The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1867-10-25
A RACE EXTRAORDINARY.

excited mOro than ordinary inIcreSL ~ "o0
between fast.trotting horse in harness and
a full.grown hog; single heat-distanco'
six English miles-for q wager Of l'ooo
guilders.
The circumstances which led to this
unique trial Of speed were as follows: At
a sporting club at the Hague young mem
Der Of the club expa,iated upon the beauty,
symmetry and extraordinary speed Of a
,ro,,iug horse he had that day purchased,
expressing an eager desire to get up q
match to prove the superior qualities of his
horse. A gentleman, engaged in hand at
car,ls, bur whose attention had been ut.
trnctsd by the ardent oud impassioned 70.
marks of the speaker, quietly remarked :
"Come. sir, don't 10 bragging so much
about the swittness Of your horse, for !
have hog which, for trifling wager, !
would not hesitate to run against him.
Peels Of laughter greeted this strange pro.
posal, to which-when partially subsidized
the owner OF "Gruniy" quietly interposed :
GWell, gentlemen, now challenge to run
my hog Nero against that gentleman's fast
uotter in harness, ono straight heat, six
English miles, for one thousand guilders a
side" aDone Done !" was the eager re-
sponse from many voices. "Provided,"
the challenger resumed, that the horse car
ry two persons, and that fourteen days time
10 allowed me for training my animal"
"Agreed! Agreed !" resoundsd all round /;
for the joke was deemed too good and too
novel to give it the go.by.
Preliminaries being satisfactorily arrang.
ed, and the stakes deposited, It was agreed
that the match should come off that day
fortnight at IL o'clock A. M. precisely and
the beautiful avenue leading from the
Hague to tho sea.shoro al Scheveningen
was selected as the course. The news Of
this extraordinary match for trial ofspced
between a fast.trotting hoso and full
grown porker spread like wld.fre, and
caused the most intense excitement, not
ulone in sporting circles, but among the
people generally-all eagcr to sec the fun.
The day was anxiously looked for, and tho
training of Nero began.
On the first day poor Nero was starved
strict orders having been given by his own.
or thar no one should feed him, himself
alone attending to that matter. On the sec.
ond day Nero was pretty shnrp set, when,
punctually ut II O'Clock, lis master made
his appearance. A rope was securely fas-
tened to one of his hind trotters, and his
master drove him, with many a kick and
forcible persuasion, all the wny over tho
course to scheveningen, where he fed him
upon scanty meal Of two herings, which
Nero ravenously devoured; after which ho
had TO trot back to tho Hague. 1t may bc
proper here to remark that the hog prefers
fish to to any other kind Of food.
On the third day Nero felt perfectly raw
eno,,s, but he had to bide his time, and his
master had to resort to tho strictest hog.
discipline to start him off when, at IL o'clock
he presented himself to drive him over the
course. After liberal and energetic APP
plcation Of tho booted foot, and little loud
and angry discussion between the respect.
i've parties, they arrived at their journeys
end, where Nero was regaled with three
hcrrings, being one extru, and which he dis
patched voaciously in double-quick time.
looking for moro but in vain. lie was then,
with much coaxing and kicking, persuaded
to resume the trip homeward, and which
safely accomplished, although not without
considerable opposition, accompanied by
vigorous squealing and determined grunting
on the part Of Nero.
On tho fourth day, punctually at eleven
o'clock, when his master presented him
self. Nero seemed to understand somewhat
the object Of his calling; he walked of,
not only without compulsion, but with con-
siderable slacrity, ata good round pace, to
get to his journeys end, where his master
cgaled him not only with his coveted
dinner Of ,hree henings hut - . reward
for his trsctabillty and good conduct with
one herring extra, and which Nero dsvour.
voured with incredible velocity a. soon a.
they came within rssch Of his srinden
On the hith day Nero was fully up TO the
game, and his mss,sr sxpsrisoeed consider
able difscul,y 70 keep sp with him. At
schsvsaingsn tho usual allowance now. Of
four rbsuihp.wss placed 1t hh dspossls cod
disposed Of him IN hon mars. < ..s.rs'l
On the 'dsys following, spd up p ths dine
Of the nss, bic uastsr bed no hnhss ain.
cul,y vitA Nero bat = kesp up wilk him
Nero inysiably taking ths ~ skteseh |
on the return trips ths same diGleui39 n.
wsys vsousd. Avigusvss sppsssfina 81
hooo was b ssoh o. ~ ssly cssvisea.6
srxumsns with Nso. Who nsvsr epsid
tho poins nor comprehend ths nsessity II
thh bact-usek movsmspt, and svss obi
s,zspsrously sqosalsi and grunssd Nh oe-
jsction, dssmins this sxtn sxsrciss prob |
ably suprh6ous 70 his health. q hs hsd