The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-08-25
THE BALAAM
MARATHON.
SEVENTEEN JEHUS ON Seventeen
MULES.
Sons Of Nimshi Ride Like Mercury on
The Winds.

In that mule race of last Wednesday the
Marathon was opened by Harry Cobb, Eugene
Power and Willie Lyon. II was proposition
that the mules had never been up against
They had been on The of side and in the lead
TO a wagon, they had been up against tne
hame string 10 plow stock, they bad been
hitched TO buggies they had been worked ID
many ways, but to be in race was some
thing entirely new.
A mule Is q queer "crltter" any way. DE
possesses more individuality than any other
animal. He knows how TO take care OF m
self better than most men. he Will never
run away II there is any danger OF lplurlpg
himself thereby. He is as lea!y OF a stranger
as E. z, Mark Just after being gulled. DE ID
as full Of tricks as circus clown, possesses
untold wealth OF bumor, and likes negro
because the negro likes him.
This particular batch OF mules was mucn
distrait when filed out on the race track. II
was plain to see 10 one versed In muleology
that they were uneasy. Whenever q mule
stands hipshod on one hind leg with one ear
pointing TO the front and the other pointing
TO th back that mule is asking question.
There vera seventeen mules In This attltude
ON the race track last Wednesday morning
all asking questions.
The question WAS soon answered. for the
sign was given and the three riders, Coob,
Power and Lyon, put whip and spur TO their
steeds in order TO see who would be In the
last raco. Around the grounds they went
like bee martins In 8 thunder storm. now
straight, now In a curve, now zlgzaging,
ha n
they came again to the starting place, when
Will Lyon was found to come out ahead.
The next race was jockeyed by Erskine
Blake, Mack Nicklts, and Clyde Morgan.
They were dressed like Don Quixote and
seemed ready to charge any thing from
mule race TO a windmill. At the signal from
Sheriff Lyon off they put. They made the
best and clesnest ace run. In the arst race
one of the mules understood that he was TO
20 home ar toward home he started like
martin to his gourd, bringing up on the ropes
of the enclosure and landing the son of Nim-
shi on the top Of a cedar post with as much
ease as a nanny could turn a batter cake.
Mack Nlckles won here.
The next race was run by DR.. Harvin, Wa!-
lace Harris, and Adams. This was sou
stirring race. The muleteer, Harris. near
the shank Of the race, was making the circle
with such enormous speed that the centrifu-
gal force smashed the force Of gravity and
Harris mule and all went of at tangent
through wire fence with such force that the
fence was demolished without doing damage
TO the prcjectile Whatsoever. Adams won
the race.
The muleteers In the fourth race were: A =
bert Morse, Dick Sondey and Henry Wilson.
In this race Wilson's mule seemed TO think
that he was hemmed up TO be caught He
dar,ed around with such astounding celerity
that he was barely visable at times. with the
result that that doughty rider and crack
horseman, Wilson, could not keep his seat.
Almost any ODE can ride mule but II takes
q spook TO ride a piece Of bucking black
tightening. Morse won the race
Next there cantered out on the scene a trio
that according TO the eternal fitness Of things.
was in perfect harmony. The mule seemed
made for the man and the man for the mule.
Talk about riding! You shonld have seen II.
Your brain sputters out like dead candle
when you try 10 describe 1t and words are
absolutely wanting 10 do the subject justice.
Four or five thousand years ago there WAS
one AhmaaZ who was something OF a runner
but Ahimaaz would have looked like a slow
freight beside Johnnie Yates in comparison
with Devlin In that race. Devlin's mule was
simply scared, that's all and you know what
q scared mule can do.
Nlckles. Morse and Lyon ran the next race.
They raised such smoke Of dust that 1t was
impossible to see what happened on the route
but Ly on cor jured his mule, somehow, and
came out ahead.
In the final try out and wind up Lyon,
Devlin and Harris had the track. Harris
was riding "old fox" seventeen hands high
pitched within and without with pitch and
built OF Gopher wood Old Fox was a noble
specimen and 1t had never dawned on him
what he was to do that whole day until that
last race was run. When the flag fell thai
mules hide was girt into million wrinkles
he looked like the picture of the charger OF
Ahasuerus. He stretched out like black
cloud and went around the track so fast tina,
he caught up With himself on the last lap
and that was running some. And SO 1t was
that Harris won the priza.