Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1870-11-16
sa ora~l AIFFINToWK COUNTY pENvAp NEADERl
TEXAS IN THE SADDLE. ?

4 TEXAS IN THE SADDLE. Hai17mA 4
A. y sssls bst---saa l. -7De7n05 r2rs
TIE Great Sixty.Milp Race in Two Hours
and Fifty Three Minutes at San Antonio,
! The San Antonio Herald of the 18th
gtflmo says - y13 isusH sdi }91.-o q
I 1.-Two months since the agricultural,
Stock RAISING and Industrial ,lAssocia-
ton of Western Texas" domiciled at San
Antonio, inserted the following advertise
meut in their city papers ,lg f1nu bs.r
srIhesAgricultural. Stock Raising, and
! Industrial Association of Western Texas
offer a special premium Of $50 to the first
and So 10 the second winner in a sixty
mile race around their track at San Pedro
Spriugs, provided that the distance is
made in three hours. None but Texas
raised horses and Texas made saddles to
| be used No limit as to number. The
race to come off during the holding of
their fair, from the 9Th to the Sth Of '0c.
tober next. ,-as .-.J q..aa. 1nin-a
! - htu duIpuuCcHiCuL CtNoSU oOillc uttC
talk on the subject. but the almost uni,
ver-al opinion Of the public was that the
race could not be won on !Texas-raised ed
horses in that time.ri, Up to the morning
of the day not q single entire had been
made, aud the directors were in despair.
However, before IL o'clock, Neil Coker
appeared upon the grounds. with twelve
COW ponies, and declared il his intention
to contest for the prize. Neil Coker was
born and raised din Bexar county. is
about twenty-five years of age. weighs
some where betwcen 126 and l35 pounds
is likely. active young man. fair type
of our stosk,rasiug ccmmVuity. d,s sgor
| Nothing special occurred up to the, Sth
mile, when an, iupgovernable mustang
flew the track altogether, and made a
circuit down through the woods ), meet
ipg the San Pedro iirrigatiug capal, he
turned back through the agricultural de-
partment. leaped aneishl horse power
threshing machine, ara finally, despair
ing of making his escape, tried bis ;.lsyel
best to pitch young Goker over his head.
By this time his attendants reached him
with another horse be got back into the
track and proceeded on bis way. About
the thirteenth mile, another horse broke
on the other side of the track, and came
very near stone wall. He was finally
brought to full stop, but considerable,
time was lost. q-s ro5f-r.E le svr5 ,dT
/ With all these mishaps, at the end of
the thirty miles young Coker was two
minutes ahead Of time. The Marshal,
General Young. made this announcement
in a voice that could be heard for half
mile round. ..-r,h ,f-. ..... .- ... ..,
Tne crowd now began to get excited.
and a universal shout went up for more
and better horses. Men who had refused
the use of their horses. and scofed at the
possibility of such race, began to be-
lieve he would make, the trip. -,.
From this time on, young Cokers for
tunes smiled upon him. He now made
on each horse, once or twice only a mile
and half, and made his changes nearly
even in ten seconds. Itwas now evident
to all that without an accident he would
win the race, and every man. woman.
and child on the ground was wrought up
to the highest. pich of excitement, Sc
date old judges lost their dignity and
hurrahed at the top of their voices, the
ladies waved their handkerchief, children
screamed, and young Coker gained on
his time every round Finally the Mar
shall tapped the bell as the last mile wa.
made, and announced "sixty miles in
two hoars ard fifty three minutes AT
this young Uoker exclaimed :bn"Let me
give them another mile for coed measure;"
and with an eyeas clear as an eagles,
and limbs a. 1.-THE as the mountain does.
he mounted a fresh horse and made his
sixty-Grst and last mile in two minutes
and fifteen seconds Ioh1aoF CROW
1t is safe TO say there never was such
concourse ofpeople'. or such scene IN
Western Texas Men wanted to carry
HIN around on their slfouldefs-wanted
to treat him-give him coffee Zee water
anything. Finally, be was taken up
into the iudges' stand and introduced by
the marshal and that the crowd might |
have chance to do something for HIM
prominent banker of that city pulled
off his hat and called out" All who wish
to do something for the young man, here 5
a chance" The last we saw of him, hi.
hat was well laden with gold aud silver,
which was given to Coker, in addition to.
the premium Of the association Il
,f4T1jolI- 1I--1 -. .sl-ls 1-.----- -1hl i-i 80
ian Iowa papenssys-: 4 lon. james f.
Wilson member of Congress, as long as
he wanted to be, after refusing three Cab
met offices, several foreign missions, and
avariety d of other high positions. At the
last election was voted in as Road Super |
visor Of District No. 6, Fairfield 50 Ask
is respectable and useful position, and
one which lie can take without trucking
to President, King, Emper;r, or any
other man, we anticipate that he will ac-
oa - IL . p iA -aH'AtSE a''.-+- rSb E3t1 IT |