Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-07-11
A NOVEL RACE.


How Buil Rent Several Fast Racs
Horses.
Some forty years ago the managers
of a race course near Brownsville, on
the Monongahela, published a notice
of Il race, one mile heats, on u particu.
lar day, for II purse of $780, "lrec for
anything with four legs and hair on
A man in the neighborhood, named
Hays, had bun that he was in tho
habit of riding to mill with his bag OF
corn, and he determined to enter him
for the race. He said nothing about il
to any one, but he rode him around the
track several times on several moon
light nights, until the bull had the
hang of the ground pretty well, and
would keep the right course. lie rode
with the spurs, which the bull thought
disagrceable-sO much 50 that he al
ways beloved when they were applied
to his sides, The morning of the race
Hays came upon the ground on horse
back-on his pull. Instead of sad
die, he had dried an OK hide, the head
part of which, with the horns still on,
he had placed on the bull. lie carried
short tin-horn in his hand. lie rode
to the judges stand and offered to en-
ter his bull for the race; but the own
ers of the horses that were entered OBJ
jected. Hays appealed to the terms
Of the notice, insisting that his bull
had -four legs and hair on" and that,
therefore, he had right to enter him.
After Il good deal of swearing, the
Judges declared themselves to be COM
PEELED to decide that the bull had a
right to run, and was entered accord
ingly.
When the time for starting arrived
the bull and the horses took their
places. The h0rsc-raccrS were out ofhu-
NOR at being bothered by the bull, and
at the burlcsquc which they supposed
was intended, but thought that it
would be over soon as the horses start
ed, When the signal was given they
did start. Hays gave blast with his
horn and sunk his spurs into the sides
Of the bull, who bounded on with Il
terrible bawl, ut no triling speed, the
dried oX-hidc tapping up and down
and rafting at every Jump, making u
combination of noises that had never
been heard ON Il racc-cOurSc. The
horses all flew from the track, every
one seeming to he seized with a sudden
determination to take the shortest cut
to get out Of the Rcdstonc country, and
not one of them could be brought back
in time to save their distance. The
purse was given to Hays.
\ general row cnsued: but the fun
of the thing put the crowd all on the
side Of the bull. The horsemen con-
tended that they were Swindlcd ont of
their purse. aud that if it had not been
for Hays horn and OK hide which he
ought not to have been permitted to
bring upon the ground, the thing
would not have turned out is it did.
Upon this Hays told them that his bull
could beat any of their horses, anyhow,
and if they would put up 500 against
the purse he would take off the oX-hide
and leave his tin-horn and run a fair
race with them. His offer was accept
ed and the money stakcd. They again
took their places at the starting-poSt,
and the signal WAS given. Hays gave
his bull another touch with the spur,
and the bull gave 4 tremendous below.
The horses remembered the dreadful
sound, and Thought all the rest was
coming as before. Away they went
again, and in spite of all the eXertions
of their lfders, while Hays galIoped his
bull around the track and won the
money.