Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-08-11

Sad-Eyed New jersey Nag That Can
Let Himself Out on Occasions,

From the New York sun.
An unshaven man in SLOUGH hat and ragged
coat, driving an old gray, spawned horse, whose
ribs almost protruded from his skin, has been a
familiar sight In the roads of Hunterdon county,
N. j., during the last week. Last Tuesday he
drove into Pennington, the county seat, and
stopped in front of Humphreys hotel, where
one OF the two reins was withdrawn from the
rusty iron rings of the old harness and used for
htchtng strap. In the Anticipated, rickety
old vehicle was ration Of grass for the nag.
He entered the bar-rOom. He removed his
SLOUGH hat from his tangled hair. and stagger-
ing up to the bar, ordered glass of gin. with
sugar and lemon in it. BY this time crowd
had assembled and one asked what he would
take for his horse
Eighty dollars" he replied.
One of the crowd offered him forty
What" he said. forty dollars for q horse
that can travel mile in three minutes. Not
much''
"Three minutes,'' said Johnny Ramsey, q
prominent county politician. ''That horse
can't travel mile in ten minutes, and I'll bet
on it,"
Eyes," said Jacob vite, another county pol
itician, "l'll bet you $50 he can't travel mile
in three minutes, and I'll go out to the race
course and speed your old plug"
Twenty dollars" the fellow replied; - Ill
bet 500 he can"
OpuyNS duu JhCOU WIZ anu q StiouSCi
who happened in the room Clipped in with
Ramsey and Vite and a purse Of 300 was
quickly made up and deposited in the hotel
keepers hands. To their surprise, the owner OF
the old horse quickly covered the money. He
then went out OF the room to where his horse
stood. and from under the grass in the wagon
he took out good set of harness, which he put
on the nag. He inquired of the crowd where he
could borrow a lighter rig. Ramsey said he had
sort OF a rig which he would loan him. The
lighter vehicle was procured, the horse was
hitched to it, and then the crowd started for the
race course. which is about a mile out of Flem-
ingtOn. The track was in a bad condition. It
resembled a plOughed field. This state of things
did not discourage the old fellow, for he drove
upon the track and at the word &C., was of
on his race to beat time.
Eyewitnesses of the affair describe the trOtting
OF the old nag as something wonderful. He
trotted the mile without break. Time, 2:52.
The old nag had won for his master 800. The
politicians were dumbfounded. They say they
will never bet against old plugs again.
1t has been discovered that the stranger who
Clipped in $50 was a partner of the owner
of the horse. After the race at Flem-
ingtOn the two men drove to Lebanon. where
lives Nell Ramsey, another prominent politician
The merits of the old horse were discussed In
the bar-rOOm of John Lows hotel at Lebanon
The men played the same role ut Lebanon that
they did at Pennington. Nell Ramsey was
induced to bet $25 that the horse couldn't trot
mile in three minutes. He lost, of course
1t is alleged that the two men hail from Trenton
They were in Clinton yesterday and tried to play
the same game, but their fame had preceded
them, so no Clintonians were rOped In.