Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-29

Georgia and South Carolina Pitted
Against Each Other in the Fastest
Ever Made in the United States.
''Uncle Dick, you are a lover of horse
flesh and have owned some good horses in
your day. We would like to know if you
have ever seen much racing when you
were dealing in horses?p said a reporter
of the Athens Banner WdtchmGa day or
two ago.
81 have seen the fastest quarter race
that was ever run in the United States.
l can't exactly call TO mind the year the
race was run, but it was years before the
war. The race was between the Stamper
mare and a horse owned by a man named
Jones, of South Carolina. 1t was Georgia
against South Carolina, and each State
backed its horse for what they were worth.
The race was run in Augusta and
large crowds gathered there from each
State to see the race and place their
money. Mr.. Stamper was from Talbot
county, and to show what confidence he
had in his mare he went to the Bank of
Columbus and mOrtgaged 80 negroes and
his plantation for money to back his flyer.
The night before the race there was a
large crowd gathered in the old United
States Hotel and each man was ready to
back his horse. Mr.. Stamper walked
through the hotel with rather common
looking clothes on, and the South Caro-
linians, who were better dressed, laughed
at the old man and rather made fun of
him. He saw that the boys were making
fun of him, and he pulled out an old greasy
pocketbook and said, L will bet $1,000
that there will be money offered on the
Stamper mare tomorrow that will not be
taken by the South Carolina party This
bet was Immediately taken, as the South
Carolina crowd thought that they were
able to cover all the money offered. The
betting then commenced in earnest, Mir.
Stamper taking every bet offered. The
South Carolina party got out of money
and commenced betting their watches and
CHAINS. Mr.. Stamper would put up 500
against a gold watch and chain. The
next day the crowd gathered on the race
track, the South Carolina boys had re-
plenished their pockets, and Mr.. Stamper
still continued to take all that was offered.
He got UP on box and
says: II will bet $4,000 that the Stamp
er mare will beat the South Carolina
horse. This amount could not be COW
cred. and Mr.. Stamper took down the
$1,000, put up the night before that there
would be money offered and not taken by
the South Carolina party. The race was
run, and the Stamper mare came out
before or since seen such excitement.
Men were wild over their success, and
others were looking desperate oyer their
defeat. One young fellow from South
Carolina, who had just come in possession
of his patrimOny, lost it all and laid
down on the ground and cried like
child. Mr.. Stamper was loaded down
with money, and he had at least a hun
dred watches and watch chains around
his neck. 81 bet on the Stamper mare,"
said Uncle Dick, land had to loan the
balance of the crowd that went from
Athens money to get back home ION, IS
thay had backed the South Carolina
horse. After the race was over, the own
er of the South Carolina horse went to
Mr.. Stamper and asked him to price his
mare, and negro boy Josh, the rider, and
he would buy them. MIR. Stamper
told him that he was getting old,
and expected to quit racing, and if he
would give him $4,000 that he could have
the mare and her rider. The South Caro-
linian gave him the money, and Stamper
left for home about $50, 900 ahead. l have
seen some fast quarter races since that
time, but l never saw a man who had
such unbOunded confidence in the speed
of his horse as MIR. Stamper had. He
seemed to know that she would win the
race, and was willing to place the earn
lngS of a lifetime on the result. This race
Is often spoken of as being the biggest
quarter race ever run in the United
SfatoG