The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-05
Watch Showed That The Ancient Nag Made
Circuit Of the Track In 2::37.
AN EXHIBITION TO ClINCH BARGAIN.
Horse Went Round Track in Time Claimed, but
Il Was Only a Half Mile Track, so Joseph
Didn't Gel That SIPS.

one OF the former proprietors or the Gut
tenberg race track with a chuckle Of sat
isfaction, 'but my last venture was Jim
dandy. ] was driving along the pike
about five miles from my country home i'm
New Jersey when an old farmer know
poked his whiskers over his fence and ask
ed If didn't want TO buy an ancient plug
which he held by halter to keep from
falling down. / stopped, of course, and
examined the steed. There were about So
worth of meat on him, s. worth of vital
ity and cents worth of speed. didn't &
exactly see what L oould do with such a
monumental wreck, but the horse trading
passion grew strong within me, and
kaid:
"'How much for the equine gold brickY
Thirty dollars returned the farmer.
"'For how manyP' asked politely.
"'This Is selected stock; comes one In
box, was his rctort.
I'm give you $l0 said I, and no
questions asked.
let's divide the pot, no said. Call
IL SEQ, and this beautiful Hambletonian
is yourn.
'Well, liked the farmer, and liked
his sporty talk, and as had spent some
previous time in dallianco at the road
rs usual So / gave him the $50 and led
the four legged graveyard home. kept
him on grass for week or two and no.
ticcd that he began TO pick UP little
form. This also attracted the attention
Of a coal black gentleman whom employ
On my place as valet to the cows and less
er stock. One bright. dewy morning he
shuffled up and said:
:" Boss. what 20 taak TO- de new hosss
"'Does some benevolent association
want to buy himf' asked The black
gentleman grinned till his teeth looked
like monument builders exhibit at q
worlds fair
No, sab, said he. 'Ah's lookin 70
hossflesh TO- IN self
But this Is very valuable animal,
Joseph said reiectively, 'and his posi-
bilities In speed are unlimited. The only
thing that worries me is his impossible
ties should think sl00'--
'Ahh give yo' $50, boss,' broke i'm
Joseph 'Cawn't spare no more'n dat
"A kind heart and n generous, noble
nature have always been against me in
matters Of commerce, so / sold the nag to
the black gentleman for his half century
and dismissed the transaction from my
mind as unworthy of regret But a few
days after he came around to discuss his
purchase.
Boss. said he, Abs powful sorry
TO yo'
What's tho matter with mey' asked
Am sick againy
'Yo' done will be wen yo' heahs do
news, he answered. Boss, dat $50 hoss
20 dorc sole mo goes In 2;87r
. Don Z, Joseph, said /, pained beyond
expression at this evidence Of decadence
Remember Ananias and what one puny
little effort did for him.
- Fact, boss; decd hit Is, he insisted.
Then he called u runt OF an African who
had recently appeared in the neighbor-
hood to como and back up his assertion.
'Two-thuty seven's his time, sah,'
said the runt, pulling out n handsome
stop watch, which he explained in some
confusion had been presented to him by a
lady friend for boirg good. Me an Joe
dono had him down TO tho track an trotted
him round In 20 ole sulky in dat time,
sub, cordin TO de watch.
- II that is the case. Joseph, said |, Il
am willing to buy the animal back at a
comfortable advance Looking at the
horse now in "a charitable light, perceive
that his days are numbered and will soon
be tabu!ated on a cold, cold stone. You
may touch me for $50 and I'll take the
animal Off your hands
but the low down African grinned
Bid him up. boss. said he. Abs
used TO auctions.
Joseph, said L, you grieve me deep
ly. Would you for the mere greed of filthy
gold restrain tho hand of benevolencey I'll |
give You 500
:" Money'll have G. talk louder'n dat,
boss, said tho perverse one 'Onoe mo-.
ef yo please
"Seventy dollars, then, II you're good |
OATS a Is G, boss Sling some good |
old diction'ry langwidgo wild free flgahs |
IN hit
We'll before I got through with Jo- |
eeph he ran me up TO $i25. Then / start |
ed over To the track with him. his runt |
fri-1d with the stop watch, and the bony |
old glue pot filler Of horse 20 witness n
performance before paying my cash. The
track I'm question is an abandoned bicycle
course which l overhauled as sprintng
place for my own horses and the horses Of
10Y friends. When we arrived, tho two
black gentlemen hustled the nag into an
old sulky. Joseph mounted, and the fu-
neral procession moved up the course
The runt pulled his stop watch ard con-
suited mino. Joseph piled the whip and
Get his record breaker out for all he was
worth, which appeared to be about as
much rs n goat hitchcd to "A canalboat.
by and by, as the sun went down and
the moon came up, Joseph and his horse
came under the wire.
whats de timer he asked his sable
friend expcctantly A smile OF triumph
split the runt's fnce In half.
. He done hit in two-thurty sin an er
half he answered, and laid my weary
bead between my hands and laughed till
It hurt me
"'wbs' TO- yo' laugh, bosss" asked Jo
sepb. coming up 10 receive the expected
tl95 Am go glad g Kit him 50 cheap
- Joseph, I said whom I caught my
breath, IN not deprive you Of your thor.