The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-06-20
DEMOCRATIC NOMINATIONS
CELEBRATED -RACE-HORsES.

= race ann Oh on the OreSoH race-
course which excites unusual comment,
not only at home but abroad. The
name of one ofthe racers is "David J"
and the other goes by the more eu-
phonious title of "Carving-Fork." 1t
is said that when he was q colt he was
one day eating slop from a small tub,
and such was his relish for the savory
food that he ineontinently swallowed
a carving-fork that had been accident
ally thrown into the swill by the
kitchen-maid. Hence his name.
"David' is q highly-bred horse, be-
ing of the blood-royal stock living in
Springfield, Illinois. He was well
trained from colthood to horsehood
having the best of grooms in constant
attendance to develop his muscle and
improve his wind-which naturally
was quite respectable and abundant.
AT an early day he was sent out to
Oregon, and a race was soon thereaf
ter made up by his hackers between
him and a little pony from California
by the name of Lansing. The race
was neck aud neck almost the entire
distance "a blanket would have GOV
cred them both except at the outcome.
Lansing won the race by a "mere
scratch" as our friend Col. Morgan
recently remarked to Judge Powell.
As soon as David ceased running,
his keeper attempted to battle his
nose with a sponge well filed with
whisky and water; and this proved
SO grateful to David's olfactory or
.gans that he finally seized the sponge
in his teeth, and laying back his ears
close to his head, he swallowed it as
easily as ever he swallowed raw egg ;
and strange to say, ever since then he
drinks all the whisky that comes
withinh i reach. he has been known
to rear up, and snort, and champ his
bits, and sling foam from his mouth,
and caracole beautifully, and neigh
spiritedly, all because he smelt whis-
kyl
But this is a depression. Not many
moons after Lansing beat David his
owners entered him on the same
curse against a medium-size, high
spirited, clean-boned horse of Irish
extraction by the name of George"
But David was beaten worse this time
than before. George led him all the
way and threw dust in his eyes at
every jump-almost. Dayid's keeper
sponged his nose as usual, this time
with pure whisky,-all which David
liked SO well that, watching his OPP
portunity, he not only swallowed the
sponge, but drank up all in the buck
let, and then attempted to swallow his
keeperi He so frightened his keeper
that his hair " stood on end like quilts
upon the fretful porcupine," for a long
time afterward.
Last spring David's owners conclu-
ded they would try him once more; so
they pitted him against Carving-Fork;
the stakes being, as we learned, about
$4,000 on each side. David went
Immediately into severe training. His
keeper refused him his usual allow.
anee of whisky he tried very hard
to make David quit his vicious habits,
such as biting, and kicking, and snort
ing when there was no need of it
and all other unseemly and unhorse-
like tricks; and In all which he par.
tally succeeded. DaYid's friends
thought he was much improved, and
bet high on him. They admired his
clean limbs-his silky hair-his fash.
ing eye-his proud tread-his peer.
less form-his heavy name and black
legs and tail, and they were loud in
the praises of their favorite, and will
ing " to go their pile on him without
hesitation.
AS for Carying-Fork, we are at a
loss what to say of him. We don't
know anything about his origin. AL
we know is that he was brought across
the plains when he was a mere ungain.
~ colt. His keeper put him in an OK.
team as leader-tandem fashion. He
was docile, gentle, and worked vel
up to the collar; but he was long
haired, slab-sided and -long-Iegged
and was troubled with strabismus-
which, though it did not at all impair
his sight, made him look forty ways
for Sundays. Besides all this, he wa
in poor condition $50 much SO thai
his owner, on arriving in the Valley
turned him out on the nutritious wild
grasses and told him to shirk for him
self. He soon ~recuperated, however
and on more than one occasion, Will,
herding cattle, convinced his keepe
that no common blood flowed through
his veins; and he ultimately inspires