Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-10-06
6eneral SmtellIoence.
THE GREAT GOOSE RACE.
Fen Thousand spectators Congen
Sporting for Chicagoans.

Sporting for Chicagoans.
From the Chicago Tribune
If The immense number Of people who
Ained the basin bank Thursday afternoon
may asa taken as II criterion, then the goose
race which took place then and there must
be conceded to be the great sporting event
of the season. 1t was funny, and, better
stil1, it was free. Consequently crowd
numbering at least ten thousand people
We're on hand to witness the novel affair.
For two or three blocks along the east side
of Michigan avenue from Putney TO Mort
lake, as il We're men, women, boys and
girls We're densely packed, with q plentiful
sprinkling Of carriages further back; while
the breakwater opposite served the purpose
of Hammersmith Bridge, and afforded an
eligible outlook for at least o Thousand
more. Ii was particularly respectable
gathering, too. No inconsiderable element
of the crowd was made up of merchants
and business men, While nearly hundred
stylish equipages were halted i'll order that
tha fair occupants mi8htsee the fun.
PRELIMINARY ARRANGEMENTS.
The race was originally made between
those famous disciples of minstrelsy, Billy
Emerson and Bob Hart the latter having
been engaged in great many similar at-
fairs. Then George Norris the well-known
billiar7ist, took hand IN, and, after purse
Of $500 or thereabouts had been made up
the race was definitely fixad for yesterday
On the day previous eighteen full-groWn
geese were 'srented" of an old lady at the
Stock Yards who required a deposit or 81
each as collateral and q similar amount for
the service Of the whole number. They
had no training whatever, further than that
conferred by nature to stick together and
go straight ahead True to their proverbial
unreliabliity, some OF them went back on
this, even. The terms of the match re-
quired each of the drivers to sit in an ordi-
nary wash tub, and be drawn by three pairs
OF geese, Let no one infer from this that
ones self in a wash tub in the water ones
equilibrium. are easily rendered compatible
1t is not the case. A mans weight will not
sink the tub, to be sure, but let him vary so
much as the thousandth part of an inch
from the absolutely perfect perpendicular
ity, and he gets spilled to certainty. To
obviate this difficulty the goose drivers re-
sorted to an ingenious contrivance, which
consisted of platform of inch pine boards,
about three and half feet wide and five feet
dong, in which was made circular hole
large enough TO ship through a tub. To this
float S,as attached pole with cross bars at
the eEtEeme end from which were stretch
ed lateraiy two stout cords on either side,
between which the geese were tied by the
wings, AND as firmly secured as a horse
between tthe shafts of q wagon. When
ready to start the driver got in the tub
which was then tightly wedged in the
the h0Hb, and there was no tipping over
the float sinking q few inches below the
surface and out OF sight. Considerable de-
bay epsued in properly Harvesting the
I,.I,- Ooi,
was the first to get his six-in-nand hitched
up and so, while the other two George
Morris and jim Mas, of the Winter Garden,
who took Emerson's place, was getting ready
he turned out to exercise the team. He
got along frst-rate, barring d good deal of
futter andfopping at first. and would have
showed of to excellent advantage but for
the embarrassment occasioned by the sew
eFal hundred boats which had been hired
by spectators and which literally covered
the surface of the basin. In lodging about
among them Bob's tub worked loose from
It's float. and ne was obliged to swim back
to the shore and make fast again, which he
did in short order, and soon after three
o'clock everything was in readiness for the
race.
Each Of the drivers was in light costume
hat shirt, pants and stockings to
swim, if necessary. Their 1orethought was
amply justified anon. A long carriage
whip, with which to urge on or alter the
course Of the geese, and a paddle to steer
the craft, comprised their accoutrements.
Morris drew the pole, Mas the middle,
and Hart the outside. An entirely even
send-Off was effected at once, and away
they started, accompanied by the boat of
the nmplres, referee and reporters, who
were sufficiently close to enforce fair play.
Morris and Maas at once pushed for the
front, and their urging resulted in q series
of bad breaks. Mas off-wheel goose lost
his feet wholly, turning q summersault and
coming up facing the driver She couldn't
be brought to work again, but swan back
wards for a long distance, to the serious
impediment of the rest of the sextette. Bob,
like an experienced jockey, took the matter
cody, simply administering an occasional
punch to a refractory goose, and
soon had gained a strong lead over
both the others. But Morris was
not idle His team had a weakness for the
shore, and his assiduous efforts with the
paddle, necessary to keep them IN the
water, h halped him TO that extent that he
was enabled to overhaul Bob, and go to the
front. Bob saw his disadvantage, and de
clared the excessive padding to be foul
bat by no means stfowl." George Is no
goose, said Bob, ''and bar his paddle"
But there was no choice; George must
either paddle or be ANONYMOUSLY towed
ashore against his viii, and so Bob's pro-
test was unaYailing. Mas, whose pervert-
ed wheel goose had placed him badly in the
rear, having somehow contnved to change
ends with the recalcitrant bird, now showed
an extraordinary burst of speed, and was
fast closing the gap. Had the remaining
distance been greater, he would have serl-
ously endangered the success of the others.
As it was, the contest rested between Nor
ris and Hart, the former having slight
lead. Bob called upon his white thorough
breds for an extra effort and it was intensely
ludicrous to see the earnestness with which
they seemed to respond They actu-
aliy took Turns" First, the middle pair
would vigorously ply their web feet for a
minute, perhaps; then the leaders would
DIG in for dear life, to be IN turn ''spelled"
nv the wheeIers. But ali would not do
Morris gray team were good stayers, and
he steered TO excellent advantage, 1t must
he confessed He reached the end of the
three hundred Yards about four feet ahead
OF Bob, Mas being about two lengths IN
the rear. Time, seven minutes and thirty
seconds. A hearty cheer went mp nom the
crowd. and the goose race was ut an END.
The umpires and referee then repaired 10
Morris billiard hall, where, after canvass
ing the various features Of the race, they IN
due time rendered their decision as follows:
LAKE FEoET BASIN, Chicago, Sept. %, lS69.-Race
1oi sweepstakes of $500 between aeXtuple goose
,Ssi tsaInsi sash Of 300 yards 10 wash tubs:
george Morris enters gray goose Anna Dickinson
@L.I mates; sired by their respective progenitOrs
ILa CANNED by all the neighbOrs in the vicinity
Pei ~ d.
% hob mart enters white goose ForrIoga and mates;
fTlf I.5f Z.
table, " ca L" Oe 0l'ieP" q
jim Ma3s enters blue goose Oueen TsabaIia ana
mates pedigree forgotten -. 3