Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-11-16

about 1868. afterwards belonging tc
James Stuart. Billy Boy was hall
L'other Of Lizard and was ra,sel -
Leon Quesnelle, of Deer Lodge.
On the 4th day of November. 1876.
the owners of the famous little nag
Lizard, Walton & Talbot. made a
match and signed articles with Thorn
ton, TO run a Single dash" of sixty
miles. against Billy Boy, Thornton's
saddle horse, for a purse of $4,000,
The contest was TO take place on
Wednesday, November 10th, on Olin's
race course. The following is sub.
s~tantially the agreement:
Both horses to start at a given sig
nal and the first horse terminating the
| sixtieth mile to take the money; 20
as you please and change riders as
often as they see fit. Lizard was a
much lighter horse. weighing only 600
pounds against Billy Boy $50. Both
horses, and Lizard especially. were
noted for great powers of endurance,
and IL was expected to be the most
exciting race ever witnessed. The
novelty of the race, the certainty thai
the packers had nerve and lucre, and
the established reputation OF the
horses. for speed, spirit and endur
ance. attracted quite a number ri
strangers to the town. A heavy frost
covered the ground and an almost un-
precedented fog hung dense and close
TO the valley until IL a. m, when il
lifted and the sun shone bright and
pleasant during the remainder OF the
day. With the sunshine came out the
people. The race" became the ex
elusive topic OF conversation, and
whisky the only orthodox drink.
Just before noon a look was taken
at the horses. Lizard was six years
old, 13% hands high and weighed 7l0
pounds when in ordinary condition
and about 800 when trained. He was
known generally as a cayuse. but had
good blood. his sire being Pappoose,
a thoroughbred Kentucky horse. cap
tured from an emigrant train by the
Indians many years ago, On the Platte,
and traded up into this country. where
he finally became the property of the
4 Stuart Brothers. II is told of Pap
poose that he was ridden from Black
foot to the Big Hole, 104 miles, be.
tween sunrise and sunset. Lizards
dam is said by some to have been a
full blooded American horse and by
others to be part cayuse. He has
won six races-three paying forfeit
and lost two, one of the latter was
against Sleepy Dick in 1869, in which
Lizard was taken right of grass, car
ried 100 pound rider and ore 1h lb,
shoes; the other was the four mile
race at the territorial fair at Helena
September, 1874. in which he was
beaten twenty feet by that devil on
four legs owned by Lieutenant Nc
Adams, of Fort Ellis. and entered IN
der the name of Dragon. In all pre-
vlous to this race he had taken In
s $1,000 for his owner on matched races
and was held by them at the exorbi'
tant price OF $3.50.
The first riders selected were fol-
Billy, Nat Evans, so pounds; Robbey
Graham, SO pounds; Eddie Evans, ~
pounds. For Lizard, Tommy Woods,
50 pounds; Ben Phillips, "a pounds
the intention being TO change every
ten or fifteen miles, as the articles
permitted the horses TO go as they
please between start and stop. Olin1s
track was in superb condition, never
better. The rain, a few days before
had saturated 1t and the day or two
of fine weather Immediately proceed
ing Wednesday had left 1t just as
nice as ever a horse put a foot to
At IL p. m Billy was on the track
and a few minutes later Lizard put IN
an appearance, both horses showing
: good condition and spirit. AS the