The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-09

OHs 1 hlItAtu lildN NV VI ~ SSF ''
too, all hight, and got the fractured fellows
salary for It at that. which brought my Peoria
income up TO s25 per seven days. | advertised
all Of the events forthwith, with the state
ment that all entries would close two weeks
before the fair began, and my onlco began 70
b. damned up all day with farmers that had
nags that wanted to 10 in the racing events
for four-footed beasts. and hired men and young
Peoria chars who wanted their names TO go
down for competition in the various athletic
events.
ION the afternoon before the events were TO
close n mastadonic RUDE he was an easy six
foot two wearing hiRh-water trousers and a
lean suit and wide brimmed, ten-cent straw
hat that went 70 a point AZ the top. shambled
into my office, Topped into a chair beside my
desk. ate a few strands Of hay that he took out
OF the lnterstices OF his hickory shirt, spat
good naturally at tho cat IN the corner, and
looked me over,
Air you tn fcller.' he asked me. 'whut's
bosein' tn runnin' races f'r humans''
THAT 7 be. said | without looking up from
my work
wall, said he, still eating alfalfa industri-
ously, I'm some on tn run myself. ef ! do say
II, ar want Z 20 In
900 in what, Iske?' ! asked him. going
right on with my ldbors.
III TiUlllll hEdll NIFNt NV wv 'lH'h
they kin run some snid he. Want Z run any
| Of 'em any distance from ten foot = ten mile.
You might not think It. but 7 surc can lopc n
| heap. I'm farmin' down to Bartonville below
| here, an they amt ary y man down that a WAY
| tibet kin as much a. make me stretch runnin'.
| got my eye on some o. them Caounty fair
prizes. sure 'hough'
"'nayc, hcy?' said I, looking mp At the yap.
We'll. you've got enough inches to-
We'll. a. ! looked ut that duck closely, rub
bling my lamps ell the time, SOS TO be certain
that they weren't fooling me. | had him. He
just zane back to me In a fash. He was franz
Ing up a ringer trick, and | was dead next,
without his having the slightest idea that | was
next. The fellow was simply one " the fastest
sprinters In the world, and I'd seen him equal
q worlds record for the Toward dash during
tho Chicago Fair. He Rad got over that little
stretch IN I5 seconds, without taking "A long
breath. lie had graduated from the anna
te,lr TO the professional ranks several years
before, and here al Peoria | had him In the role
Of a ringer, without his knowing that | had him
I couldn't imagine what his graft was in doing
a Rube stunt IN order to break into the sprint
ing competition AZ the Peoria County Fair, until
IL suddenly occurred 10 me that al some Of IN"
Western county fairs II Is customary for books
to be made on the outcome Of athletic contests.
just az odds are laid on or against the chances
Of race horses. Then | seemed to perceive
what my would-be Rube's lay was.
Think you can run, hey?' said I to the
chap a. soon as | had recovered from my sur
prise over recognizing him surprise which
| in no wise betrayed. Say, Deb, You don't
look like you could beat a snow plough on an
up grade. What makes you think you can
rum
" . IN Vp'Va gpf q do IA T. On Dnp outside an I'll
show ye, by golly, said the made-up Rube,
seeming 10 bride over my remark.
You're on said I I'm Just test your eligi-
biity. What event do you want 10 run in par
tiCularlys'
WALL. said he. still keeping up his rafting
good imitation Of a plough chaser's patois, i
kin go u hundred yards az fast As M mex Teller,
I'll be dummed if | can't, an ef its all tn same
Z you. I'd like = Kit into tibet event
We'll. you've got TO show that you can 90
| a hundred yards inside Of thirteen seconds or
you wont be eligible | told him.
II don't know how fast | kin 40. but I kin go
1t as fast rs any man dawn = Bartonville,' he
said. doggedly. You IeSt come outside an
mark off IN distance, an I'll show ye.'
Il went out with him to the track where the
sprints were To come of and showed him the
| iOO-yard course. There were a number Of
1 ~ " WV bllNi' ~ w ~ A'Ni ahAANA
| around the grounds. and ! gave them the wink,
noddinG toward the big wohld-be Rube as We
passed by them. They all followed MS to the
track. gave the fellow the one. two. three,
| go! in lieu Of the pistol. and away he went,
while one Of the Peoria lads who was practising
| running on the grounds held the watch. The
skilful way with which the foxy geezer Simu-
lated clumsIness in stridinE over the ground
was something funny TO see. When he started
TO run with the grace of a dromedary there
was a shout 81 laughter from all hands standing
around. He just jumped into the air and
seemed TO tear up tho turf every time he came
down, and | couldn't help but marvel over his
clever imitation Of a jay. But when. after
covering the distance. he breasted the tape,
the young fellow who had the watch came run
ming up to us at the start. laughing, and said:
"'Darned II he didn't do IL in twelve and a
half. all right
There was another big laugh when the
counterfeit Rube came painting up and said:
~ reckon | kin hold my own with any o.
these fellers thet's Roin' t'run durin' tn fair.
YOU'RE eligible, all right / said to him.
Just to see how he'd take it. but you haven't
got a ghost of a show tn win the ioo-yard sprint.
There are a LOT of fellows going TO run who can
cover the ground in twelve fat
-He darted me n sharp look ont Of the tail
Of his eye and reckoned that he would run any
way. so | put his name down.
We'll, he appeared at the fair grounds every
afternoon, right up to the beginning Of the fair
to practise with the other runners. and they
all made a buttof him and hooted when he Hoped
over the track, and told him he was the greatest
runner on the map and all that 5 ort Of thing.
They timed him several times over the lOO-yard
course. Just for the fun of the thing, and he never
made the distance in better than twelve and
two-nfths.
Me? Well. l just dropped a line to a friend
Of mine in Chicago. telling him to drop down
TO Peoria that there might be something do
ing. He was on hand the day the gates Of the
fair grounds were thrown open. and I put him
next. When | got a chance | quietly pointed
out the made-up Rube, and he, too. instantly
recognized him as one Of the heetest sprinters
that ever smashed professional records in this
country.
The first two days Of the fair were given
over TO the running and trotting races. and
the twelve local bookmakers in line got all the
.a,,,,. Not N aIp.la four fnntaH fau,rit, cot