The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-02
MUSTANG RACING AS 1T Is.
AND WHAT WAS SAD by THE SPEC-
7dTORs ar FLEBTWOOD.
A Rider Kept on the Track Alter he Had Been
blinded, nnd why he Kept on tue
Trnck-An Eye Out for the Gate Money.

l. u =
A Rider Kcpt on the Track Alter he Had Been
Blinded, aud why he was Kept on tue
Trnck-AR Eye Out for the Gate Money.
George Parker again tried 10 ride thirty
mustangs 305 miles in fifteen hours on the Fleet
wood Park course yesterday, aud failed again.
He wore the same attire that he wore a fort
night ago. with pair OF green goggles ad ded.
When he mounted the nrst bronoho at 4 o clock
In the morning in the presence Of thirty or forty
persons, he seemed to be as he himself declared,
"in frst-rate condition" He discarded the
bride lash and used a slender, biting whip. In
the darkness OF the morning he rode number
Of miles when only the chatter OF his horses
boots told of his whereabouts. when the day
broke and the spectators could follow him
around the track with their eyes, he was
seen TO be riding briskiy, but without the ease
and grace of Peraltos horsemanship. The
CHI lily morning developed into hot summer
day. the shiverng knot OF spectators increased
to regiment or two Of sweterinR beer drink
ers, the thirty mustangs were used again and
again, and still Parker spurred and whipped his
way around the track, rapidly throwing the
miles out behind him. IL any fault in his per-
formance was apparent 1t was that he da wdled
about al ighting and remounting. Instead OF Ice
water, he had wholesome broths and teas, aud
instead OF pie, belt was strapped tight around
his stomach, as a preventive OF the appetite that
the riding created.
Only one accident broke the m onotony Of the
spectacle. A vicious roam that was carrying
fdrker over his eighteenth mile, ran headlOng
into fence at the quarter pole, and threw the
rider TO the hard clay. A crowd Of eroons aud
He was merely winded bv the shock. and In less
than nifty seconds was ON the horse sgain-
Parker made his first 100 miles IN hours 80 min
utes and - seconds, and had % minutes TO spare.
He rode second hundred miles In good time.
and without oetrayinR much stinness or fatigue
"A ans nIig Wis he t..f na
lower part Of the judges stand, and II was su.-
pected that he Was being fed with stimulsnts.
Pauses OF ten and even fifteen minutes between
the heats became frequent, aud II was seen tn al
although Parker spurred and whipped his stoeds
when he passed the spectators stands. he ire
ouently doubled no and allowed the horses to
canter at leisure around the further half Of the
course.
The rapidly increasing multitude Of specta-
tors had begun to see that only tho most heroic
exer ions ON the riders part might give him
victory, when he Incl essed the nuuItber and
length OF his halts, sandwiching them In after
almost every mile that ne rode. The spectators
thought themselves trlted with, as 1t was eyi-
dent that he could not win. and they could not
see why he spent double the time Indoors that
he spent on horseback: and from murmurs OF
Dissatisfaction, open tccusations of uufairness
on the part OF the managers Of the exhibition
were SPOKEN aloud.
Once as Parker ieaped upon his relay. after a
protrscted visit To- his physician, 1t was seen
that he pressed his hands to bis eyes ana It was
then noticed that he had not been using the
stirrupr for some tune, but had invariably
vaulted upon the backs Of the horses. A wnis-
between the loug pauses Parker was led to a
fresh relay and mounting IL he rode OF, only to
stop at the doctors again when he reached the
door. The dissatisfaction among the specta-
tors was intensified, aud parties from the
WHO bad just entered tho park threatened to
sue ths managers IL their entrance fees were
not returned. Kisses greeted whoever tried to
.poloelze for the managers, and at length. after
Parker mad dismOunted from his lO9t relay,
the COMPLETION Of 2l6 miles, the physician sup
ported MIN into the stand and the judges an
nounced the loss Of the race. out said that Per-
q m m
two hours.
Mr.. q. " Hand, the agent for the owner OF tho
horses, confirmed the ruInor that Parker had
again become blind, this time IN both eyes. II
was the general opinion of the spectators that
Parker WAS pushed into the ring many times
after MS blindness had been noticed, 50 that the
gate money might continue to now IN from the
hundreds " no were arriving from New York BY
every train. " IL WAS $500 an hour to them to
keeJ him going, although he was nearly an hour
returned another, land that's what Peralto is
running THIS forty miles for. They cannot bear
To close the gates
The suspicious fact that, although se50oo was
saii to nave been wagered on Parker's first race
against time and $l0.OD Upon Peraltos exploit,
the u. mes OF the gentlemen who were supposed
10 nave waRered these sums were not dyulged.
was freely commented upon, as was also the ad-
oitonal fact that In the judges box not
sporting man, but instead number OF young
u~n, whose faces business men recognized
tue employees OF one or two railroads.
Parker's physician, Dr. Stanly, says that he
permitted Parker to ride after he had been
blinded because he was between two fires. 1t
would injure ar. Hands prospects II called
P,rker IN the track, and It was inJuting Parker's
eyes TO keep him at work
Peralto made forty miles at the close OF tho
day In one hour, fnrty-tnTee seconds and a half
I he nrst mile he rode ade in two minutes
ana ten seconds Five thousand persons saw the
Gays sport. Parker recovered the use Of one OF
his EYES before the close OF the day.