Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-06-10
WHOLE NO. 2,426.
An oId-Tims Horse TrOk
Detroit Free Press.

Detroit Free Press.
"No," said a patriarchial, portIy
gentleman, whose figure fs WE'LL
known upon the streets of Detroit,
VI don't do nothing In the hoss rae
ing line Eow, but the time was
when took my 'whirp with the
rest OF the boys. Hoss racing amt
now what it used to be when l was
a younker. 1t was a catch game
in them days, and the smartest fell
low raked in the wealth. Nova
days the best hoss wins, sometimes.
Did ever tell you about the big
trot a-tween Royal George and Big
Sally ?"
"No.D
"Well, there's where / settled off
a lot of old scores with the boys; a
lot of old scores and don't you forget
1t! Ye see, when / was young and
green, like the rest of We, / used to
be desprit fond of hoss race, and
havln' more money than / did
sense, used to think that the best
hoss in q race would win, and put
up my dollars accordingly. The
smart clicks had caught me purity
heavy two or three times and then
laughed at me until / was mad clean
through.
Zone day / was down in Indiany,
and 1 went to a boss trot. In the
race was little rangy bay mare
named Sally and she was clip
per- and no mistake. She won the
race as slick as grease. Arter the
race was over, l went TO her owner
and sez l, 'What'll you take for
your mare p ''sez /.
Eighteen hundred dollars SEE
he.
"tI'll take her. sez /.
''Well, 1 jest drove her over to q
stable and told the proprietor L
would send for her in a few days,
and then came back to Detroit.
You member Sam Slick, the driver,
don't YOU"
YES"
"Well, / told him to 90 down TO
Indianny and get the mare, take
her out to the track and go jOggin'
her around, and ifanybody inquired
about her, to tell 'em she was colt
he had picked up out in the country
for me, and that she was going to
make fast one. / charged him
particular not to speed her faster
than '35 or '36, under no circum-
stances.
snow, old Slggins had fast
horse, Royal George, that could trot
in about 81 , and that was his low
est notch. Well, these fellows soon
got in the habit of going out to tho
track and timin' Sally. My driver
knew what he was about, and while
he was apparently sendin' her for
all there was in her, he was mighty
keerful not to land her under the
wire in less than '35. Purity soon
Old Siggins come around and sez
he, Purity good mare ye've got
sez he.
"'Fastest piece of horse flesh that
stands in Michigan sez L.
"'Bet you thousand dollars that
Royal George can beat her in two
weeks from to-day sez he.
"'Donep sez l.
"The next day old Siggins sent
Royal George out to the track and
set him to work. / waited about q
week or ten days, until L knew 1t
was time for them to commence
speeding him, and then one night
] give colored fellow that worked
around my barn dollar to go out
to the track and move the half mile
pole bout thirty feet down the back
stretch. Ye see, when a hoss is a
trainin they rarely speed him over
a quarter of mile, and nine times
out of ten that Is on the back stretch.
They'll send him round the turn at
lively jog, and manage to have
him trotting good and square when
he passes the quarter pole. Then
they'll send him up the back stretch
for all he can do, and catch the time
at the half.
"One mornin' q dozen or more of
these fellers was there, and arter
Royal George had got warmed up,
Sam heard them say to his driver:
Send him up the back stretch, Bill,
and We'll catch the time Sam had
no way To know how fast George
trotted up the back, but he seed
them fellers a snakin' hands and a.
laffin' and he come down and told
me. Just as quick as twas dark L
give the colored feller another dol
lar and sez j: You slip out on the
track and put that pole where you
found it,
"The next mornin' they had the
City Surveyor out to the track, and
he measured the back-stretch and
found it full length. Then them
fellers come down and they couldn't
bet fast enough to suit 'em. 1 took
all the bets they threw in my face
and had two or three friends out
bettin' for me. Didn't we scoop
.em, though! Sally threw dirt in
Royal Georges face every rod OF
the way, and sicker lot OF fellers
than them smart Elicks' never
walked up the next mornin' with
the headacheV