Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-08-20
The Athletic 0Ountryman,

III RACES 'JEs ron TUS
Day before yesterday n splendid new
race course down at Bridgcwater was
formally christcnpd by trotiing match.
The event drew bic crowd and when that
crowd separated thew had something in
tercsting io think and talk about. Some
thing not down in the hill ; something
unexpecied-even startling ; something
financially painful TO many: something
that caused great inward grief
Between one Of the heats green.
looking countrvman proposed little
Yunnin' match, '1eS' for fun. Won know"
To help the sport along he didn't mind,
putting mp ten 20 twenty dollars. II
somebody would add little 90 it. The
proposition was eagerly snapped up.
Among the crowd were two or three
fellows who pridcd themselves on their
wind and mnscie. One Of them was
the runner Butterfield, from Richfe,d
Springs, who had never been beaten.
This young man, with three others. ex-
pressed themselves eager for the fray,
and straightway stripped for 'he race.
The coHntryman watched the prepar'-
tions with satisfaction. This was an ex-
ceedinglv rural specimen. this was. His
woolen breeches were shrunken. while
the "set" Of the article w2s painfully
awrv. He wore \ badly 'boilcd Shirt"
cowhide shoes, blue wooden stockings
and a shocking bad hat. lie was collar
less, and his beard was long, rough and
ragged.
a few minutes before the racers were
ready, our rural friend startled the crowd
by proposing. in loud and strong nasal
tones, tn run with the rest.
Il swow, 7 b'lieve I'll mt my foot in
this little gallon, myself"
The announcement that the Ya-kee
intended 70 run with Butterfipld ard the
others created the richest kind OF fun.
The shouting and laughter rather nettled
Jonathan.
''Gol darn it, can run. tell We.
aint no bettin' man, bat I'll Law you fel-
lers dollar or so that | kin git bv
this Butterfield and all the rest on ye."
A dozen wallets were produced and a
dozen dollars were hrandished by the
hackers of Butterfeld. The country
man racklesslv (?) covered dollar for
dollar until the sum of $3.50 had passed
from his pockrt-book into the hands of
several stockholders But this was not
all When every Seven" bet had been
taken the countrvman amused himself
by offering odds of two to one that he
would win the race. lie found few
takers The throng suddenly became
suspicious. They felt "sold'' in advance
e -. 81
"Sold" they were. The couniryman
guessed he wouldn't run in ''them trow-
sers." aud so he stepped ont of the
wooden bags. disclosing 4 sparkling pair
of silk flights" Shoes and stockings
came of next. Beneath them were dis
played pair of spiked English racing
shoes. The boiled shirt and linen coat
covered a handsome jacket, and then,
minus thr shocking had hat, our green
friend announced himself likewise eager
for the fray.
The match was q run Of twenty rods,
best two in three. 1t did not disappoint
the crown to see the Yankee win the
first heat. They were prepared for the
financial loss and bore that " inward
gref' heroically. But it did Interest
them to observe the case with which :hC
deceitfnl fellow ran away from his com
pctitors on the second trial. He skinned
along by great, easy strides, and atte
winning with n big margin to spare
Jumped into the air with the ease and
grace of a deer.
The 'countryman' was Mr. j. w
Cozard, of Iowa, the champion runner
of America 1t is but recently that he
met and defeated the best known runners
in the United States at n grand trial on
Long Island. He was making a soiOurr
in this vicinity, was in Bridgewater OF
the day of the tr,t and-and-the par
ticulars need not be repeated. Hi
winnings, at the least calculation
amounted to $3.50. Subsequently he dis
played some more athletic accomplish
ments by jumping. In this he excels
but warmed by the episode of the woolel
tYewsers and haltboiled shirt, nobod,
would lay cent that he couldn't clear
ten acre lot at single bound.
Utica Observer.