The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-11-18

h< 1hSL< ~ Die
agricultural. Stock-Raising and
Industrial Association of Western
Texas offer a special premium of $50
10 the first, and SIS to the second win
ner in a ~ mile race around their
track at San Pedro Springs, 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 the
fair, from the 9Th to the 9Th Of Octo-
Der next. For further information
address Agricultural Association,
box l5l, Postofice, San Antonio.n
This announcement caused some
little talk on the subject, but the al
most universal opinion of the people
was that the race could not be won on
Texas-ra.sed horses i'm that time. Up
to the morning of the day, not a sim
gle entry had been made, and the d.
rectors were in despair. However,
before III o'clock. Neil Coker appear
ed upon the ground with twelve cow
ponies, and declared it his intention
to contest for the prize. Neil Coker
was born and raised in Bexar county,
is twenty-five years of age, weighs
somewhere between i25 and 135
pounds, is a likely, active young man,
a fair type Of our s~tock-raisiag COM
munity.
We examined the twelve horses, |
and found them very common indeed.
but as no one believed he could win
the race, no n was willing to loan
him o good horse, and of the eleven
and one mules which he had, it is safe
to say that not over three had eaten a
mouthful of corn i'm their lives. The
track is only a half mile, is entirely
new, a hog-hollow prairie, badly
ploughed and but slightly narrowed,
with no attempt at filling up the holes,
or leveling down the hills. The track
is oval in shape, with four sharp
curves, which makes it difficult to
bring an unframed horse around the
!! corners
With all these difficulties, and this
kind of stock, at the tap of the bell,
promptly OH time, young COker
mounted his first pony and applied
his first dose of "Texas quirt." The
first four horses he only ran a half
mile each, and made his changes in
from five to seven seconds. The fifth
horse, a noble grsssed-raised animal,
beloning to l. z. Simpson, Esq, of
this city, carried him one mile in two
minutes and ten seconds this was ex-
cellent time, but he was so hard to
take up that he passed the stand fully
five yards, costing the rider a good
deal of needed strength, and fifteen
seconds of good time. Nothing
special occurred up to the eighth,
when IN u~ngovernable mustang flew
the track altogether, and made a cir
cult down through the woods. Meet
ing the San Pedro irrigating canal, he
turned back through the agricultural
department, leaped an eight-horsc
power threshing machine, and, finally,
despairing ofmaking his escape, tried
his "level best " to pitch young Coker
over his head. BY this time his at
tendants reached him with another
horse he got back into the track and
proceeded OH his way. About the
thirteenth mile another horse broke
Oh the other side of the track, and
camc very near jumping q stone wall.
He was finally brought to a full stop,
but considerable time was lost. With
all these mishaps, at the end of thirty
miles young COker was two minutes
ahead oftime. The Marshal, General
Young, made this announcement in a
voice that could be heard for half a
| mile round.
The crowd now began to get excl
ted, and a universal shout went up for
more and better horses. Men who
had refused the use of their horses,
and scoffed at the possibility of such
a race, began to believe he would
make the trip. Gen. Knox, Captain
Story, VIM. III. Jackson, President of
the Association, and l presume at
least fifty others, exerted themselves
in procuring better horses Capt.
William IL. Elliott brought in his
splendid black stallion, that made his
mile in q little over two minutes.
Mr.. A. Oliver and Mr.. Mclean strip
ped the harness from their horses and
brought them in. BY this time the
excitement was S 70 great that every
horse OH the ground, no matter what
his value, was at the service of the
young and gallant rider. Gentleman
with gold-headed canes, kid gloves,
and fine linen, would strip their
horses, and, bringing them in, scream
at the top of their voices, "Put him
through if you kill him."
From this time on, young Coker's
fortunes smiled upon him. 1t was
now evident to all that without an
accident he would win the race, and
every man, woman, and child on the
ground vas wrought up to the highest
pitch of excitement. Sedate old
judges lost their dignity, and hurrahed
at the top of their voices; the ladies
waved their handkerchicfs, children
screamed, and young Coker gained on
his time every round. Finally, the
marshal tapped the bell, as the las;
mile was made, and announced go
mills in 2 hours and 53 minutes" AT
this, young Coker exclaimed: LET
me give them another mile for good
measure" and with an eye as clear as
a N eagles, and limbs as 1.-the as the
mountain does, he mounted a fresh
horse and made his sixty-first and last
mile in two minutes and fifteen
seconds.
Ii is safe TO say there ncvcr vas such
a %cOncoursc of people, Or such a scene
in western Texas. Men wanted to
carry him around OIL their shoulders
wanted to treat him-give him coffee,
icc-water-anything. Finally he was
taken up into the judges stand, and
introduced by the marshal and that
the crowd might have a chance to do
something for him, a prominent bank
er of this city pulled off his hat and
called out, Gall who wish 10 do some
thing for the young man, here's a
chance" The last we saw of him, his
hat was well laden with gold and sill
yer, which was given to Cocker i'm adj
dition to the premium of the assOcia-
ton.
Some amusing incidents occurred
during the race. Your correspondent
was AT one time sent for by a party of
ladies to "come there quick" Ar
irving, he was urgently requested to
"iust think of the poor Young man.
and let him ride half the distance and
get half the money. We tried to quiet
their nerves by assuring them that
next year he would ride 100 miles in
five hours, and year after next 200
miles i'm ten hours. The look they
gave us was fully understood to mean
~"you're n brute-n and we left With the