Weekly Trinity journal., 1870-07-09
Timing a Fast Horse Cure for the Racing
Fever.

friend of ours who owns fine farm near
Camp Dennison-Johu we will call him-is fond
of horses, and has private race-track where he
puts his fast nags through a course of equine
sprouts. Those residing in the vicinity who
have, or think they have, fast nags, frequently
resort to this racetrack for the purpose of test
ing the speed of their cattle. Now, John is a
bit of a wag, and numerous are the jokes he has
played off upon his friends in - timing " their
horses with his patent Elgin stop-watch. Every
man likes TO think be has got fast horse, and
when told that his horse has made mile in
2:30 when he had no idea he could get below
the htties, be naturally feels elated, don't you
see-especaly when so grave and earnest q
man as our friend John holds the watch, an d
that watch is known the country round for its
reliability. If anybody else were to time the
speed of the nags they might question its au-
thenticiy, but JOhn-no Que thought of question
ing him or his patent Elgin. One day last fall a
neighboring farmer, who couldn' II sleep very well
nights because he had got it into his head that
colt he owned was fast brought the said colt
10 Johns race-track to try him. John very ac-
commodatingly held his patent Elgin while the
owner of the colt drove around the track.
Two-thirty-eight II yelled John as the colt
passed the mile pole
What's that n shouted the man in astonish-
ment.
"Two minutes and thirty-eight seconds ex-
a.
This was so much better than the colt propri-
etor had anticipated that he couldn't believe it
possible, and said so. " Hold the watch your
self, them" said John somewhat grufIiy, " if
you can't believe me-"
Oh, replied the man, Fastening to concili-
ate, 4" ! don't question your meaning in the mat
ter, but you might have made mistake on the
watch"
Don't you know this is patent Elgin stop
watch? inquired John. 1t can't make any
mistake there, you see, it has stopped on two
minutes thirty-eight seconds. III drive around
and you time the colt"
Now the interior of the track was planted with
corn and forest of cornstalks reared their
lofty heads there, completely obstructng more
than a very limited view of the track. The
word " go " was given and John got" AS
soon as be was out of sight of the others he
darted through wood that traversed the corn
field, cutting off nearly half the distance, that
when be reached the me-post the owner of the
colt fairly danced with JOY as he roared:
"TUotirty-One-d dRd-d-hdG. By hokeyW
The man was nearly wild with excitement,
refused FIVE hundred dollars John offered for the
colt on the spot and hurried home with his
newl ly-found treasure. He was on look out for
some fair where he was confident of being able
20 scoop EN- all up" as he said. The Blan-
chester fair came off in little while, and there
was our hero with his wonderful colt. He put
him in against the fastest trotter they had, bet
his money freely, and to his own horror and the
uproarious mirth of the crowd, his fast colt was
nearly five minutes in getting around. In utter
disgust he sold the colt for a moderate sum, and
is entirely cured of the fast-borse complaint.
He don't know to this day that John stopped his
" stop-watch " on him, and he is ignorant of the
short cut through the cornfeld, but he don't
want any more fast horses. John has cured
several embryo hOrsemen in the same way, and
looks upon himself as "a benefactor of his race
if he ism t of the horse race. His treatment is
expensive but effectual. -" Eat Conhidutor' an
Cincinnati Times.