The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-12-18
CANroNs K4RA


Horse racing was more in vogue In fornit
than at the present day. 1hfact the quarter ~
then the customary distance run, ia new almosN
enaTely obsolete, horse race excited an inter
esfWith the public and always attracted crowd
At the first sale Of lots in the now town OF Canton,
then struggling with osnabufgh fos the county
seat arrangements were made BY Wells, the pro.
prietor, TO have horseTsce In ordJr to draw the
people, and Judge Louzenheiser, who was pres.
ent at the sale, said 1t had the rcd effect and
that the crowd manifested more interest in the
race than they did in the sale OF lots Marke,
street from North to Tusearawas, was clearedN 6i
timber and the underbru9h grubbed out Ia order,
TO make track
For generation after beGrly every town and
village could boast a raGe' rise that had never
been beaten. The inhabitants manifested deep
interest in the animal, and were always ready to
stake their bottom dollar or, II out Of money, q
bull eye watch on his speed. Even the boys &C.
tuated by like spirit, were ready to put up
money, II they had it, and II they had no money,
then anything they had about their person, be 1t
a dog knife or tin whistle. The disposition or
habit Of the people Of that day to back their opin-
Ions with bet was more common than at the
present day
There were class Of sporting men who travelled
the country with running horse, ready to make
match with anything that offered There was
another set, the owners of horse whose appear.
ance was we'll calculated to deceive-a sort OF
SLEEPY DaVy," who travelled in disguise, pretend.
ing to follow some other business that they might
the more readily rope in the unWary. A crcum-
stance Of the kind is worth relating in print;
It Is over fifty years ago that stranger might
have been seen on warm Summer day leading
a horse up TuscarawaS street. His outer hsbili.
ments we're In the style Of that day. though the
worse from wear and exposure. He wore dilapi.
dated stove.pi hat, and a swallow-tsi coat with
brass buttons. The horse had on riding saddle
loaded with tin ware. The man and horse both
moved along as though they were tired and as they
| approached Cherry street, where there were lot
OF boys playing shiny attracted the attention of
the boys who commenced making sport Of both
man and horse. Little attention was paid to this
exhibition Of rudeness on the part of the boys,
but the stranger moved along apparently uncon.
cerned until he reached the Bell Tavern (noW the
Amerlcan), then kept by Hahn, where he stopped
and hltched his horse TO the sign post At that
day, when Canton received the mail but twice
week. and newspapers were seldom seen, the ar
rival Of stranger was the signal for crowd to
collect around him eager to learn what was 20
Ing on or had transpired In other parts OF the
world The old man was descanting upon the
quality, assortment and cheapness of tin ware
Some one in the crowd made an ironical alluson
to his horse, upon which the owner proposed TO
run him against anything there was In town.
Jess Raffensberger then carrying on blacksmith.
ing at the Plat corner dagonally opposite, had
little gray horse that In several competitive trials
had given such proof OF speed that Jess was OF the
opinion he was hard to beat and had intimated a
willingness to run him against anythin that came
along
John Rex, then boy about twelve years Of age,
was present when the peddlar offered 10 run his
horse against anything in town, and he immedi.
ately ran over and informed Raffensberger that
there was man over at Hahn's tavern who want
ed race. Jess dropped his apron and made for
the tavern. When told 1t was the horse hitched
to the sign post loaded with tin ware, he consid-
cred himself sold-so unlike the appearance OF o
race horse did the animal look. When convinc-
ed, however, that the owner was In earnest In.
clined TO humor 1t as joke, he inquired OF him
how much he wanted to run for. The stranger,
taking out his wallet and counting his money,
all in silver change replied that he had FIVE dol.
lars which he was willing to put up.
"Oh, said Raft, somewhat contemptuously, al
wouldn't run my horse for less than twenty FIVE
dollars. If you can raise that amount, III show
you how easy 1t is 10 part fool and his money"
} That was more than he could raise, but II there
was any gentlemen present, who would loan him
twenty dollars he would give him as security
his horse, saddle and stock of tinware. Just then
stranger who had uuObserved, Joined the
crowd, stepped forward and agreed on the terms
proposed, just for the fun Of seeing race to fur
nish the twenty dollars. The money was accord
lngly put up, and Preparations made for the race
The stranger stripped his horse of the tinware
and saddle and solicited from among the boys
. around q rider, but no one volunteered. They
7 were afraid to trust Themselves upon the horse
apprehensive that he Woald stumble and fall
down, 30 awkward was he In his movements,
The race track at that time was south OF town
from Coulter's house to Frederiek's hill: now
Market street, from the residence Of Peter House
to the Melchoir Bros. To this place, the crowd
repaired, selected their judges and prepared fol
the race. Ell Sala was the rider of Raffensper
gers horse. The stranger, unable to procure 8
E boy rider, was forced to ride himself While the
horses were being led up and down the track
I the stranger took all the bets offered.
, When the horses were about to start, the Btran
gers horse exhibited such spirit that 1t required
! two men to hold him. At the word go, off they
dashed, the strange horse soon taking the lead
} and coming out several lergths ahead Our peo
| pie were badly taken in, and for a long time
fought shy OF travelling racers particularly those
ofthe Sleepy Davy" order.
= The race that created the greatest excitement
ofany that ever occurred in Stark county, wal
the one between the Massllon mare and the
Bacchus horse This was over forty years ago.
Sam Jones and the RRWSons OF Massillon had
, chestnut sorrel mare, that beat everything thai
came along, Canton's pride at that time, was the
Zerbe mare, owned by John Zerbe, and she wsi
beaten for the hrst time by this MasRillon mare
The sporting men Of Canton then imported
grey horse Of considerable reputation, and ht
was likewise beaten. It was asserted by thu
friends Of the Canton horse, that they were jock
/ eyed out OF the race, and there was quite news
. paper controversy carried on through the Mas
r sillon Gazette, and Stark County DEMOCRAT. A
l strong feeling Of Jealousy sprSng up between thu
two towns. A sporting man by the name Of Cont
living in Sandusky, was enlisted In behalf OF th
: Cantonians, and he secured match between hi
=, Bacchus horse and the Massillon man, on bet o
5000. The race came off on the track below Mas
sillon, and the crowd assembled to witness It wa
large, George Chapman rode the mare RnC
y was beaten three lengths. The amount OF mon
Q ey aud various articles that changed hands OF
y the result was immense. The race ls often refer
red to by old settlers as the most exciting ths
ever occurred in the county.
The racing men generally work in pairs-
y Among those OF our old citizens who were II
/ 'cahoot' in the business may be mentioned
r John Kitzmiler and John zerbe, John Rappe
Il and Philip Dewalt Toby Wise and Henri
Q swartz There were others, but they were les
r. prominent.
r. In the summer Of 1884, company OF enter
% prising aud liberal minded citizens Of Canton
10 had circular mile track constructed immed
1t ately west Of town upon land then owned b
Ia John Harris, now by Simon Miller. There wer