Daily Republican., 1883-08-08
4 ScOw Race On the Christiana
Creek.


4 ScOw Race ON the Christians
Creek.
For the REPUBLICAN
You have been RECALLED with yacht
races, and boat races, and races he
tween Hanlan and others with sculls
and oars, but It's not often that yo,
see Ill account of a scOw race with
poles. Well, I will endeavor to give
you description of one which took
place on the Christiana creek last
spring, hut no attempt at description
can do it anything like justice To b.
fully appreciated, it must be seen, and
not pre-arranged affair, but one OF
those accidents which will occur once
in mans life.
One beautiful morning last April a
friend and myself met at point down
the creek, some two or three miles from
the village, and were engaged in con.
versation, when my friend, whose
hearing is quite sharp, heard a noise
from far down the creek that sounded
like a contest between some men, and
an occasional splash of the water. We
listened, and surely It was contest, for
we beheld two scows coming up with
the tide, each manned by two hands.
One was the Texas Bull" Of Chris
tiana, and the other the " Buzzard," of
Wilmington. There had for "A good
loug while existed jealousy between
the captains OF the two scows.
Well, the first salute that we heard
was by the captain of the Bull to the
captain of the Buzzard, as follows :
Get out of the way with your old Buz-
zsrd, or III knock some of his feathers
OUT
The Buzzard man replied "You
better try it on, you crook-legged DER.
sey sand-snipe you're mighty proud
since You got your cabin door white
washed"
The racing and sassin' now became
earnest as they saw us, and each party
was full Of am bition. They We're nip
and tuck through the grog- reach. every
man straining his muscles, with pole
to shoulder and bodies almost ON a line
with the decks. The Buzzard's captain
had experience AZ all old boAtnian, and
his boat was of the lighter draft OF wa
ter; but the Bull had the advantage in
muscle and grit. They came up TO the
eunboat shoals in this way then the
Bull had the inside track around the
bend, and the Buzzard struck the limb
of tree, which gave the Bull the lead
of length, but the BuZzard was soon
up to her again on the next bend at
hickory stump, and the Buzzard cap
tain Missed out
"Yon thought you had done l., didn't
you, with your old muley cow. guess
she's got the holer horn"
Then the Bull man replied: "You
go to Christmas, you tarnation cross
eyed bull frog from Nun-Sich."
This retort from the Bulls captain
silenced for awhile the Buzzard's man
but now they were making up the reach
above the hickory stump, so as to gain
the advantage in the next bend.
Every man was down to hi, work
although the air was quite cool. they
with coats, vests and hats off, sleeves
rolled up to the arm pits; shirts thrown
open, with neck and breast bare, with
the sweat streaming from every pore,
the captains urging their helpers, and
putting in their big ticks,
Now, Bill, shove her up" says the
Bull man.
Now, Lew, hang to her, and well
I take the horns off that old cow yet, y
says the Buzzard man.
YES" sneered the Bull man, "if you
do, you'll get horn in the stern of YOU
old eel-p0t.''
Ny friend aud took short cut and
met them again ut the burnt house bend
ami followed along to the finish. The
tide was running strong and was high
which gave them plenty of room. The
S;lssin' and policing continued; and now
came the tug Of war Their positions
were main aimed up to this point, an,
they only had now short quarter of ;
mile to continue the race, for Lewden's
landing WAS the Bnzzard', harbor. 81
now each party eyed the other tiercely
and made up their minds to do or die
and wiping the sweat from their face
and taking long breath, they settlet
down 10 their last kick. and strained
every nerve. Each captain Missed o Il
Encouragement to / is helper i'll only !
whisper: the cords in their necks stood
out; their eyes rolled in their sockets
they grunIed and ran forward to plung
their poles in atrr,h, many times slip
ping to the deck On their knees in thei
mad effort to win, but here the superior
: grit of the Bulls men showed itse.f, an,
the Buzzard in like ratio failed.
Now. Now"' screamed the Bn2
card man, but with one desperate p.sl
the Bull left her, and the BuZzard wa
beat The Bulls captain sneered ont
"What do you think of your old stinl
box now ,"
$50 to the devil, you darned sore
eyed pole-cat " With his last shot h
made the BuZzard fast to the bank, am
the Bull tioated nn i'll triumph up to til
village. BuZ.
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Where " the Elax MANI