The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-05-11
HoMINY JoHNsoN's BULL RACE.
Open to Everything that Wore Hair and
Went on Four Legs.


Went on Four Legs.
A Portland gentleman was discuss
ing the breeders association and its
preparations with party of friends
yesterday afternoon. Presently he
asked:
"Did you ever see a bull racer"
No, no one present had ever seen
bull race. So the old boy went on to
tell his story.
"The race of which l speak" he said,
"took place on little half-mile track
along the Monogahela River just above
the old town of Brownsville, in Fayette
county, Pa, about fifty years ago. 1t
was a noted event, and no house
warming gathering on the old Fayette
pioneers or their children, where the
apple-jack and walnuts are passed
around in those parts, ever recurs
without repetition of all the partlcu-
lars of 'Hominy Johnson's bull race.
"In those palmy days of the olden
time, half century ago, the horse
race and the militia training day were
the special events for fun and amuse-
ment for everybody-a sort of free-for-
all. And on this particular occasion
the horse-race committee had adver-
tised race free-for-al that wore hair
and went on four legs never dream
ing that such generous latitude might
let in representative of the bovine
race. But colored brother by the
name of johnson, who made his way
by peddling hominy, saw in this race
an opening to turn an honest penny
and gather in the $40 stakes, which
would provide Sally and the chil'ens'
with shoes for the next winter. john
son had scrub bull which he had
trained to work and ride like horse,
so that he could ride him to town,
carrying his sack of hominy, or hitch
him in shafts and sled in his winters
wood or plough his crop of 'cawn and
taters.' So he resolved that the bull
should run for this money. And while
the 'bloods' used the track in the day
time to train their horses. Johnson
would repair thither at the wee sma'
hours to put the bull round and round,
so that there would be no throw Off
for want of an understanding of what
was wanted of him on race day.
"Finally the day came, and with it
johnson and his bull; but the presence
of the bull tied at the fence was not
noted, for johnson rode him as other
people rode their horses. The whole
country side was there, and not the
least noisy of the delighted gamis was
little Jim Blaine, with his trousers sus-
pended by single 'gallus' and rolled
up to his knees.
"The free-for-all race was finally
called, and promptly Hominy johnson
L. 4 L: l.
of the judges stand and demanded to
be assigned a place. The judges
promptly ruled him out; but johnson
refused to go, appealing to the words
of the advertisement. The crowd was
not slow to see the point, and rallied
to the support of johnson; seeing that
if the bull spoiled the race he would
make bushels of fun, Loud cries were
made to give johnson and his bull a
show, and threats were not lacking
that if there was not fair deal there
would soon be free-for-an fight. The
apple-jack had got in it's work, and
finally, seeing no alternative, johnson
on his bull was assigned to the outside
of the track, the word was given, and
away went the motley gang of racers,
quarter nags, family nags, old stagers,
plough horses, and Johnson's bull
lickety Brindle down the first quarter,
johnson hanging to the fanks of his
aristocratic rivals.
"But knowing that the bull could
not hold out for more than 200 yards,
johnson had provided means to make
up by strategy what his nag lacked in
speed. His saddle was dry cowhide,
and he carried dinner horn and wore
pair of revolutionary spurs, and as
soon as Brindle showed signs of slack
ing up, he applied his whip vigorously
to the hide, plunged the spurs into the
bulls flank, and between the rafting
of the hide and the believing of the
bull, every horse on the course flew
the track, broke across the field, and
no efforts of the jockeys could return
them to the race. But the bull stuck
to his work, going the rounds of the
entire track, and as he came down the
homestretch the bulls of Bashan' were
not patching to the believing of this
bull, with tail waving aloft, with John
son thrashing the cowhide and footing
his horn in triumph, while the crowd
broke into such roars and cheering that
| pandemonium itself seemed to have
broken loose.
johnson got the stakes, with gener-
Gus voluntary contribution of fps and
'levies' from an hilarious crowd, which
voted the bull race to be the greatest
thing since the days of John Gilpin's
ride Oregonian.