Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-10-31

A correspondent. of the Philadelphia
Times writing from Brownsville, Pa,
under date of October 18th inst, re-
lates the following humorous account
of bull and horse race: This local.
ity, originally known as Redstone, now
Brownsville, some sixty years ago, was
the scene os most comicsl occurrence,
which is related by an old resident OF
Redstone who witnessed the scene. AT
the period referred TO the managers OF
a horse race track published a notice
of a mile heat race on particular day,
Stree for anything with four legs that
had hair on," for a purse of SlOO. A
farmer in the neighborhood, named
Hays, had a bull he was in the habit Of
riding to mill with his bag of corn, and
the idea occurred to him of entering
his bull for the race. He said nothing
to anyone of his intention to enter the
bull for the race, but quietly COM
menced training the bull BY riding him
around the race-track on moonlight
nights. In this manner he trained the
bull until it got the hang of the track
pretty we'll and would keep on the
right course. He rode the bull with
spurs and when the spurs were applied
to the bull he would below frightfully.
On the day of the race Hays rode to
the race ground, son horseback on
his bull. Instead of a saddle be had a
dried OK hide, the head part of which,
with the horns still on, he had placed
on the bulls rump and, instead OF a
whip, he carried tin horn in his hand
He rode to the judges stand and offer
ed to enter his bull for the race, but
the owners of the horses entered OBJ
iected to the bulls entrance Hays
appealed to the terms Of notice, insist
ing that lis bull had "four legs and
hair on" and therefore he he'd a right
to enter his bull. After a good deal OF
"cussiu'" on the part of horse owners
and considerable '.fussin'" on the part
of the judges it was decided that the
bull had right to run and was accord
inely entered.
When the time for starting arrived
the bull and the horses took their
places. The horsemen were out Of hu-
NOR at being bothered with the bull
and at the burlesque which they sup
posed was intended, but thought IT
would all be over as soon as the horses
started. When the signal was given
Hays gave blast with his horn and
sunk his spurs into the sides of the bull,
which bounded off with a terrible
bound and the dried OK hide Tapping
up and down and rafting at every
Jump made such a combination ofnoises
as was never before heard on race
course. The horses all Immediately
flew the track, every one seeming to be
seized with a sudden determination to
take the shortest cut out of the Red
stone country. and none of them could
be brought back in time to save rheiE
distance. The purse was to Hays,
whose bull had run round the course,
and great deal of hard swearing was
done by the horse owners They con-
tended that they had been swlndled
out of the purse and that if it hadn',
been for Hays horn and OK hide the
thing wouldn't have turned out as il
did. Had not the fun of the thing put
the crowd in good bumor and all on
the side of the bull general row would
have ensued.
Hays told the indignant horseman
that his bull could beat either of their
horses any way, and if they would put
Sl00 agains. the purse he had won be
would take eff the OK hide, throw away
his tin horn and run a fair race with
them, which proposition was eagerly
and promptly accepted and TIE money
staked
The bull and the horses we're again
a; their starting post in their places
ready for the word go, and the moment
the signal was given HAYS gave the
bull touch of his spurs and the bull
gave a tremendous below. The horses,
remembering the dreadful sound
thought all the rest was coming as be
fore, and away they went again IN spite
of all the exeruons of their riders,
while Hays galloped bis bull around the
track and won the money.