The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1870-12-09

1tEh LODGE CITY, FRIDAY, DEC. p.
Remarkable Feat.
IXs Great Sietv Nile Race in Too Hours
end Fyry. Three Minute at Sa" Anton'o.
1rsm tho San Antonio Herald, 18th.
Some t1o months since tho Agricultural,
suck Raising and Industrial Association Of
Western Texas" domiciled at San Antonio,
inserted the following id vertisemcnti in their
city papers: .;fT.ZEj e
ASrxrY NILE RAcE-$75 PREMIUM.
M Agricultural, Stock Raising and In
&ootrSdl Association of Western Texas offer
special premium of $50 to the first and
~ 20 The second winner in . sixty mile
joce around their track ut San Pedro Springs,
provided that tho distance is made in three
Hours. None but Texas.raised horses and
Tsxss.made saddles to be used. No limit
~ to number. The race to come off during
the holding Of their Fair. from the 9th to
the OH Of October next. For further in.
formation, aldress Agricultural Associa.
tlon," box 151, Post Office, San Antonio.
This announcement caused some little
talk ON the subject, but the almost universal
Opfnion of the public was that tile race
oould not be wor on Texas. raised horses in
shet time. Up to the morning of the day
rot Q single entry had been made, ond the
directors were in despair. However, before
II O'Clock, Neil Cocker appeared upon the
grounds with twelve cow ponies, and decla-
red Il bis intention to contest for the prize.
Neil Cocker was born and raised In Bexar
county, is about twenty-five years of agc,
weighs somewhere between 125 and 1876
pounds, Is likely, active young man, fair
type Of our stock raising community.
We examined his twelve horses aud found
them very common indeed, but q no ono
believed he could win the race, no one WAS
willing to loan him good horse, and Of the
eleven and one mules which lie had, it Is
safe to say that not over three had ever cat.
sn mouthfal of corn in their lives. The
truck IL only half mile, is entirely new, q
log. wallow prairie, badly plowed and but
narrowed, with no attempt at flling up the
holes or dwelling down the hills. The track
Is oval in shape, with four sharp curves,
which makes it difficult to bring an uutrain
Cd horse around tho corners.
With all these difficulties, and this kind
Of stock, ut the tap of the bell, promptly on
Gmc, young Cocker mounted his first pony
and applied his first dose of "Tcxas squirt "
The first four horses hc ran only half mile
each, and made his changes in from five to
seven seconds. Tho fifth horse, noble
grass raised animal, belonging to l. P. simp.
ron, ESQ.,, of this city, carried him one mile
IL two minutes and ten seconds; this was
excellent time, but he was SO hard to take
up, tllat he passed the stand fully five yards,
cotting the rider great Gcal of needed
strength and fifteen seconds of good time.
Nothing special occurred up to tho eighth,
when IN ungoyernable mustang flew the
track altogether, and made circuit down
through the woods, meeting the Ssn Pedro
iRrigating canal, he turned back through
the agricultural department, leapedan eight
Ac1se power threshing machine, and finally.
despairing Of making his escape tried his
'1cvcl best" to pitch young Cocker over his
head. by this time his attendants reached
him with another horse; he got back into
tho track and proceeded on his way
About tic thirteenth milo another horse
broke on the other side of the track, and
came very near jumping stone wall. He
wss finally brought to full stop, but con.
siderable time was lost With Ill these mis-.
hsps, at the end of tho thirty miles, young
Cocker was two minutes, ahead Of time
1he marshal, General Young, madc this an.
nounccmcnt In voice that could be heard
Tor haif u mile round. -
The crowd now begun ID get excited, and
4 universal shout went up for more and
better horses. Men who had refused the use
81 their horses, and scoffed at the posi-.
biltty of such . race, began to believe he
wesld mako the trip. Gen. Knox, Capt
Story, WIN. II. jackson, President of the
Association, and I presume 1t least fifty
oshen, cxcrted themselves in procuring bet.
see horses. Capt VIM. II. Elliott brought
10 ais spleadid black stallion, that made his
mile In = little over two minutes. Mr.. A.
Oliver and Nj. Mclean stripped the harness
from their horses And brought them In. BY
-shis dine ~ excitement was % great that
every .hosse OF the ground no matter what
his value, was at tho service of the young
and gallant rider. Gentlemen, with gold.
beaded canes, kid gloves and line linen,-
would strip their horses, and bring them ID,
scscaning ct tho, top Of their voices, Put
him through II you kill him" ,. !
81 From this time on, young Cookers for.
tunes smile upon him. He now made on
each horne, once Or twice only mile and .
half, and made his changes nearly even In.
len seconds. i was now evident to Ill that
without N accident be would win the Tsos,
I'D .evcty man, woman and child on the
ground was wrought up to the highest pitch
u excitement. Sedate old judges lost their
dix01 ssd husaked At The top Of shsir
voices. The ladies waved their handkcr.
ehisis Children scscamcd, and young coker
galned On his time every round. Finally,
tke marshal tapped The bell. d thelast mile
.was mads, md announced ''axty miles In
w. hours and Afty.thseS. mjnsscs. ~ ~ Al
g NO.