Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1859-11-24
Sam HAYES and his Bull Race.

Some forty years ago the managers of ;
race course near Brownville, ON the Monon
gahela, published notice of race, one mill
heats, on particular day, for purse of ont
hundred dollars; ...free for aaything eiih fou'
legs and hair on r
A man in the neighborhood named Hayes
had bull that he was in the habit of riding
to mill with his bag of corn, and he deter
mined to enter him for the race. He snit
nothing about 1t to any one, but he rode hin
around the track for number of times on
several moonlight nights, until the bull hat
the hang of the ground pretty well, mt
would keep the right course. he rode with
spurs which the bull considered particular,
dsagreeable, 80 much so, that he always bel
lowed loudly when they were applied to hi
sides
On the morning Of the race, Hayes cam,
upon the ground on horseback ON his bull
Instead Of saddle he had dried OK hide
the head part Of which with the horns still
on, he had placed on the bulls rump. lie
carried a short tin horn in his hand. lie rode
| to the Judges stand and offered to enter hi,
bull for the race, but the owners Of the hor-
ses that were entered objected. Hayes ap-
pealed to the terms Of the notice, insisting
that his bull had -four legs and hair on,
and that, therefore, he had right to entei
| him. After good deal of ''cussin' anC
''discussin,' the judges declared themselve'
compelled to decide that the bull had the
| right to run.
When the time for starting had arrived thu
horses took their places. The horse-raccr
were ont of humor at being bothered with tn,
| II,l or tbp I'm rla hot
was intended but thought that all would b,
over as soon as the horses started. When tn,
signal was given they did start Hayes CAV,
II blast with his horn and sunk his spurs int,
the bulls sides. @hu bounded off with ter
iiblc bawl at no trfing speed, the dried OK
hide tapping up and down, and Iattling a
every jump, making a combination of noise
that had never been heard on race cours
before. The horses Ill flew the track, ever,
one seemed to be seized with d sudden deter
nnation to take the shortest cut to get on
of the Redstone country, and not one of then
could be brought back il. time to save thci
distance. The purse was given to Hayes TN
der II great deal Of hard swearing on the par
of the owners of the ho,ses. \ general ROY
en- ucd. but the fun of the thing put the GROVE
all on the side of the bull The horsemel
contcndcd that they We're swindled ont Of I'll
purse, and that if it had not been for Hayes
horn and ox-hide, which he ought not t.
have been permitted TO bring on the ground
the thing would not have turned out as it did
Upon this, Hayes told them that his bul
coald beat any OF their horses any how, am
il they'd pat: up a hundred dollars agains
the purse which he had won, he would taxi
off the ox-hile, leave his tin horn, and run I
fair race with them. His offer was accepted
and the money staked They again tool
their places at the starting post, and the sig
nal was given. Hayes gave the bull snothe
touch with his spur, and the bull gave anoth
cr tremendous below. The horses remeni
lered tho terrible sound and thought all til
rest was coming as before. Away they wei
again, in spite Of all the eyertions of thc
riders, while Hayes gallopcd his bull aroun
the track again and won the money. Fror
that time they nich-namcd him Sham llayc!
He afterwards moved to Ohio, but his nick
name ever after stuck to him.