American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-05-27
TIE GREAT MUSTANG RACE.
LOST AFTER IIAXIga TWO HUNDRED AND
THEt,FV-eI1 LILIES.

LOST AFTER lIAILITG TWO HUNDRED AND |
TWEEEY-sI1 LILIES.
zeIcvon Ego rs,~ rr ! {. yTr,,,y-frrr HEinn,rs
Er$,t,. s-adsiic 40 su,,,tr-gsosses CHAM |
e. sane sfn d"c.1 aad Stn".y-onr Times ;
An Intrepid Esitor EsIinGcG GE slis
G'racA.
[Fr,u t,ic New York sun.l
Geo. Parker, the ranchero, who
eng god to ride dirty mustang
horses three hundred and five miles
in fifteen hours on Fleetwood Park
yesterday, broke down after com
! pi:tinS two hundred and twenty six
miles in eleven hours and twcnty>
four minutes. Tic race was begun
al oao minnie past four in the morn
ing, Parker leading a bay horse
by q long hide halter, made his ap-
poarance, and took his place on the
mustangs back i'll front of the
ijalges' stand. lie wore a cardigan
Jacket, tight black trousers. a jaunty
silk cap, and long boots. arm~tl with
/ long-spiked Spanish spurs. He was
| in excellent condition, and spoke
confidently of his ability to win the
rac0. At the tap Of the bell Parker
| clappGd his spurs to the horses
sides and disappeared around a
turn Of the track. II two minutes
aud twenty seconds, however, he
passed under the line and leaped
| fiom his steed. Parker's intention
was to run the younger horses twice
! around the track and the OiGer ones
! once before he sent them back to
! the stables Cor rest. When he leap
ed from his first racer a second al
ready saidled and bridled, was held
in waiting under the striug-a
beautiful animal, clean and neat of
shape and limb, aud promising a
lively Tuu. Parker could not mount
| it, however, f0r when he approach
| ed tho nervous creature it reared
and jumped and kicked until it's
cunbr0u5 Mexican saddle was
! loOseped, and the attendants had to
! lead the mustang back to the sheds.
4 third horse was quickly mounted,
and mile was made i'll two inmates
and fifty seconds, Parker rode well,
sitting firm i'll the saddle and hold
ing his body erect and straight.
! Whenever he completed a mile he
leaped to the ground and sprang as
easily upon the back of the relay
/ that Tie runners held for him. At
$40 the first hundred miles was
| finished, and Parker had nineteen
minutes 10 spare. At the complies
ton Of the S0th mile the violent
work began to tell on Parker. He
lad changed racers seyenty-two
times in the FIRST hundred miles and
this in itself was firing. At the
tI05th mile RAIN began to fall, a light
and refreshing rain at first, but a
storm after while. The horses
struggled through the sticky mad,
and the added toll of forcing into
speed the mired beasts rapidly
brought Parker down in both flesh
and spirits. He dismounted pain
fully and staggered, almost fell,
from one horse TO another, and drew
himself upon each flesh horse with
evident pain. At 1920 he finished
$50 miles in seven hours and nine
teen minutes. Suddenly he showed
his metal again, and with the cessa-
ton Of the rain he began second
brilliant dash of fifty miles; closing
his 200th mile at 2:09, after rid
Of ten hours and eight MINUS
Several times during the last Afty
miles he rested for some nipples at
a tune, TO sit down, to eat 90 walk,
or to be rubbed end clotb>d IN fresh
garments. II was not nat he mad
lost plucIs, but lie bag no physical
strength TO back it, /Ile had spent
the best half of q I@fy Wiihout food,
and had filed Ds heated body with
cold water. Ye was almost unable
TO steady hi.self on horseback, and
those who@aw him were apprehen-
siye tha,|le might either drop or
he th8iyn from some one of his
ibors,S. Finally, at $50, as he
idn5hed the 226th mile, and was
opposed TO be about to mount tie |
Eelay, he staggered like a drunken
man, and feeling along the front of
tho judges stand as a man moves |
in the dark, with hands outstretched |
entered the doorway, and dropped |
INTO n chair: From the chair he |
fell heavily into the arms of the
fancheros. They laid him on the
aoor, and bathed his head until o
nhysirian arrived. 81 am stone |
bliu9,n the PROSTATE rider moaned.
81 shat never see again." The
physician examined the riders eyes.
Vision had entirely fed from one of
them. 10 told Parker the ailment
was only temporary, and urged him
to mount 4 horse and continue the
race. Parker said, painfully: "fm
blind. L never can ride any more.
Ii l wasn't so, would yet win the
race" Others urged the rider TO
mount end ride again, and to them
he replied "Iou want to kill me.
1 am not stroag enough 20 move"
During the race Parker changed
horses 19I times, using each of the
thirty horses six times. The time
by stretches OF ten miles was as
follows.
stlsa. Time rtire7 Tire
io--------~-2G ;i9 no. --...-........,35:3o
2p------&7:50 ii0.-..-.....-..- 25:Sff
Se...-...-.- s.5s:.l. = 100 s35:IS
@7:23s lG0-.....------- 2i:472
80 --..':4i lsO.------ 1904
Co. .2i;094 l6) 2f:25