Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-08-25
FROM the Kansas City Bulletin, July 80 j
An Exciting Race.

The topic of conversation to-day il
sporting circles is the race of yesterday
] over the GUinOtte track. 1t is Il story
/ too good to keep, but one Of pure sympa.
| thy for the lacerated feelings of a dozen
gentlemen, who thought they knew Il
| thing or two about horses, but who were
| badly picked up by a greeny yesterday,
we won't give the names of the suffer-
ers.
The race, last Wednesday afternoon,
was attended by quite a number from
| this city and elsewhere. Among those
| present was an old and seedy-lOOking
! farmer from near Richmond, Raw cOun-
| ty. Along the fence he had three Iank,
rawbOned horses tied. After the adver-
tised races concluded, the aged agricuI-
turist was bantered to put up some mon
| ey on one Of his plugs and help to get
Upa scrub race He replied that he be-
! lieved that animal, pointing to an old
mare who stood with her head down
and half asleep, could run pretty tOlera-
bly, well if she was trained" "But, -
said he, ''she's been at work all spring
and summer, and amt fit to run nOw."
While several sports We're trying to ca
iOle the old fellow into a wager, another
party slipped around the of the stable
where stood "Pmch," ," avery fleet gOeT,
for a race Of three hundred yards. Punch
is, in fact, one of the fastest gOeTs for a
short distance that is to be found in the
State. The blanket was stripped from
the nag, and an old rope halter, torn bri-
die and half worn saddle placed on him
and he was quietly led short distance
and tied to a fence.
After considerable talk, the veteran
son of the soil burst out with a PROPOSE
ton to bet S25 that his mare could beat
any other ordinary horse on the ground.
He was then taken to where Punch was
tied, saw that the animal looked to be
anything but a horse kept for racing,
and expressed himself satisfied to run
his mare against that are horse
Then dozen offers to put ,greenbacks
against his old nag was offered. The
farmer who appeared to lose all his wits,
took up the bets one after another till
he had staked $3.50 against an equal
amount put up by several parties, in
sums from SO to $50.
1t was agreed to postpone the race till
yesterday afternoon. The sports of
this town rode back to the city in high
glCe. They had sure thing on that
cOnliding old rustic, they thought, and
indulged among themselves in all sorts
of witticisms over his simplicity.
When the time for the race occurred
the foolish farmer was promptly on
hand. Again he was tempted to stake
more money, and he reckleSslv plunged
down into the depths of his pocket after
grecnbacks, until he had wagered 81 800.
Sums Of $500 and less amounts had been
staked by the "knOwing ones" of this
town, who chUckled over the ''sOft thing
they had secured, until the entire pile of
the 'greenhOrn' had been covered.
The word 'gO' was Given amid the
wild shouts and loud laughter of the
hackers of Punch Go it, old sOrreln
"hurry up that mareW and other jeer-
ing 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 came
i'm the winner hy forty feet.
Well, wasn't that sick crowd of
sporting men, as the old 'greenhOrn'
received the fifteen hundred dollars he
had won? Shouldn't wonder. And
when they rode away from the track
yesterday afternoon did they 'caCkle'
To any precepGble degree? Scarcely.
The nice trap they had fixed for the old
man didn't catch him, but he worked
out his own little game most heauti-
fully.
WINE in the wine-grOwing regions of
California, is cheaper than milk, In
AnahCim audLOs Angeles common wine
is but thirty cents a gallon; milk costs
fifty. Even common strong wine is
H...H 4