The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1869-09-11
An Exciting Race.


f. The topic Of ''csoh csohyaearssafion ID tic today ii, /,
sporting circles 10 the race of yesterday
over tiHs Gninoste track. sf II Is a.story soo
goodito keep, but out Of psrs sympathy
tor the lacerated feelings Of = dozen. gen
tlcmen who shought they knew thing
Or two about horses--but were badly
picked-up BY d greeHy yesterday 1--we
WORT give the aaases Of; che sufferers.
1.-The race Inst Wednesday, afterisoon
was attended by quite; a number fsptn
this city and elsewhere, Amcng slscse
present was an, old ana seedy.IOoking.
farmer from near Richtnond, Hay conn
tty. Along the seacs he kad three link,
rawboned horses tied. After the adver-
tised races were iconcludcd the aged agri-
culturalist was baptered to put up some
money on one of his, plugs" and So
help to, get up "scrub race" He re-,
| piled that he believed that animal, poiint.
ing TO an old mare who stood with her
head down and half asleep, could run
pretty tolcrable well if she was ;;traiaedi :.
"But," said he, "Ashc's been at;work all
spring aud summer, and ain't fit to run
now"
While several sports were trying to
cajoie the old fellow iato n wager, an
other party slipped around TO sheircar Of
the stable whore stood Punch . very
feet goer for a race of 300 yards.4-
Punch is, in fact, one of the fastest races
for short distance that is to be. Enuad
in the State. The blanket was stripped
from the nag, an old rope halter, torn
bridlei aud haifworu saddle putsoIf him,
and he was quietly led short distance
and tied to fence.
Alter considerable talk, the veteran
son OF the soil burst out with the propo-
sition to bet S25 that his mare could
beat any ether ordinary horse on the
grotifl. He was tlsesi ttssslker to sMhere
Panohswas ticd, saw that tho animal
looked 20 be anything bpts horse kept
for racing, and expressed himself satiss
4 fed 20 run his mare against that air
!. lsofSt, ~ sS ssi-
1aa = slsizs.l llIcrS "a lls,t sIrees.baeks
against his old nag mers offered. The
farmer, who appcared. 60 lasc all llis;wits,
took up the bets one after another till
he had stakcd $3.50 against an equal
amount put up by several parties, in
sums 0f from sI0 to $50. e
TWAS agreed to postpone the race till
yesterday afternoon. The "ports' Of
this town rode back to the city in high
glee. They had sure thing on, tn i
confiding old rustic, they thought, and
ihdulgcd among themselves in all sorts
of witticisms over his simplicity. aefT
When the time for the race occurred
the foolish farmer was promptly on hand.
Again he was tempted to stake more
money, and he rccklcssly plunged down
into the depths of his pockets after
greenbacks, until he wagered 81 500.
Sums of $500 and less amounts had been
staked by the knowing ones. Of this
town chuckled over the .ssoft thing"
they had scared, until the entire pile of
the "greenhorn" had been covered.
The word to "go" was given amid the
wild shouts and loud laughter of the
hackers Of Punch" $50 it, old sor-
rel J" "Hurry up that mare!Y and
other jeerins expressions passed from
mouth to mouth.
The "old sorrel !" did just more than
hurry up. She shot ahead of the racer
Punch" kept the lead easily and catne
in the winner by forty feet w
Well, wasn't that sick crowd of
sporting men, as the old ''grcenhorn"
received the fifteen hundred dollars he
had won? Shouldn't wonder. And
when they rode away from the track
yesterday afternoon did they ~cacklc''
to any perceptiblc degrccy Scarcely.
The nice trap they had fixed for tho old
man didn't catch him. but he worked
out his own little game most beautifully!
-Konsas City Bulletin. 'N t
~s tfs a hier- ssaa3 Is y0ta