The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-11-28
Sporting Intelligence.


ALBANY, Nov. 25, ls47
The sporting world has been In q stew for the Last
month The intelligence that Smoke the Csttsraugu.
Indian warrior and the great "steeprock of the Tons
wanda tribe, to contend In foot race Of ten m,s.
for purse OF $500, created tremendous sensation
among the sporting gentlemen The place selected for
this great struggle between two Indians who entertain
the most nveterste hostility towards each other was
tne pus head Course near this delsctable town and
the Time toosy at three o'clock During the three past
weeks Immense sums have been stakcd upon stiue',-
every sporting clique had their favorits and they
we're NOT slow in backing him. The extraordinary
s'nie maze by Steepr0ck upon the Beacon Course
Ia ms race with the Englishmen, OresnhaIgh and
t.nisoW, ana the American, Giderrleeve, induced
DIS friends to back him. In instances at long odds
h piles were staked upon him with the greatest free
Ro,o ne recent remarkable performances Of Smoke at
was backed against the field for few cool thousands
Two other Indians Of doubtful reputation as runners
were also pltted In this struggle These Cooper
COY OF the Tonswanda tribe Of only seventeen years Of
age ana sptague, Cattaraugus Indian. These four
Yesterday deuge Of rain flooded the course Il con-
nued 10 come down in torrents hours the mark
num- OF the small circle who had laid out heavy
Tune Many bets were made that the ten miles would
ns performed in fifty eight minutes and few made
that ~ would be performed within the hour
During the early part of to-day thousands
vending their way to the track the tokens of severe
Storm which were perceptibe in the sky could not less
Sen the anxiety Of the people to witness this contest
The road to the track was completely filed with eques-
.rans pedestrians sanhope. butchers carts tiburiss
village, and every sort of machine in which loco
motion could be made, wa: brought into requisi.
the track at little before three pollock which was the
hour selected for the start An examination of the
complished Within the hour; the mud In several places
was ankle deep, and the Indians compelled to
directly through It, the track also covered with
pools Of water it in iactn miserable condition and
regretted to that nothing had been done to put
even in toerable order.
Upon the judges stand we noticed Eli ali simmons
Esq gentleman always dsposed to patronse the sports
ofthe turf Among the thousands who present.
sso noticed number of Senators and members Of the
Assembly, who evidently felt that they duly cele-
bang the day set apart by the Governor fer thanks
At three O'Clock precisely the bugls sounded and the
four Indians stripped to the waist made their appear
ance at the starting post AZ the East IL Is customary
bered Smoke was bare to the waist-he wore white
and elastic breeches, with moccasns He Ia man Of
immense physical power-his shoulders and chest
hercuean and his limbs perfecthe seemed logged
and sulen, and there were number present who re-
marked that he would win or die" Steeprock Is tall
and bony Indian, with immense lmbs-se also was
naked to the waist-his lower limbs were encased In
white breeches The boy Cooper was similarly habited
Sprague, the fourth wore red flannel pantsan
eagles feather hung from his scaplock, and his entire
dress was fantastic.
The Start.-The Indians were drawn up in line In
front of the judges stand and ct the word go they
went or at tremendous pace. It must be remembered
sprocl hoxsysr went in cnt at The
pole down the back stretch very small blanket might
have covered them all at the three quarter pole OBJ
served that Sprsgue outside the track to avoid
small pond of waterthe others dashng directly through
it. they reached the in lump, (steeprock three
yards in the second me Sprague one Of the Cattarau
gus Indians, seized with pain In his side, and
wSaS taking the Of the track into
was remarkably fine At the end OF the second mile the
boy Cooper was slightly in front with smoke banging
The running down the back aide on the third mile was
most beautiful The pace have never seen squaisd
particularly in mud Of four inches In depth when they
three hundred yards from the the hoy, Coo
per, who is STRIPPING tired and gave up the con-
test Smoke and Steeprock, inveterate rivals, alone
remsned Smoke reached the score at the end Of the
third mile ten yards In advance OF Steeprock; u
was performed In minutes 81 seconds They appeared
fresh ~ the start at the quarter pole In the fourth
mile, Smoke made a tremendous burst, and opened
gap Of three hundred yards between himself and Steep
easily and evidently only waiting upon his oppo
nent Smoke continued to widen this immense gap and
on the ms was rum in This position
maintained throughout the fifth mile which was run
in b. Both Indians were cheered as they reached the
score and both displayed uncommon metal They
entered upon the sixth mile Us vigorous, apparently
as when they started the sixth mile was run In
8 81. In the seventh mile the tremendous strides
of Smoke placed him at still farther distance from
Stesprock, and the chances Of the latter Indian
Only six minutes and fifteen seconds we're consumed in
running the seventh mile. Smoke had reached the first
brush as Il is termed BY gentlemen Of the turf he
began too sooD without doubt this Indian was under
isapprehsnsion and when he was running the eighth
mile he supposed he running the ninth mile This
fact perfectly clear; at the half In the eighth mile
his speed perfectly astonishing be was fast closing
the gap which Smoke had opened At the close OF the
eighth mile, which was rum In 6;l4 Smoke was only
eighty yards advance Away they went for the ninth
mile in this mile Steeprock reached dry spot Of about
quarter Of mile In extent whore the track was tole-
raby good along this dry spot he ran at flight
which have equslled in any trial. at the half
he had nearly overtaken Smoke In one mile and haf
Seeprock had closed up gap of three hundred yards
The last named Indian continued to about five yards
ecore; at the end of the ninth mile, Steeprock,
thinking that this the tenth mile, made burst and
reached the SCORE three yards ahead Of Smoke. On
reaching the SCORE Steeprock stopped and he seemed to
be little sstonished at the cry Of the judges to him
to "go on" He, however, started the tenth mile
The ninth mile run In 6:l3. During the tenth mile
they side and side until they reached the half when
Smoke went in front. Steeprocks chances were gone
his neglect to remember the number of miles hs had
lost him the race Smoke continued to widen the gap
and he reached the at the end Of the tenth mile
fifty yards in advance of Steeprock-thus winning the
purse The tenth mile in 605 1t Is said that
Steeprock going to another mile In the belief
that the race was not yet fnshed. He was however,
stopped.
REHABILITATION.
First mile. $3.50 Sixth mile. .6b7
Second ...... 500 Seventh" ..... .6l6
Third $4,000. 1851 Eighth ....... .6l4
Fourth ........ .5:6l Ninth ........ .6ia
rutn .o:oj Ientn .oOo
Thus it win be seen that ten miles were run In about
one hour over course in many places ANGLE deep In
mud Under the circumstances venture to say that 1t