Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-11-06
scAeeys FAST MARE POLLY.
How she Came 10 Beat Nancy Hanks's
R-cord-QuaIity of the Track.

How She Came 10 Beat Nancy Haukss
R.cord-ouaIity of the Track.
THarper's Magazine for November.l
They were talking about horses, ard
more particularly about Nancy Hankss
wonderful record of 2:05l4. Every one
seemed TO be more or less impressed with
the maryellousness of this record except
old MIR. Scaggs. a retired farmer.
shes fast, yes," be said. But oncet
owned q mare up on the farm as could beat
her. That mare was lightnin' on legs.
Polly was her nafne-named her after Mrs.
Scaggs's mother, aud finer woman you
never met. She could bake all around any
other woman in the county, an when 1t
came 10 me bein' sick she'd nurse me ten
derlier than as if l wasn't son-in-law at
all. but her own boy. My. how she could
troll"
Your mother-in-law2" asked one of
the circle.
mo; the boss" snapped Scaggs, with
fire in his eye. " I'm talkin about the boss:
L bought her when she was yearsold
from old Mrs. Tompkins. She WASH much
OH looks, Mrs. Tompkius wasn't, but she
was business all through. When her hus-
band died she took charge OF the grocery,
an added millinery department to 1t, md
by Joe inside of year she was able TO
close up the grocery md do nothin' but
make hats. Tompkins used to hitch her
up to the delivery-wagon, you know, but
of course
You don't mean to say that any man
was ever mean enough to hitch his wife
up to a grocery-wsgon and make her haul
the packages about town." queried the
inquisitive member of the party.
"'Ain't said nothin' o. the kind" re-
torted Scaggs. Don't you get too funny.
I'm talkin' about the boss. was goin' on
to tell We how when old Mrs. Tompkins
got maxim 81 hats for the women-folks nd
sellin' 'em to 'em for ten, she give up the
grocery business, md so didn't have any
use for the boss old Tompkins had used
for drivin' his dellvery-wagoD. 1t hap
pened wanted boss bout that time, md
so called on old Mrs. Tompkins to talk
it over She was only years old at the
time, and hadn't much style about her.
though she was calculated to be faster'n
anything else III town. i asst old Mrs.
1ompkins what she'd take, md she says
"'That's pretty high for an s-year-old,'
says /. IN give We O dollar md half a
year for the boss. That's Sl2.'
Mrs. Tompkins.
- Throw in hat for my wife, says I,
''ndit goes
- Done says she.
80 bridled her. paid the money. md
led her home. Few days later some o. the
boys. KNOWN as | had sportin' blood.
came an asst me to let Polly trot on mile
track for the record. My wife didn't want
me to at first, because she was little OH
her feed, md didn't approve of racin' any
how. but when the boys offered purse of
$40 if she could beat 2:l0. she let up. So
said all right. md we set a date"
We'll, what was the result n asked the
inqulsitive youth.
1.-Two four tor the mile" said Scaggs.
Two four ?" cried the whole circle at
once.
Yep" said Scsggs. I" But it was the
track as helped her. There was somethin'
in the track az had ought to be give some
o. the credit. for the old mare couldn't
beat more'n four minutes at the county
fairgrounds.
"Wbat was the special quality Of the
track, Scaggs % asked one OF the party.
WAL" said Scsggs, slowly. as far as
| could make out. mile on our track
warnt more'n half mile on any other"