Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-04-01
Race With a Bull.

ASNNC VIII y Ou1h
Some forty years ago, the mana
|gers Of race course near Browns
vile, on the Monongahela, pub
lished notice Of a race, one mile
heats, on a particular day, for a.
purse of 500; Stree for anything
with legs and hair on. ? A man in
the neighborhood, named Hays.
had bull that he was in the hab-
lit Of riding|to mill with his bag Of
corn, and he determined to enter
him for the race. He said nothing
about it to any one; but he rode
him round the track a number OF
times, on several moonlight nights,
until the bull had the hang of the
ground pretty well, and would keep
the right course. He rode with
spurs, which the bull considered
particularly disagreeable; so much
that he alw avs beloved when they
were applied to his sides.
On the morning of the race,
Hays came upon tile ground ''on
horseback ON his bull. Instead
of a saddle, he had dried OK hide,
the head part Of which, with The
horns still On, he had placed on the
bull's rump. He carried sh prt
horn in his hand. He rode TO the
j udges' stand, and offered to entel
his bull for the race; but the own ers
of the horses that were entered pb-
IjecteG. Hays appealed TO the ter ms
of notice: insisting that his bull bad
l''four legs and hair on" and thai
4 therefore he had a right to en- tel
him. After good deal of 'cus$in
and discus SIM the judges declared
themselves compelled to dec dt
that the bull had a right to run: an(
was entered accordingly.
/ When the time for starting ar
rived, the bull and the horses tool
their pla ces The horse-rad er!
fwere ont oY humor at being both
cred with the bull, and at the bur
lesque which they supposed was in
tended, but thought that it would al
be over as soon as the horses start
ed. When the signal was given
they did start. Hays gave bias
with his hern and sunk his spur.
| into the sides of the bull Wh'
bounded off with a terrible bawl
at no trilling speed, the dried OK
J hide Tapping up and down, ant
rattlipg at every jump making
f combination of noises that had nd We
been heard on a race course Def pre
r The horses all flew the track, ever
one seeming to be seized with
, sudden determination to take tn
, shortest Gut to get out of the Red
stone cou ntry and not one of then
E could be brought back in time t
$ save their distance. The purse wa
/; given to Hays, under a great Aes
1 Of hard wearing on The part of tn
ow ners Of the horses.
A general row ensued; but the fu
OF the thing put the crowd all o
{, the side Of the bull. The nd rst
/, men ccntended they were swine le
= out of their purse, and that if it ha
2 mot been for Hays horn and OK b Tide
7 which he ought not to have b ee
permitted TO bring upon the groline
$ the thing would not have tur ne
out as it did. Upon this Hays toll
: them that his bull could beat an
of their horses any how, and if the
: would put up hundred dollar
. against the purse he had won, b
would Ike off the ox-hide, hh
leave his tin horn, and run a fai
t race with them. His offer was ac
cepted and the money staked.
They again took their places q
the starting post and the signal wa
given. Hays gave the bull anothe
touch with his spur, and the bal
gave a tremendous below. Th,
horses remembering the dreadful
sound, thought all the rest was com
ing as before Away they we n
again in spite Of all the exertions o
their. riders while Hays galloped biz
bull around the track again an(
won the money. i
THE ROoT OF THE EyII..-Thf