Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-02

Just RS tho rider would make aSgrab
e, r h.n AM II . was even en- more a!nisn,t
perry neck. hut these wild. county
riders enjoyed tho sport. and SO did
everybody who saw It. II was bet-$
r 1ff ,na and any sSSpISnamsns and tho
ring In tournament riding. / think,,
II ,ooH nearly an hour for those fell !
lows 10 get three old ganders down:
Shooting for Turkey.
shooting for turkey was a sport
i indulsed In also ON court days.
The turkeys were purchased by tho
Swe each ha I'd ShG his eh fSr them
s tnnas 81 T rNty used target 2, aa
su %' ass tn X th hs k as
limit tho size of shot, SC as to mako.
the number OF pellets somewhat even..
brought all kinds OF guns and all
kinds OF loads. but the main ideii,
was was to- see who could get the most
number OF circles aud In tho center
black spot about az Inrge as a
silver dollar and each man would
I'll all had had their shots. when il
would DO decided who had won the
turkey. iNnoticcd that one. old fei.i
got three turkeys. ana they finally
ruled n him out OF the game because.
the gun was unusual" In length and.
-. Interesting Horse RncIns.
The great snort. however. was tho
nromiscuous racers and racing which
sSerso who had a horse took q
OF a race between two horses In
sured selling the lucky one for a !
gooh price. Those races were roally,i
much amusement and cxcitcment,,i
Eyyerybody who had Il horse or mule
Mt with any sort Of record would pit
win or lose Il dollar or so at the end
OF the track. The race course was
puhiir down r straight portion Of the
anu tho distance WAS seldom over q
quarter OF a mile, and nevor but two
q, q ,im m regular side. and slds
10 the ground.
The two contestants wore ranged
in f. n!ss ara the word given. and
hprehcndcd and with big switch
thcy whalcd their horscs Into u fran.
nc rush. followed by. the yells and
These races were occasions iIns0AI for
changing little money on the sIy.
selling more than one horse for a
lively llttlc hsthgh, where mntters
were In dispute. but. all In all. IL
these things happening.
BeinS q boy, I wHs most Interested
on those days with what went on
on the outside. never witnessed
ne trials Of tho offenders against
me law. no rnevcr saw anyone hung.
though some man showed me a big
beam on top OF two stout and tall
pieces Of timber behind the Jail which
ne said was used for hanging peopIc.
lie said that formerly the condemned
person wax made TO stand up in n
horse cart and when tied and blind
FOLDED was driven undcr this cross
hcan and rope from The beam WAS
tied around his neck, and when the
word was given the cart was driven
from from under the victim and the job
was done. cannot vouch for the,
truth Of this statement, but have
since heard that this was ono method
or hanging In this State long ago.
There Ia one bright spot in my
memory Of those days and IL centers
around tho stand on which was dis
played Tor sale tho genuine horse
cakes" and caudy BULBS eyes. This
Was all the pcddlcr had to catch
youngsters like myself. and Il waB
happiness enough for mo TO get n
half dozen Of those big brown mos
insscs cakes with streak or so of
white OF an egg across them. and az
many OF thos" red and white balls OF
cheap candy. When ! had seen the
day through and had gotten thcseS
good things I was ready for home
with something TO talk about until
next court day.