Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1854-11-07

just sbout tho high, Of the race, the
rope that protected the entrance TO the
ring was owered, one OF the ugliest spe.
cimens Of the horse kind that | had ever
seen entered the ring. He was Of dun
color, one.sided, loosely built, ri ng bon.
ed and spawned. His driver, an old
man. with short grey bead, was cloth.
ed in a rushy suit Of grey, with a seal.
skin cap, and was seated in an old un.
painted sulkey, with bundle Of straw
benesth the seat, from which an old rus.
~ umbrella pro,ruded.
Al his very entrance he was greeted
with shouts oftake him out, ''move him,
'wo. o.haw,' and other de risive shouts that
sho howed he WAS setting Gut under the
most unfavorable circumstances.
Almost at the start he had been over
taken by the finer horses who had been
the favortes and as they came up 10 the
old don The leaders OF the race called out
TO the driver to get out Of the way. Af.
ter few awkward efforts he did try to
do so, but il was after a manner little
expected, for the old horse shook his
90 re- and began to strike out an awful
pace, and the blooded horses began TO
feel the need Of trying their bottoms
Away they went, and BY the time they
came round TO The starting place, the old
dun was considerable in advance. The
faster he went the uslier he looked, and
his gait was SO awkward that the crowd
roared with laughter. Away he went,
and away went the bloods in pursuit
The further the old dun went the ugier
he looked, and at every round he was
greeted with - Go ii old, clay bank
Old clay bank did go il, and the way he
went was a sin 10 Crockett By the
ffih or sixth round he had just gained the
length Of the track on his competitors
J and came up in their track like cane.
brake on fire. The excitement was now
intense, ard the roaring and believing
Of the crowd almost deafening.
The old dun never minded the crowd
a whit, but held himself down TO his
work, and as he came round again, he
t had passed two Of his rivals and was
} abreast Of the third.
go it old clsy.bank,' shouted the
spectators, and without whip or a word
from his driver he came up to the scratch.
By the time this round was finished there
. remained but one horse ahead Of him
fine, blooded gray considered by all
the best horse, in all points, on the
ground. AS they reached the entrance,
, the two norses were abreat, and the
grey eyed his opponent with a siding
l glance as he shambled along side ol
a him. The old man now reached down
behind him and drew the umbrella from
the sheaf Of straw beneath the seat, and
u to which it was fastened land with grea
o flourish over his head, brought it down
:. on the hip bones Of the old dun. 1t wa:
hard to tell which rat,Ied most, the UNI
u brolla or the bones Of old Clayban ; bu
from that momen, the race was at an end
: The gray was left far behind, and the old
u dun came up to the entrance at one o
p the most awkward. shambling, and ye
y swiflest PAGES that have ever seen, beat
ing his rival considerable distance, and
presenting within himself the uslies
piece of horse flesh that has ever beer
:, seen in this section Of country. It's need
;. less to say that old Claybank was tht
a favorite the balance Of The day.