The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-07-16
any harm to the little bird who had been
her playmate and friend.
This story was told me for a true one,
and / fully believe it.-NTsegy.
A Novel Race.

Some forty years ago, the managers of
a race course near Brownsviile, on the
Monongahela, in the old Keystone State,
published the notice Of race, one-miie
heats, ona particular day for purse OF
800, free for anythingwith four legs and
hair ON. A man in the neighborhood
named HAYS, had bull that he was in
the habit of riding to the mill with his
bag of corn, and he determined to enter
him for the race. He said nothing about
it to any one, but he rode him around
the track number of times on several
bright nights, and the bull had the hang
of the ground pretty well, and would
keep the right course. He rode him with
spurs, which the bull considered particu-
larly disagreeable, 80 much 80 that he
always beloved when they were applied
to his sides.
On the morning of the race Hays came
upon the ground con horseback" on his
bull. Instead of a saddle he had dried
ox-hide, the head part Of which, with the
horns still on, he had placed on his rump.
He carried short tin horn in his hand.
He rode up to the judges stand and offer
ed to enter the bull for the race, but the
owners of the horses objected.
HAYS appealed to the terms of the no
tice, Insisted that his bull had "four legs
and hair on" and that therefore, he had
a right to enter him. After good deal
of acussin' and discussin" the judges
declared themselves compelled to decide
that the bull had right to run, and he
was entered accordingly. When the
time for starting arrived, the bull and
the horses took their places, The horse
racers were out of humor at being Doth
cred by the bull, and at the burlesque
which was intended, but thought II
would be over as soon as the horses
started. The signal was given, and they
did start. Hays gave blast with his
horn and sank his spurs into the bulPs
side, which bounded forward with ter.
! rible below, at 10 trifiing speed, the dried
ox-hide Topping up and down, rattling
at every Jump, making combination Of
noises that had never been heard on
race course before.
The horses flew off the track--every
one seemed to be seized with sudder
determination to take the shortest cut tt
get out out of the Redstone country, an6
not one of them could he brought bacl
I'm time to ssaxe their distance. The purs'
was given to Hays undeifiSS great deal o. o
, hard swearing on the part of the 0Wfe'
of the horses. A general row ensued
, but the fun ofthe thingpu the crowd al
: on the side of the bull The horsemel
, contended that they were swindled ou
! of the purse, and if it had not been 70
HAYS horn and ox-hide, which he ough
not have been permitted to bring upol
the ground, the thing would not hav
i ended as it did.
/ Upon this, Hayes told them that HI
' bull could beat any of their horses, an
{ that if they would put up 800 again.
| his purse, he would take off his ox-hid
and leave his horn and run q fail. rae
|. with them. His offer was accepted an
r his money staked. They again took thei
v places at the starting post, and the signs
9 was given. Hays gave his bull anothe
touch with his spurs, and the bull CAV
4 another tremendous below. The horse
a remembered the sound, and thought a
the rest was coming as before. Ava
n they went again, in spite of the exertiol
4 of the riders, while Hays galloped I'll
. bull around the track again and won IL
!. money. From that time they nickname
y him Sham Hays. He afterward remove
;. to Ohio, but his nickname stuck to hi
v as long as he lived.