Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-05-04

just then seed IIaskins talking TO
the boss, heard him say, ",Sandjoy, ], m
sorry to say, amt in his stride I'm
Altered there's something amiss with
him; ! aiu't been able yet to bring him
up to condition" Then turning to me.
he says, " Boy, try and win don't push
the horse too hard if you feel him
falling, ease up right Off that borae OF
yours wants saving" 1t wasn't a regular
race, you know, onl y make believe ::
but J made mp my mind to do the best
could TO please that pretty lady. We
was seven all together as started. There
was Only two horses in the whole lot
that could hold candle to Suadbov
One was 1iice, a dark bay mare. and
BugLe,a great big roam. ! knowed ] could
Jockey BHgLe, out of the race, by pushing
him and then again, the boy that rode
was not plucky and besides (well,
don't mind telling you.)-because it
vast real race-that boy owed me 81.
and ] promised to let him of, providing
hc let me pass him. Well, the horses
was all on the jump, aud / was on the
inside, which was to my advantage but
~.
AT the first quarter we held well together.
BuJte first drawing little ahead. and
Atice even with me. Just past the
quarter, the other horses was left failing
behind. 1t was race now between us
three, with alice now working ahead as
much as n half length, with Bagle
alongside OF me. Sand bog seemed TO
me To be going free, and as if he liked the
fun OF it. passed BtgLe clean | could
have done 1t easy; without the two
dollars, but | didn't want to press nv
horse. dhjce, in the meantime was clip
ping it. | now pushed Su,dGoy aud
be answered straight, and l soon collered
alice, and now we went at it nip and
tuck. Once or twice as we neared the
third quarter kind of thought .SondGoy
was giving in, but he kind rallied. / was
now square alongside Of the mare, aud
mad enough to have to killed the boy
who was astrde of her. 1t was real
game struggle. | chirruped and clucked
to my horse, who seemed to gain courage
and now | felt | was gaming an inch at
time. My teeth was hard set now, and
l had given np following. just then |
heard the ladies shout, aud ! knowed |
was in tirst--it by half a head. Good
boy, said the lady as she handed me a
five dollar bill. "We ell ridden, younqster."
said the boss. But somehow or other.
Haskims shook his head, and said to me,
as | was stripping off the saddle, at ever
you was keartul, of an 'oss, take kear of
that one now"
| was mighty careful, and got him
well rubbed down, but l observed he
was kind Of nervous, and kept a-sweating
long time, and wouldn't dry properly.
Well, this has been a pretty long story.
The end of it was that Sdad-Joy never
was on his feet square again after that
little race. Next day he was down on
his back, and the day after that his four
hoofs was up in the air. Cried / guess
| did cried myself blind over him.
There never was such horse, and never
will be again. The week after we buried
him, the Boss came on the ground.
" Boy" SAYS he" we will have to dis.
charge you," "Why?" says I. "Because,"
says he, " though we have no fault to
find with you, you're growing too fat
and too heavy by far for a jockey, and
now your mount is dead. We amt got
no further use for YOU" You see, grieving
Tor SandJoy hadn't reduced me in flesh.
That's all | have to tell you about how |
was a jockey. / amt ridden horse
since that time, and don't never intend to.