Daily national Democrat., 1861-07-03
A" funny game, at Midnight.


laughing themselves fat over the successful
termination of the best played dodge of the
racing calendar We should like to elaborate
what we have to tell, but short time and
spa.e compel us to brevity.
About four weeks ago, d. F. George, and
Ignatius Eckert, made a race as follows
The race was to be for ten miles, trotting, to
sulkles; stakes 81 900 a side, and horse
against horse, with forfeit Of $500. George
entered his gray horse Farmer, and Eckert
entered Jake Ricards bay horse Jack
Hayes" Forfeits were put up in the hands
of " Mac the Baker" end the Fourth of July
was agreed upon as the day for the race. The
horses were both put into process OF training
and dead earnest preparations were made Tor
the trial of epeed and bottom. Both sides
played the usual sharp game Of keeping their
horses condition a secret-had private tri-
ais. etc. Latterly, however, the hackers
Of Farmer began to grow a little weak
in the knees about their horse. He didn't
show condition TO suit them. The fact
is, George began to get sick as the time drew
near for the race TO come off Well, night
before last, while talking with some Of his
friends at the stable, George intimated that
he would like to have fast fac simile OF
"Farmer," to enter in the place Of that horse.
Ike Anderson, who was one Of the party,
proposed it. as good idea, that trial race
y 10 hat u;,,ht ,;th Erol | p,u'.
bay horse, " Billy Harrington" as proxy for
" Farmer" provided "Billy" could be SC
disguised as to deceive the Eckert crowd
whom they knew would be watching. "But
the devil of it s," said Ike, Farmer is a
gray, and Billy is a bay. and bay don't look
like gray, even by moonlight"
A bright and original idea struck Cap
Bailey, who was one of the conspirators.
johnny Chats Bailey's Christian name) sug
gested that they fit Billy TO a covering of a
mosquito bar, and then daub him up to
Farmers gray and dappled color. George
nipped the idea as a spring chicken would
grasshopper Johnny started home, pulled
the mosquito bar off his bed, told his wife
he was going to lend it to a sick friend, and
left for the scene of the dark and devilish
deed" namely, the Park Race Course.
In the meantime, Dick Bellows had driven
Billy out to the Park, and George had sent
out sundry emmissares TO make things look
suspicious and thereby to excite the vigilance
of Eckert d Co. In due time, Billy was
sewed up in tie "Ay trap" and by the artistic
hands Of Bailey converted into portrait of
the doughty Farmer" by being daubed in
the proper places with mud from sponge.
Billys bobtail was made into a parody of
Farmers sweeping appendage by we'll ar
ranged addition of the mosquito bar, and
"accoutred as he was he was led forth to the
course 1t was about one o'clock in the morn
ing when with George in the sulky, the
counterfeit Farmer was whizzed around the
track lie made his miles beautifully, in
3:0S, 3.07, 305, &c, and looked 10y the light
of the waning moon more like Farmer than
Farmer himself.
Just aa was expected, the enemy was on
hand to catch items. John Steele was down
on his belly sighting through knot hole.
Smith, the E street stable man was catching
cold up in tree. Dan Schooley was going
one eye on the race through a crack; and
Jake Ricard was taking time from stop
watch with dark lantern. They got it all,
you bet George drove Billy round six
miles and was satisfied with the trial
Now comes the grand blue light finale
Yesterday being the day appointed for com
ing up with the "spelter the additional
five hundred a side-and the bonds for the |
delivery of the horses, George, knowing that
Eckert had been posted about the tine
made by the bogus Farmer, and knowing
too that that time beat Jack Hayes all to
thunder, went with his kale and signifed his
readiness to ante. Eckerts man backed and
filed for minute or two and finally, more
in sorrow than in anger, paid forfeit and
threw up the sponge! That's all, barrin' the
whskey that was drank over it, and the
terse and truthful remark of Jake Ricard,
that anybody that thought that they could
time "A horse with dark lantern, at one
O'Clock at night and tell the difference be-
tween that musquto net horse and Farmer,
through a crack in fence, was id fool"
Nor TO COME OFF. The great ten mile race
between 'Farmer" and Jack Uays' is not to