Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1867-12-05
A RACE EXTRAORDINARY.


Some years ago race was run a
the Hague, in Holland, which for it,
novelty excited more than ordinary
interest. 1t was between a fas
trotting horse in harness and full!
grown hog; single heat-distance
six English miles-for wager o.
one thousand guilders.
The circumstances which led tc
this unique trial of speed were as
follows: At sporting club at the
Hague young member of the Club
expatiated upon the beauty, sym:
metry and extraordinary speed of a
trotting horse he had that day pur-
chased, expressing an eager desire
to get up a match to prove the supe-
rior qualities of his horse. A gem
tleman engaged in a hand at cards,
but whose attention had been at
tracted by the ardent and impas-
stoned remarks of the speaker, qui-
city remarked Come, sir, don't
be Dragging SO much about the
swiftqess of your horse, for | have a
hog which, for triaing wager, l
would not hesitate to run against
him" Peels of laughter greeted
this strange proposal, to which
when partially subsided-the owner
of "Grunty", quietly interposed
"Well, gentlemen, [ now challenge
to run my hog Nero against
that gentleman's fast trotter in har-
ness, one strait heat, six English
miles, for one thousand guilders a
side" "Done p "Done p was the
eager response from many voices.
"Provided," the challenger resumed,
THAT the horse carry two persons,
and that fourteen days time be al
lowed me for training my animal"
agreed J" "agreed p resounded all
round for the joke was deemed too
good and too novel to give it the
go-by:
Preliminaries being satisfactorily
arranged and the stakes deposited, it
was agreed the match should come
off that day fortnight at II o'clock,
A. NJ, precisely; and the beautiful
avenue leading from the Hague to
the seashore at Scheveningen was
selected as the course. The news
Of this extraordinary match for
trial of speed between fast trotting
horse and tull-grown porker spread
like wild.fre, and caused the most
intense excitement, not alone in
sporting circles, but among the peo-
pie generally-all eager to see fun.
The day was anxiously looked for,
and the training of Nero began.
On the first day poor Nero was
starved !; strict orders having been
given him by his owner that no one
should feed him, himself alone at.
ending to that matter. On the
second day Nero was pretty sharp
set. when, punctually at II o'clock,
lis master made his appearance. A
'ope was security fastened to one of
lis hind trotters, and his master
lrove him, with many a kick and
orcible persuasion, all the way over
he course to Scheveningen where
le fed him upon scanty meal of
wo behring's, which Nero rayenously
levoured after which he had to
rot it back to the Hague. 1t may
,e proper here to remark that the
log prefers fish to any other kind
# food.
On the third day Nero felt per-
ectly ravenous, but he had to bides
lis time, and his master had to re-
ort to the strictest hog discipline to
tart him off when, at IL o'clock he
himself to drive him over
he course. After a liberal and en-
rgetic application of the booted foot,
nd little loud and angry discus
ion between the respective parties,
hey arrived at their journeys end,
where Nero was RECALLED with three
lerrings, being one extra, and which
'e dispatched voraciousiy in double
uick time, looking for more, but in
ain. He was then with much kick
ne, persuaded to resume the return
rip homeward, and which was safely
accomplished, although not without
considerable opposition, accompanied
" vigorous squealing and deter
mined granting on the part of Nero
On the fourth day, punctually at
leven o'clock, when his master pre-
ented himself, Nero seemed to un-
erstand somewhat the object of his
alling; he walked off not only
Without compulsion, but with con-
iderable alacrity, at a good round
,aoa IN oot 70 h, ;o,,noy, ii