Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-07-21
HOW THE OLDHORsE wON THEBET
BY OLIVER wEsDEIL HoINE-

W III AAtet a AllAIl--iiiu MlB II AAC
That stands beside his fast b. G.
3 add Dobie, whose catarrhal name,
So fills the nasal trump of fame.
There too stood many noted steed
OI Messenger and Morgan breed;
Green horses also, not a few
Unknown as yet what they could do;
And all the hacks that know so well
The seodrgiRss Of shs SAndaysweh.s
Blud are tI.ssl.ies of epeningaay
The bOrdeHngs turf igreen With MaEssz
The sunshine's golden CLEAN is thrown
On sorrel, chestnut, hay, and roam;
The horses paw and neigh,
tllileS and colts like kittens play
And dance and toss their nPpled names
! h ming and soft as silken skeins;
Wagons and gigs are ranged about,
And fashion fiaunts her gay turnout;
Here stands-each youthful Jehu's dream
The jOinted tandem-tieklish teaml
And there in ampler breadth expand
The splendors of the fOur-in-hand;
On fauitieSs ties and glossy titles
The lovely bOnnets beam their smiles
fThe styles the man, so books avow:
The stvle's the woman. anyhow;
From founees frothed witt creamy lace
Peeps out the pug-dOg's smptty face,
Or spaniel rolls his liquid eye,
Or stares the wiry pet of Skye
U woman, Iii our hours Of ease
S shy with us, so free with these!
Come onl III bet you two to one
I'll make him do itl' '.Will your DoneI'
What was it who was bound to do?
did not hear and can't tell yeu,-
Pray listen till my story's through.
Scarce noticed, back behind the rest,
Bycart and wagon rudely prest,
The parsons lean and bOny bay
Stood IaFneSSedin his oneshorSe ShSY.-7
Lent p Dc. sexton for thet4y. CO
"a fuIleral-so the sexton sand;
His mothers uncle's wife was dead).
Like Lazarus bid to Dives feast.
So looked the poor forlorn old beast;
His coat was rough. his tail was bare,
The gray was sprinkled in his hair;
Sportsmen and jockeys knew him not,
And vet they say he once could trot
Among the feeIest of the town,
Till something cracked and broke him
down.
The steed's the statesman's common lott
''And are we then so soon forgotY
All me! doubt if one of you
Has ever heard the name "0ld Blue"
Whose fame through all this region rung
In those old days when l was young!
Bring forth the horsel" Alas! he showed
Mt like the one Mazeppa rode;
Seant-maned, sharp-backed, and shaky.
Sneed,
The wrecS of what was once a steed.
lips thin, eyes hollow, stiff in joints;
Yet not without his knowing points.
The sexton, laughing in his sleeve
As if t were all a make-believe,
Led forth the horse, and as he laughed
Unhitched the breeching from a shaft,
Unclasped the rusty belt beneath,
Drew forth the snaffle from his teeth,
Slipped off his headstall, set him free
From strap and rein-a sight TO seel
So worn, so lean in every limb,
1t can't be hey are saad .hinie 20
It's his back the Iig-slils stridos
aud Ia 9s his lank; eheuna ic1sifes,
With looks Of mingled scorn and mirth
They buckle round the saddle girth:
With horsey wink and sauey toss
A youngster thrown his leg across,
And so, his rider on his back,
They lead him, hmping to the track.
Far up behind the starting-point,
To timber out each stifened joint.
As through the jeering crowd he past,
One pitying look old Hiram cast;
$50 it, We cripple, while ye ean!''
Cried out unsentimental Dan;
ga Fast-day dinner for the crows!'
Budd DOble's scofing shout arose.
Slowly, as when the walking-beam
Eil.Sf Faalc tho rrotba,-ir,rr hoa1 -.
With warning cough and threatening
wheeze.
The stiff old charger crooks his keens.
AT first with cautious step sedate,
As if he dragged coach Of state;
He's not colt; he knows full well
That time is weight and sure to tell
No horse so sturdy but he fears
The handicap Of twenty years.
As through the throng on either hand
The old horse nears the judges stand,
Beneath his jockeys feather-weight
He warns little to his gait,
And now and then step is tried
That hints of something like stride.
''Go!-Through his ear the summons strun
As if a battle-trump had rung;
The, e,slPmbering instincts long unstirred
Start at the old familiar word 1 INi
1t thrills like fame through every limb
What mean his twenty years to him?
The savage blow his rider dealt
Fell on his hollow fanks unfelt;
The spur that pricked his staring hide
Unheeded tore his bleeding side;
Alike to him are spur and rein,
Hesteps d fEe-year-old again!
Before the quarter pole was past,
( Old Hiram said, .sHe's going fast
Long ere the oasftef vas > lhasf,
| The ehuck king crowd had sce led 70 laugh
| Tighter his frightened jockey clung
As in mighty stride he swung,
] The gravel flying in his track,
His neck stretched out, his ears laid back
His tail extended all the while
Behind him like a rat-tail file!
OFF went shoe away e spgn,
ishot1lko bui iron FuA.
The quaking jockey shapes a prayer
From scraps of Oathes he used to swear;
He drops his whip, he drops his rein,
He clutches iercely for name;
/ He'll lose his hold-he sways and reels
He'll slide beneath those trampling heels
The knees Of many horseman quake,
| The flowers on many bonnet shake,
And shouts arise from left and right,
'sStick onI Stick on" s'Iould tight
Hould tightP'
HCling round his neck and don't let GO
That pace can't hold-there! steady whOaI
But like the sable steed that bore
The spectral lover of Lenor,
His nostrils snorting foam and fire,
No stretch his bOny limbs can tire;
And now the stand he rushes by,
And stop him stop himl" is the cry.
Stand back! he's only just begun
He's having ont three heats in onel D
"Don't rush in front! he'll smash yon
brains; =
But follow up and grab the reinsl%
Old Hiram spoke. Dan Pfeiffer heard,
And sprang impatient at the word;
Budd Doble started on his bay,
Old Hiram followed on his gray,
And off they spring and round they go,
The fast ones doing 'tall they know"
Bookl twice they follow at his heels,
As round the circling course he wheels,
And whirls with him that clinging boy
Like Hector round the walls of Troy;
Still on, and on, the third time roundl
They're failing of they're losing ground
Budd Doble's nag begins TO fail r.s-sys
Dan Pfeiffer's sorrel wlislrs mis- tail
And seel in spite of Win md shout,
Old Hiram SNARE Is giving outl
Now for the fnishi at the turn,
] Tho old br,.co al fbo -oof ocEarft