Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1907-07-27
Under the Shade
of Abe Browns
Old Rubber Tree


has become to be known as the tree
of knowledge, fortune ~tellers, see
resses, palmists, and the I-told-you- /,
SOS are out of a job. 1t is a moot
question as to what was the origin
of "23." Listen to the rustling of
the leaves, and be convinced:
Once upon a time Billy O'Brien,
who does stunts for the house of
Shea, Bocqueraz and Mckee, in the
dispensation of light hardware, told
a story of a great race which hap
pened in Ireland. Billy was trying
to read his paper while the place
was full of touts and race track
habituees who were discussing the
horses that didn't win.
Gee" said n of the touts, "if
Scarecrow hadn't made that slip. I'd
been a hundred ahead"
"Why Scarecrow would had ter
fly to get home in that company,
chimed in another. HE didn't have
no look in"
Then they went on to tell who
would win the race the next day, and
all the money they were going to
make; and wondering who'd buy.
And William arose with a sigh, and
ordered a brew, and said to the mix
ologist, after inviting him.
81 remember a great race, where
l won a lot of money. There were
forty-two horses started"
"Forty-two!" interrupted a tout;
why you can only start twenty-five
horses on the biggest track in the
world"
This was in Ireland resumed
Billy to the bartender, paying no at
t%ention to the interrupter. well,
sir there was a FLY called Miss Burro
in that race, and l choose her. Well,
sir, she took the lead from the break
away (the touts got closer up and
when she was at the mile post
THE mile post" came another in
terruption, how long a race was
this?"
This was a five mile race" said
Billy to the bartender, paying nc
attention to the audience. We'll, sir,
that illy was ahead at the two-mile
post, and says l: It's the burro fol
the long road, me filly, and there she
was at the three-mile post, and al
the four-mile post, although she was
being crowded close. Then comm
down the stretch the sunspots were
playing checkers on her tail. She
was going that fast that the SUI
couldn't keep up to her, and Will
her tail sticking straight out, anC
her name flying in the face of tn,
jockey, she seemed to be putin,
blocks between herself and thu
horses that seemed to be walking be
hind her. At the stretch she cam
down like one of those kerosene cart
IuuHluB uOWn MIL
WELL gasped the crowd.
Well all of a sudden she stopped
and there on the stretch, she dropped
; a colt"
What screamed the crowd.
And she came in first under tn,
wire"
There was a hush a Billy drainer
his glass, and the bartender did tn
same.
And" continued the o'Brien
wiping his lips; the colt came Il
, second"
There was a shutting of feet, th
bartender said, have another" an,
the crowd looked hard at the ligh
hardware man. Then one of tn
touts said:
, Say, 1 lever heard of no track
where they ever had more tina.
twenty-five skates at one time
: And he winked knowingly at th
! gang.
well, If they had YOU, returne
Mr.. O'Brien, there would have bee
: twenty-three, so its twenty-three 70
-, you my bucco.'
!, And since then t~wenty-three ma
passed down into history for the out
side man, for the horse that is lei
: at the post, for the man in hard lucl
for the lady or gentleman who
handed a lemon.
Write ID. G. Doubleday, Merchants
q Exchange, building, San Francisco
for market letter and sheets shown