The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-07-24

onct. Ever hear Of John Gray's two
yeafoid, Goldin ROd?''
Don't recall the name
That's funny. re wuz on tn cir
cunt. too. cnct- Wen. anyway, Hiram
an Johns both neighbors o. mine
Hiram owns tn 50 Jes' above me on tn
Crick, an John has-wen, he did have
10. but he sold 50 to Dave jenkins, an
now he's got only so left. Well. Hiram
an John have alIus been at il in bet
tin Those boys 'ud bet ef they didn't
have no more to put up than their
chooin' tobac'. So. when Hiram took
up this colt O. his, an decided she wuz
a racer. an called her Corn Tassel, that
made John purity mad So. as he didn'
have no colts. he gees an buys this
GOIdin Rod frum a feller in Boone. an
begins a-feedin' him eggs an things
Then, when tn FLY gets old 'nuf
break. he challenges Hiram L race
And they raced2"
well. not right away. Their wuz tn
trsinin' First they read lot o books
about how Z bring up 8 race horse, an
what they couldn't read they made up.
Every mornin' they ust [ get up an
exercise them horses. an then put EN-
hack an feed EN- eggs an grain. until
they had 'em that skittish that no one
could go near 'ena. But when they come
L tn DAY OF tn race-it was L be on
tn fair grounds-they got [ quarretin'
over weights Hiram allowed that
Gcldin Rod was hevier than Corn Tas-
sci. an that by tn rules o tn track
he ought { give tn FLY a he'd start.
Then John said that 1t wasn't a matter
OF how much tn horses weighed alone,
but how much they weighed with tn
rider on. An they squa5bied- an they
wrangied, an they nearly fit. until
iln'iy I said. bein' ust to Darbies. an
settin' a lot O. horse knowledge frum
my fathers side-I said that John was
right"
And did they settle It that way7"
asked the patient listener. looking at
his watch and toward the suburban
train anxiOusly.
well. they did fn'ly. and it wUz
decided that ef Hiram rode Corn
Tassel, and Johns youngest boy rode
Goldin Rod. the diffrunee would be
made M. They weighed this way, an
there wasn't more'n q pound dinurence-
They made tn boy carry a horseshoe
IN his back pocket TO make up for
that"
And which wong"
wen. I'm a'conin' z that. It amt
settled yet. That wuz Ave year ago,
an them old fools is still racin' Corn
TasseI and Goldin Rod agin one an
thin happins. tn first year Goldin
Rod run away an didn't get home
agin fer two days. an Johns boy was
nearly killed. Yes. sir. The doctor
had { take six stitches wher. that
horseshoe had been put Tn next year
both til critters run away. an while
John an Hiram both was ridin',
though John was 'bliged to ride in his
underclothes { make I'D fer the diff
- r.~z
The listener was interested. but he
was also intent on catching his train
and he moved uneasily. Didn't they
get a decision in the third year," he
asked nervOusly.
Wen. some thought they did an
some thought they didn't Geldin Rod
beat all right. but when they were
a-coTnin' down the stretch Corn TasSei
reached over an bit a piece out OF
johns pant leg. which scared him SO
ALFRED much that ne yelled bloody
murder. which seemed { frightsn IN
dayiights out O. CioIdin Rod. an he lit
out an win tn race by forty yard. But
Hiram yelled foul. on tn ground that
ef Corn Tsssel hadn't bit Jehn he
wouldn't a-yelled. and IL he hadn't
a-yeiied be wouldn't a-scsred Goldin
Rod an he wouldn't avon. Every
body was afraid [ act as referee, 50
they called il a dead heat"
The pink Sheeter again looked earn
estIy al his watch and expectantly at
the story teller. And last year?p he
ventursd.
Wei. Their warn't no racin' last
year, Hiram had tn measles an Corn
TasseH was of his feed, but this year
they'rk goin' 20 At il up fes m fyna ly,
and ofe on ems g0En' Z win or both
on 'enfs goin' { bazt An yoa CA bs<si