The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-07-02
SUMTER. S. c.. WEDNESDAY. JULY 2. 1902.

TER. s. c.. WEDNE E
The enthusiasm over the tournament
was put to the severest possible test
Wednesday afternoon, and it stood the
trial better than the greatest enthus-
last imagined it would under the cir
cumstances.
The quick-hitch contest was adver-
tised to begin at $50 O'Clock, sharp,
and even before the hour had arrived
the crowd had assembled on the grand
stand and the ropes on either side of
the course were lined with an impa-
tient throng. But the contest did not
begin at $50, and at 30 the crowd,
largely augmented in numbers, was
still waiting. It was after $50 be-
| fore the track was cleared and the an
nouncement made that the races would
begin. The delay was due to no fault
Of the committee of arrangement and
could not have been provided against.
When the captains Of the contesting
teams met at 1890 O'Clock to select
the judges objection was entered
against the construction and arrange
ment Of the quick-hitch house that
had been erected in the middle OF
Main street for the contest, and it was
decided to have the house altered to
meet the wishes of the visiting fire.
men who made the objection. This ne
cessitated the undoing of great deal
of work that had been done aud do
ing great deal of additional work.
| This took time, and after the, carpen-
| ter work was completed the ropes,
| p1lleys and other fixtures fer suspend
ing the harness, ETC., had to be rear
ranged.
MONAGHAN, NO. 2,
was the first team to run. When the
l,pistol was fred as the signal for the
start, the horses left their stalls, ran
to positions under the suspended har-
ness, and the two men sprang to ad-
Just the harness as it fell on the
horses. There was a few seconds de-
lay in making the harness secure, but
nevertheless it was quickly done; the
driver on the seat, with reins in
hand, pulled the cord that dropped
| the rope across the door, and the men
sprang on the side steps of the wagon
as the horses dashed out of the house
at a full run. The hundred yards to
/ the judges stand were run at hreakneck
speed, while the judges watches
licked off the seconds. Time, 25 20
seconds.
! CAMDEN
came next. They, too, lost time on
the hitch-np, but made fine run, the
horses showing excellent speed and
mettle, Time, % seconds.
COLUMBIA, NO. g.
was the third entry. Again the hitch
| up was the stumbling block, for even
a second lost in swapping the collars
together and hooking the reins into
/ the bits counts. The run was finely
done, and until the time was an
lnounced by the judges many thought
they had made the quickest run.
Time, 27 20. Then came the
| INDEPENDENTS OF COLUMBIA.
The horses showed perfect training
/ and almost human intelligence, jump
ing from stalls to positions under the
harness at the signal and standing
perfectly still while the two men snap
ped the catches with speedy deftness.
The rope dropped, the men sprang to
their places on the wagon as it dash
ed out of the house, and heteam was
off. The horses ran without break
or falter, and the Independents began
to cheer before time was announced.
Time, "a seconds.
| THE PALMETTO, OF COLUMBIA,
| had the next trial. The horses are ex-
ceptionally handsome, and much was
expected Of them, but the hitch-uI
was badly bungled, and the race was
/ lost before they left the house. The
driver evidently realized that his team
| had no chance, and he did not let the
horses go at full speed until they were
some distance from the house. Then
they made pretty and speedy run.
Time, 80 seconds.
The last team to make the race was
DELGAR, NO. 8.
| With this team, as it has so often
happened to many people at critical
times, it was the unexpected that oc.
CURED. The thoroughly trained horse,
instead;.of leaping under the harness al
the signal, turned around in his stal.
and could not be gotten out and in
place at once. The other horse, the
one that, had not been counted on with
much confidence to do the right thing,
caused no delay. Several seconds
| were lost by this, but when the har.
| ness was on and the word to go given
the horses made a gallant run; but
| the lost time could not be regained
and they lost. Time, % seconds.
The Independent, of Columbia, hav.
ing made the best time by 2-5 Sec
onds, received first money, 500, and
Monaghan, No. 2, beating their
closest competitor for second place by
Q seconds, received second money, $50.
SPECIAL EVENT.