Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-12-16
H U M o R 0 U S.
Sham Hays and His Bull Race

Some forty years ago the managers of
race course near Brownsville, on the Monoh,
gahela, published notice OF a race, one mile
heats. on particular day for a purse of 500,
free for anything with four legs and hair on.
"A man in the neighborhood named HAYS had
bull that he was in the habit of riding to
mill with his bag Of corn, and he determined
to enter him for the race. He said nothing
about 1t 10 any one but he rode him around
the track number of times on several brig hit
nights. and the bull had the hang of the
ground pretty we'll and would keep the rich.
course. Ho rode him with spurs, which the
bull considered particularly disagreeable so
much so that he always beloved when thew
were applied 10 his sides. On the morning
OF the race. lays came upon the ground Ion
horseback on his hull. Iastead Of saddle
he had dried ox-hide, the head part Of
which, with the horns still on, he had placed
on the rump. He carried short tin horn
in his hand. He rode up to the Judges
stand and offered to enter his bull for the
race but the owners of the horses objected.
Hays appealed to the terms ofsthe notice. in.
sisted that his bull had -four legs and hair
on, aud that therefore be had right to on
ter him. After good deal of ..cussin' and
dlscussin'," the judges declared themselves
compelled to decide that the bull lad the
right to run, and he was entered accorlp.ly.
When the time for starting arrived the bull
AID the horses took their places The horse,
T" .rs were out of humor at being bothered
with the bull and at the burIesque which they
supposed was in ended, hut thought that
would be over as soon the horses started.
The signal was given and they did start
Hays gave a blast with his horn and sank his
spurs into the bulls sides, which bounded
forward with a terrible below. at no triain.
speed. the dried ,x-hide finpnine up and
down. rafting at every jnmr, making CON-
bina'ion of noises that had never been keard
on race course before. The horses all fl-w
on the track. every one seemed to be seized
with sudden determination to take the
shortest cut to get out of the Red>tone cnun>
try. and not nne Of them cou'd be brnu,'t
back in time to save their distance. The
purse was given to Hays under great deaf f
hard swearing on the part of the cwuers f
the horses. general row epsued but the
fun of the thing put the crowd all on the
side of the bull. Tho borsenen contepded
tfst they were swindled ont of the purse and
that If it had mt heen for IIavs' horn aud OK
hide. which he "nght not to have been per>
m'tted t" bring the ground, the thing
would not have turned ont rs it did. Uron
this HAYS told them that his bull could beat
any ut their horses. ANYHOW and If thew would
put mn 500 against rhe purse he had won. he
would take off the OK hide aud leave his tin
horn and run fair race with them His offer
was accented and his money stakcd They
again took their rlaces NJ the starting most
and the signal givfn. HAYS gave tho bull
another t"nch with his snurs, and the hull
gave another tremendous below The horses
remembered the horrible sound, and Thought
all the res, was coming as before. Away they
their riders. while Hays ralioped his bull
around tho track again. and won the money.
From that time they nicknamed him Sham
Hays. He afterzard removed to Ohio, but
his nickname stuck to him as long rs ne lived
Spirit Of tie Times.