The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-04
NOVEL AND EXCITING,
shanty Boatnan's Scheme for a
Match Race Between Catfish.

From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
racer" asked tall gaunt stranger of Mr..
j. T. Gathright yesterday afternoon, as
he entered the latters Office in the Lou
isville Trust building. 'Ive got a pair
of good uns that I've been worl1in'
double, but 1 think I could get 'em in
shape to run; single an pull you off a
good, square race. Excitin'! I'll bet my
shanty that there's never been a boss
race out here at the Downs thatd give
one-tenth the enjoyment
Before the stranger proceeded any fur
Their he gave his name as John Sebree,
said that he was a shanty boatman, and
that he had heard that Mr.. Gathright, as
chairman of the COMMITTEE on Hotels
and Accommodations for the Louisville
Conclave, had been looking around for
some little attraction that might be of
particular interest to the visitors who
stop at the Tented City in Fountain Ferry
Park during the celebration next August.
81 thought might interest you in them
Ash an 1 dropped in,' continued Sebree
before Mr. Cartwright had time to tell him
that he believed the Knights Templars
would hardly find it convenient to devote
their attention to contest between chan
mel cats.
"I've named 'em Billy an Teddy the
visitor went on They're as gentle as
lambs an easier to manage than JEFF
fersonville ferryboat. Billy an Teddy
are both about years old, I reckon, and
L trained 'em over a year ago to draw
boat.
How'd 1 do it? Why. harnessed 'em
to the skiff, of course. catfish's we'll
nigh the strongest animal on earth TOT
its size. Maybe you didn't know it. Them
two can easily pull skiff with me an
my wife an the four young uns in 1t.
Now. here's what I've got to propose;
| see by the papers there's going to be a
lot of people here this summer to attend
this big time the knights of the Tenn
pIars are goin' to have. A fellow was
tellin' me you wanted to get up something
a little out of the ordinary to give the
folks you'll have at Fountain Ferry a
little divershun."
This is quite out of the ordinary /
must say" Mr.. Gathright here found OPP
portunity to sandwich in. -:
'.Well, that's right, an I'm your man,
went ON Sebree. Now, you go ahead an
fix your seats for the people alonG the
hank of the river an I'll do the rest
I'll take Billy an Teddy an hitch EN-
To a light skiff apiece. I'll nix up the
skiffs with nags an things to make EN-
look like these fancy gondales-ain't it,
the Italyuns have. Then my two boys
viii drive 'em in race. You understand
there wont be anything seen by the aud
fence. but when two boats speedin' along
the surface of the water with maybe a
little foam ahead of EN- an the two boys
a-hoIlerin' an the people a-shoutin'
For the crowds that can't see from the
shore we might arrange it to get boats
down there. think we could get Capt.
Billy Devan to keep the track clear. Now
kno1u you're wantin' to know my price
for this attraction, an I'll add that I'll
bet there wont be a bigger attraction here
at this conclave. Well SIR III taNe
unite a little time to get the fish in train
ing to work single, an I'm frank to say
7 want TO make little out of the thing,
so III agree to put you up rattlin good
show for $50.
~ will be glad to take the matter under
advisement," said Mr.. Gathright, as he
bowed his visitor to the door with polite
ness"