The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-12-22
DONE FOR

DONE FOR.
THE LITTLE "GRAY ~MAR"-MoUNr vERSoN
BOYS BETTING IN THE DARK.
The Evansville Journal claims that the
following little incident actually happened
last week: There is a coterie OF Young
bloods in Mount Vernon, Ind. gand thi.
thing is not too personal for we get it from
one OF the number), who are given to the
sports of the field and the turf 70 a very
great, though in no very successful, degree.
There Is a little town called Phillipstown.
about hiteen miles west of Mount Yer
non, IN Illinois, which has for a long
time "crowed over'' the latter in the
possession of two rafting quarter horses
with much speed, and which was a thorn
IN Inc SIC Of the Mt. Vernon people. Not
TO be outdone, the coterie of spOrtsmen de-
termined to "come it over" the Phillips
town people, and accordingly hired from
81. Louis a clean-limbed, fleet looking horse
called stranger, whose chief point OF ex-
cellence was the fact that there was no
doubt OF his beating the Phillipstown horse.
Wen, the horse came, and about three weeks
ago the race was made up, to come of last
Friday, for $500 q side, $3.50 forfeit. The st.
Louis steed was placed in training for
the meeting. A few days aftervard
there appeared in Mt. Vernon a couple OF
particularly green and unsophisticated
c0untrymen, who hailed from the Kentucky
snore opposite. They were very laxative,
ana 1T was soon discovered that the country
clod-hoppers had a horse upon which they
would lay a little. The question was can
vassed, and finally it was determined that
the MI. vernon men would back a Phillips
town horse, called "Old George" against the
Kentucky gray mar" for four horses and
800 IN cash a side, the Kentuckians agree
ing to put up the
FoUR HORSES As A FORFEIT.
This was done, and the verdant ores disap-
peared, and were seen no more until the
day of the race. In the meantime those
four horses were distributed out in expecta-
ton among the parties, and the greenies
from over the river were heartily laughed at
for their verdancy. Last Friday, Dec. IL.
was the day set for the first race, and the
Mount Nernonites set out in large numbers
tor Phillpstown, taking with them the in
vinclble Granger" and the stake horses
lnisthe race with the "grsy MARI
When, arriving on the grounds,
the hackers of Granger found all
Illinois supporting the PhilIipstown horse
With encouragement and money, they began
TO weaken" anc after being fairly out
betted, out-blown and out-bantered, thew
laid $3.50 and withdrew the s'Graneer.n
around whom the home curses Of a number
OF deep and feeling hearts were clustered.
Thus bullied out of the race the Mt. Ver-
ron boys smiled in the armlets of their
Kin Williams and waited for the morrow
to retrieve their modification and loss.
The morning of the next day
dawned brighter and clear. Nothing
was to be seen of the Kentuckiaps.and as the
hour set approached, the ~forfeits we're about
to be claimed, when the "greenies" rode up
with the little "gray mar" an ordinary look
ing scrub. Well, the money was put up,
and still nothing was said about the pIelim-
mary arrangements for the race. IN fact,
the two countrymen were Just the ~greenest
| SD0TtSn9n AltO1r ThnU didn't 1nnr- a ~
thing, and the Mount Vernon boys
ALMOST DIED \
at their verdancy. At last one of the
strangers was asked about some mode
to decide the draw for the positions.
"Oh, WAL" he said, 81 reckon it don't
make no difference about that-you fel-
lows can just pick your place." At this a
roar went up. Then some one mentioned
the judges. "Oh, WAL" said the Kentuck-
ian, az reckon it don't make no difference
about that; I don't know nobody over here,
and you fellows can just pick your judges"
Then the mirth was great, but some began
to pity the MISREPRESENTATION OF the country
fellows, and seriously thought of returning
the money if it was lost. The horses were
brought out, and the verdant spOrtsmen be-
gan to take in small bets, and then as the
madness of the thing grew apparent, the
boys from Mt. Vernon staked their watches,
reviewers, anu nOrSes, All eager 10 take IN
the harvest OF cash offering. The positions
were taken, and the judges started them,
for the quarter race. the Phillpstown
horse getting fourteen feet start.
But that scrub "gray mar" was
a marvel to see. As the horses left the
faces of the spectators were wreathed in
good natured smiles; these gradually
changed to looks of interest, then of doubt,
and then of rage, for the little grey horse
went along easily and swimmingly, cutting
down the ~Philiipstown nag without any
trouble, and came in about thirty feet
ahead. The Mt. Vernon boys were sights.
They went back with tail feathers dropping,
and flat broken of all they had taken with
them.