The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1904-12-01
SOME CURIOUS RACES.
Ostrich Beat Pelican, Dog, Cat ar
Monkey in Egypt.

Ostrich Beat Pelican, Dog, Cat an
| Monkey in Egypt.
| When King Edward was last III
Egypt, says London Tit-Bits, he found
much amusement in race, which In
cluded a pelican driven by Lord Dun
more, an ostrich steered by Gen. Dor
mer, a pig by Capt. Maxwell, monkey
piloted by Capt. Kekewich and a
Cairo dog, a turkey and cat, respec'
lively under the control of Capt. Lewis,
Col. Sandwith and Maj. Campbell. The
| pelican started hot favOrite: but alas.
for human anticipations, while hold
ing a good lead he caught sight of
water and promptly made for it; the
monkey spoiled the cats chance by
jumping on its back, and the ostrich
| won with ridiculous ease from the pig
"a bad secondhand the dog--a worse
third.
A ladies' race recently witnessed at
Mhow was both novel and startling
in its developments. The fair compet-
itors raced to a line of baskets placed
across the course, and on a given sig
nal each raised the basket in front
of her. Surprise! Delight! Conster-
nation! From under three sprang up
tiny recruit boys, who presented pretty
prizes to the fortunate winners, while
from the other baskets emerged reg
ular menagerie. Here doves scared UP
into the sky, there cat bOlted as If
pursued by hundred dogs, while
partrdiges, geese and hares scuttled
away into the crowd.
In many a country district in Ger
many there is held an annual OK race
which attracts thousands Of spectators.
Each one is ridden bareback by its
owner, without whip, spur, yoke o.
harness; and as the race is across n
field a mile wide, and the riders have
only their voices to guide the vagran.
animals, the results are often highly
diverting, especially as the spectators
can add to the fun by shouting and
gesticulating at the oxen and doing
their best to divert them from the di-
rect path.
Not long ago at Nogent-sur-Marne
the international wooden-leg running
championship was decided in the pres
ence Of 5000 spectators. The distance
was approximately 22O yards, and the
proved the swiftest Of siXty-seven COM
petitors, and covered the journey in
thirty seconds. Bordeaux finds its
chief excitement in stilt racing. In a
recent competition youth, Aime Mar
tin, covered 215 miles in shade over
seventy-six and one-half hours. using
stills six feet long and weighing six
teen pounds; while a short time ago |
the mayor of small French town or
ganized a race among the local drunk
ards-and won it himself.
But few. II any Of these eccentric |
races are as exciting as the hurry |
race" beloved of Canadians. |
This Is contest between canoeists, |
who at given signal dive into the |
river, swim to their canoes In mid
stream, get in, cast loose and paddle
for dear life to distant buoy. Scarce
ly have they covered a dozen yards
when the pistol barks again. each man
tumbles out of his canoe and as
quickly climbs In again to paddle
away as before At the next shot each
man upsets his canoe and rights it
again; and so on every few yards un-
til the goal is reached. So expert are
some Of these paddlers that they can
upset, right and climb into their canoes
in less than four seconds