at the ime he met Lazier. At the White House, she recalled meeting a wer pe woman who was employed there as a member of the housekeeping staff. This coincidence got Lazier in to ier ext morning by she had to get back to Belleville in time for the U EL a ebrations. By time she had become fast friends with Tip oat she recalled wanting to see to his comfort on their way back home. “I paid a man $8 or $10 not to crate Tip. Only later I he so cross to learn that he was crated and was kept the trip, about 48 hours. Poor hing collapsed sale we bee here. He was okay but I they hadn’t ed him,” said Braidwood, shak- ing her head with pemenbered indignation. Her mission complete, she recalled giving Tip back to his owner. The only time she saw him again was five years later when she went to visit him at the farm. “I called out to him and he still recognized me after b those years,” she chuckled. But that was it. Following he she never went noel back riding again. So, what really made Braidwood take on such a mission as a young woman? Her ninety-nine-year-old voice answered, “I was 18 then and that was my idea of fun.” You can reach Benzie Sangma at bsangma@cogeco.ca