Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-01-30
Ran A Mile A Minute.

"Did you eyer hear of the most
remarkable foot race ever run in
Wisconsin, or anywhere else, for
that matter?" asked an old-timer the
other day. ono? Well, I will tell
you about it, for | saw it myself. In
the summer of 1874, with my uncle,
| was making business trip to what
is now the Oneida Reservation. A
st. Louis sportsman, Henry Stanton,
was stopping there at the time, hav-
ing been taken sick while on hunt
ing trip, and the Indians were taking
care Of him. Stanton one day wit
messed foot race by some of the
young bucks, and an idea struck
him. 1t afterward struck others, to
their sorrow. He had the bucks
try their speed, and soon was send
ing letters to his friends east and
south. They were confidential let
tiers, but the answers promised him
all the money he needed. He then
sent out notices to the sporting fra,
ternity that on a certain day of that
summer Q84D he would wager his
pile that a foot race of ten miles
could be made in ten minutes. IT.
seemed preposterous. But few loco
motives had ever made such time.
"Stauton, however, knew what he
was about. With a trusted buck,
'Peep-o-Day,' he engaged ten Indians
and put them on the trail, in a ten
mile straight stretch and return, the
Indians to relieve each other at the
end of each mile He had them
practice in secret at night. One day
'Peep-o-Day' informed Stanton that
a stranger had offered him bri6e
to let him see trial race. 'All
right, said Stanton; take his money
and let him see it, But Stanton had
his men make poor time, and thus
deceived the briber.
"The day of the race arrived, and
with it about fifty of the sports Of
st. Louis, New York and other
cities. The betting ran high, with
odds against the feat being accom-
plished. Among the party was a
young man named Desnoyers, from
Detroit, on his way to Green Bay
with 100000 in money and accepted
paper to pay debts and contract for
furs, The race was duly opened, the
first young buck making his mile in
sixty-four seconds, just four seconds
short. The next young buck was
about to start when a chief-'One-
Eye-G one'-grasped him in his arms
and said he was his son and the run
would kill him Stanton hastily
explained that in their attire, with
clouts like circus riders and a belt
tightly strapped over their stomachs,
no harm could be done them. But
time was wasted in the controversy,
and the young buck reached the
stand with Stanton thirty seconds
behind.
"The betters against Stanton aud
his crowd now began to laugh and
jeer, and freely offered 10 to l..
stanton and his friends looked sad
and detected enough. But they took
all the bets offered Just the same,
and right here young Desnoyer lost
his head and put up $4,000 of his
money against the making of the
race on time. 1t is said some $780,
600 changed hands there and then,
but | don't know about that The
sum is probably exaggerated, but il
was large enough. The race went
on. The third buck made his mile
in fifty seconds, reducing the losses
10 twenty seconds. This was kept
up about the same until the ninth
buck stepped 10 the front, with a
total gain of five seconds. The last
buck must make mp the Is seconds
now lacking. lie was tall, gaunt,
wiry Indian, and seemed 70 be all
legs. The betters against Stanton
began 20 waver and now calls for
even bets and even odds by Stanton
and Ibis friends failed 70 bring re-