The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-11-11


CULATIoN OF ALL THE OTHER DAILY
NEWSPAPERS OF TIE CITY.
A Remarkable Feat-The Great sixty.
Mile Race ut san Antonio, Texas.
From the San Antonio Herald. Oct. 2p.1
Some two months since the Agricultural
stock-R Raising and Industrial Association of
Western Texas, domiciled at san Antonio,
inserted the following advertisement IN
their city papers:
"a sIXTY-MILE RAcE-S75 PREMIUM.
"The Agricultural, Stock Raising, and
Industrial Association of Western Texas
offer a special premium of $50 to the first.
and S25 to the second winner in bO-mile
race around their track at San Pedro
Springs, provided that the distance Is made
in three hours. None but Texas-raised
horses and 1eXas-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 October next. For further
information address Agricultural Associa-
ton. box 15l, Post-otfice, San Antonio"
This announcement caused some little
talk on the subject, but the almost uniyer-
sal opinion of the people was that the race
could not be won on TeXas-raiSed horses
in that time. Up to the morning of the day
hpp Il uaIl DCou anu tut
directors We're in despair. However, before
ii O'Clock Neil Coker appeared upon the
grounds with twelve cow-ponies, and de-
clared II his intention to contest for the
prize. Neil Coker was born and raised in
BeXar county, Is twenty-five years Of aye,
weighs somewhere between 125 aud 135
pounds, is likely. active young man, fair
tyne Of our stock raising community.
We examined the twelve horses, and
fc1l ham, -. \
no one believed he could win the race, no
| one was willing to loan him good horse,
| and Of the eleven and one mules which he
had, it is safe to say that not over three had
| eaten mouthflll Of corn in their lives. The
! track is only Il half mile. is entirely new, q
bog-hollow prairie, badly ploughed and but
| slightly narrowed, with no attempt at filling
up the holes or levellng down the hills.
The track is oval in shape, with four sharp
curves, which makes it difficult 10 bring an
unframed horse around the corners.
With all these difficulties and this kind
of stock, at the tap of the bell, promptly
pony and applied his first dose of "1'exas
| 1uirt." The first tour horses he only ran
a half mile each, and made his changes
in from tive to seven seconds. The fifth
horse, a noble gra>s-raised animal, belong
ing to 7. p. Simpson, Esq, of this city,
carried him one mile in two minutes and
ten seconds. This was excellent time, but
he was so bard to take up that he passed
the stand fully five yards. costing the
rider Il good deal of needed strength and
fifteen seconds Of good tune. Nothing
special occurred up to the eighth, when an
ungoyeimble mustang flew the track alto
gethcr, and made circuit down through
The woods. Meeting the San Pedro irriga-
ting canal, he turned back through the
agricultural department, leaped an eight
horse power tbreShing machine, and finally,
deSpairing Of making his escape, tried his
"leveI best " to pitch young Coker over his
head. By this time his attendants reached
him with another horse he got back into
the track and proceeded on his way. About
the thirteenth mile another horse broke on
the other side of the track and came very
near jumping stone wall. He was finally
brought to full stop; but considerable
time was lost. With all these mishaps, at
the end of thirty miles young Coker was
two minutes ahead Of time. The marshal,
Gen. Young, made this announcement in u
voice that could be heard for half mile
round.
The crowd now began to get excited, and
a universal shout went up for more and
better horses. Men who hld refused the
use of their horses, and scofed ut the posi-
blity Of such run, began to believe he
would make the trip. Gen. Knox, Capt.
Story, VIM. II. Jackson, President Of the
Association, and I presume at least fifty
others, eXcrtcd themselves in procuring
better horses. Captain Wm. II. Elliott
brought in his splendid black stallion, who
made his mile in a little over two minutes.
Mr.. A. Oliver and Mr.. Mclean stripped the
harness from their horses and brought them
i'll. BY this time the excitement was so
great that every horse on the ground, no
matter what his value, was at the service OF
the young and gallant rider. Gentlemen
with goId-hea;lcd canes, kid gloves, and
line linen, would strip their horses, and,
bringing them in. scream at the top OF their
voices, fsPut him through il you kill him."
From this time on, young Cokers for
tunes smiled upon him. 1t was now evil
dent to all that without an accident he
would win the race, and every man, and
woman. and child on the ground was
wrought up to the highest pitch of excite
mcnt. Sedate old Judges lost their dignity,
and hurrahcd at the top of their voices, the
ladies waved their handkerchiefs, children
screamed, and yonng Coker gained Oh his
time every round. Finally, the marshal
tapped the bell US the last mile was
made, and announced Sixty miles in two
hours and lilty-three minutes" At this,
Young Cokcr exclaimed "Let me give
Jncm anOLOcF lnlle lOT ROOu neaSufe, anu
with all eve as clear as IN eagles, and limbs
rs 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.
1t is safe to say there never was such Il
concourse of people or such Il scene in
western Texas. Men wanted to carry him
around on their shoulders wanted to treat
him-give him coffee, ice water-anything.
Finally, he was taken up into the judges
stand and introduced by the marshal and
that the crowd might have chance to do
something for him, a prominent banker OF
this city pulled Off his hat and called out,
"Al who wish to do something for the young
man, here's chance" The last we saw OF
him his hat was well laden with gold and
silver, which was given to Coker in addi-
ton to the premium Of the association.
| A SALOON AND RESIDENCE DESTROYED
-Four Girls Perish in the FldmeS.-The
Burlington QowD HaWkeye says that early
on the 21st ult., in that city, the saloon and
residence OF Michael Bacher were burned,
! and four persons perished in the flames.
! 1t appears that the proprietor of the sa-
| loon and one of his daughters were confined
TO bed with intermittent fever, and that the
purents and sick children occupied the
! o,,, -, bo cnoop6 f1nar Will, snn