The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-18
AN INTERNATIONAL RACE.
d. ~. WALLACE Tells nov BtLIE
PEYION SEAT the CIVILIANS.


cent mood the other day Wn"n seen ny u nNh''r
at his home in West Ninety third street
"Ot all the old time racphorse men Of the South
said he, "the most picturesque and interesting
figure | ever met was the Hon. Bale Peyton Of
tennessee. lie represented his State in Con
gcss in Jackson's time, and was a leader OF the
opposition 10 Old Hickory's administration IN
the cOunsels of the nation. Like jackson ana
many other distinguished public men Of that
period, his love Of a horse race came next 10 his
love Of country. Mr. Peyton was an old man
when ! met him II was soon after the Civil
War ! happened 10 b. down at Nashville, hunt
ing up the early horse history Of tennessee, and
Mir Peyton called at the hotel 20 invite me TO his
home near G~allatin, thirty or forty miles up the
railroad from Nashville. Although he must
have been close upon 10 years Of age then. he
was 50 vigorous Of mind and body that Il; seemed
hardly possible to me that this could be the Bale
Peyton who had figured So prominently in public
life thirty or forty years before, He must have
been over six feet tall. a man Of commanding
presence, with a large, handsome. smoothly
shayen face, beaming all over with kin illness
ana good fellowship. His whole appearance
indicated a man Of mark. The few days Of my
stay with him were filled full Of stories VI politics
and horse racing Of a past generation, in many
Of which Gen. Jackson was a prominent actor.
The one | remember best Of all, however, con.
cerned Mr. Peyton himself, and a race that he
once made and rode in South America.
Soon after Gen. 2ack TAYLOR won the battle
of Buena Vista in the Mexican War Mr Pcyton
was one Of the active men in bringing old Rough
and Ready 10 the front as a candidate for the
Presidency. His election put Nj. Peytun IN
a position whero he could have about anything
he wanted, and a. he had u fancy for a tour in
South America among the Andes, the mission
10 Chill was raised to q first class mission and
he was appointed to III 1t. On his arrival there
lie found the people ~ be a nation Of gamblers,
with every mothers son Of them from the youngest
10 the oldest, ready TO bet the clothes oil his back
on the Turn Of a card or the outcome u Il cock
fight They would have wagered their own
souls on a horse race. At this time they had
probably never seen u thoroughbred. Their
racehorses were little pony built natives that
lacked the speed and stamina Of the blood horse ot
! America,
The Chilians, however, thought they possessed
the greatest runners IN the world and were very
proud Of the best Of them. Soon after NJ Pey.
tons arnyel in Santiago one Of the high officials
Of the Government improved an opportunity
70 escort the American Minister ON a great public
occasion e. witness a ntest between some
Of the turf champions Of Chill, The GILLIAN Sec.
rotary owned one q the competing horses and it
proved 10 be the winner OF the race. Nj, Peyton
was not very favorably impressed with the caliDHr
Of the animal and he proceeded to carry this impress
SION in diplomatic language 10 the Secretary.
Now this man was known all over the country
a. the formeos, patron Of the turf in Chill q kind
Of Napoleon among racing men there, who kept
the largest stab Of horses In training and affected
great know ledge and experience on racing affairs
lie wanted 10 know at once v neither the American
Minister thought there were any better horses
In the United States. Mr. rtytol had had some
and he answered ~evasiyely that the racehorses
Of his country were rather larger and that they
ought 10 he stronger and better able tocarry weight
and he thought they had, JUS, as much speed,
or perhaps "A little more than the thiIians and
could stay over a greater distance. This nettled
tie Secretary and brought him ri once to the point
Dropping all diplomatic forms Of speech in his anx
iety to catch q man that he supposed vas a novice
In racing he came night out with a challenge TO
bring on an American horse and run a race al four
miles for $1,000 a side, Owners 10 ride,
Mr. Peyton OF course objected at first 10 this
stipulation. as he weighed nearly two hundred
pounds while tho Secretary was a little fellow
ofnotmuch more than a hund red and ten nv twenty,
But he finally accepted the challenge Just as IL
had been made after a sufficient amount Of diplO.
matte hesitation, and then sent up 10 Tennessee
for a couple Of tried racehorsAs by imported levia
uIhn. ne news NAV n mhl'n 'hCS 1T elU,WU
had been made between the great racing Secretary
OF Chill and me American Minister crapd some
hing Of u sur IN official circles and when twU strap
ping. thoroughbreds from Mr. Peyton's plantation
In Tenn, s@ae arrived. the event became the talk
Of the " lula nation.
The hilians had unbounded faith in their man
and his horses, and al the enormous difference
in weights they believed u a man that the mex.
y npnced American would he beaten out Of sight
by the great racing Secretary They were willing
10 lay any odds against the foreigner and rs there
.-u -.l IN.-Il-l ~ -
an port most Of the Chilian b'ttors found takers,
the English. II course having rs much faith
as the americans IN the superiority Of the descend.
ant Of the English thoroughbred. Nearly all
the other foreign residen Is took their cue from tue
Americans and the English, and SO II was the
money Of oil the foreigners AK ainst that 81 the
Chilians An immense amount was lst before
the day for the race arrived, and the few dollars
left among the sporting population went into
the hands Of the stockholders as soon as tho
crowd assembled at the course All business
was suspended and the whole city Of Santiago
turned out 10 witness the great International
contest
mir Peyton. dressed in q closely fitting Jockey
suit, mounted his big, strong son oi Levia
than, while the Secretary rode the little runt II a
gray that had won the race which gave rise TO
the match. As soon as the Judges gave the signal
10 start the American minister took a stiff pull
on his horse, letting the CHILEAN sci the pace. The
Secretary used poor Judgment, allowing his horse
u strike a fast clip ut the Outset, and before they
had covered the first mile the great raking strides
Of the thoroughbred son Of Leviathan commenced
To tell on the little gray in the lead. Mr. Pcy,un,
who told me he had got many q whipping for
running of from school and riding races in his
boyhood, was one Of the best amateur riders Of
his day, and he saw that the time had come 10
make his, play, Letting The big horse extend
himself o little, he carried Me little one at his side
along on his tiptOes for another half mile, Goa ming
him to his best effort and forcing him 10 labur
hard without gaining an inch As the Gillian
commenced to tire under The strain, tho American
horse drew hum out faster and faster until the
Secretary had to uss his whip 10 keep up The
rnce at the end Of the second mile was as good az
won, but Mr.. reyton wanted TO show the South
Americans what q Yankee horse would do, so
he gave the big fellow his head and let him out
to his bes, speed. lie drew right away from the
little gray, leaving him further and further be
hind, until Mr. Peyton could hear only the hoof-
beats Of the horse and tho oathS of the Secretary
az he dashed tho PLAYED out brute Just as the
American reached the Judges stand, where the
crowd Of spectators was largest, he turned IN the
saddle and looked back AT has adversary, who
was now pulling up, dead beNten The { lillian WAS
~ enraged rs he saw the AmerCau-loOklng horse
man looking over his shoulder that he dropped
all show Oi courtesy. Rising up m his Surrups
and shaking his cIenched fist, he shouted et the
top Of his voice In the language Of his country
You 20 TO hell
1t ives y great day for the Americans, but
Santiago was bankrupt when the news 4 the
race reached the Unltrd States the Democratic
newspapers here made . great ado over the affair,
saying HAlie peyton had brought disgrace on
American diplomacy by engaging in horse racing
and riding the race himseli iBut the distinguished
licking he administered 10 the hllians than any
other event Of his whole public career
WHAT TRoTBLfS SMITH.
Egg Film Having Been GRATED on Him.
He Fears lie WIN Grow Feathers.
From ts C,nrtnnrt IpdUirgr.