Year: 1869




r. EafERAL-
/ sports SnfeWdfy Iricked BY q


Victim


The topic Of conversation tO-daT X
sporting circles is theraceof YESTERDAY
over the Guinotte track. It is story
! foo good to keep, but Ont Of pure sym.
pathy for the laceTated feelings 0f Z
dozen gentlemen who th0ught they
knew a thing or two about horses, bui
were badly picked up,by greeny yes
ferday, we Won't give the names ol
the sufferers.


The race last Wednesday aftar oou
was attended by quite a number from
this city, and elsewhere. Among
those present was an old and seed5
looking farmer from near Richmond
Ray county. Along the fence he had
three lank raw bOned horses tied.
After the advertised races were Ovel
the AGED agTiculturist was balltered
to put up some money on oneof bis
plugs" and 50 get up q scrub race


He replied that he believed that
animal, pointing to an old mare who
stood with her head down and hall
asleep, cOuIdrun purity tolerably Wellii
she was .'trained.n But said he she
has been at work all spring and sum-
mer and amt fit to run n0W.o


While several Of the sports were
trying to cajOle the Old fellow into q
wager, another party slipped around
10 the rear Of the stable where stood
'sPuneh, (" a very fleet gOer, for q race
Of three hundred yards. Punch is,
in fact one of the fastest racers that IS
to be found for a short distance in the
State. The blanket was stripped from
the nag and an old rope halter, torn
bride and half worn saddle placed on
him, and he was quietly led short
distance and tied to a fence.


After considerable talk the vetran
son OF the soil burst out with the prop
osition to bet $25 that his mare could
beat any other ordinary horse on the
ground. He was then taken to where
Punch was tied, and saw that the ami
NAL looked like anything but a horse
kept for racing, and expressed himself
satisfied to run his mare against s'that
nir horse"


Then adozen offers t0put greenbacks
against his old nag were offered. The
farmer, who appeared to lose all bis
wits, took up thesbets one after another
till he had staked $3.50 against an
equal amOuntpu up by several parties
in sums from $40 to $50.


It was agreed to postpone the race
till yesterday afternoon. The sports
of this city rode hack TO town In high
glee. They Had sure thing on that
cOnfiding old rustic they thought, and
INDUCED among themselves in all sorts
of witticisms over his simplicity.


When the time for the race occurred
the foolish old farmer was promptly
on hand. Again he was tempted to
stake more money, and he recklessIy
plunged down into the depth of his
pockets after greenbaclzs till. he had
wagered 81, 500. Sums of $500 and
less amounts had been staked by
the knowing ones Of this town who
chuckled over the soft thing they had
secured until the entire pile of green
horn had been covered.


The word go was gave amid the wild
shouts and loud laughter of the back
ers of Punch "Go it old sOrrel -
Hurry up that marel ~ and other
jeering expressions passed from mouth
TO mouth.


The old sorrel did just more than
hurry up. She shot ahead sfthe racer
'.Punch, aand kept the lead easily and
Acame in the winner by forty feet.


Well wasn't that a sick crowd Of
sporting men, as the old greenhOfn
received the fifteen hundred dollars
he had won? ShOulden't wonder.
When they rode away from the track
yesterday afternoon did they cackle
to any pFesceptible degreee 4? Scarcely.
The nice trap they had fixed for the old
man didn't quite catch him but he
worked out his own little game most
beautifully - Kosssas city Bulletin,
Jufg 30.