Year: 1874

Some forty years ago, says the
Uniontown Standard, the managers
of the race course at Brownsville,
Fayette county, published the notice
Of race, one mile heats, on q par
ticular day, for . purse Of 800, free
for ANYTHING that had four legs and
hair on. A man In the neighborhoOd
named Hays, had . bull that he was
in the habit Of riding TO the mill with
his bag Of corn, and he determined to
enter him for the race. He said noth-
Ing about it to any Que, but he rode
him round the track 3 number OF
times on several bright nights, and
the bull had the hang Of the ground
pretty well and would keep the right
course. He rode him with spurs,
which the bull considered particularly
disagreeable, so much so that he
always beloved when they were ap-
piled to his sides.


On the morning Of the race Hays
came upon the ground ION horse
back" on his bull. Instead Of q sad
die he had q dried ox-hide, the head
part of which, with the horns still on,
he had placed on his rump. He car
ried q short tin horn In his hand. He
rode up to the judges stand and Of
fered To enter the bull for the race,
but the owners Of the horses objected.


Hays appealed to the terms OF the
notice, insisted that his bull had four
legs and hair on, aud that, therefore,
he had . right to enter him. After Q
good deal OF "eussin' and diseussin' {"
the judges declared themselves COM
PEELED to decide that the bull had q
right to run, and he was entered ae-
eordingly. When the time for start
ing arrived, the bull and the horses
were out OF humor at being bothered
by bull, and at the burlesque which
was intended, but thought 1t would
be oyer as soon as the horses started.
The signal was given, and they did
start. Hays gave a blast with his
horn and sank his spur into the bulls
side, and the "steed" bounded for
ward with . terrific below, at no
trifling speed, the dried Ox-hide flop
ping up and down, rattling at every
jump, making = combination Of
noises that had never been heard on q
race-course befOre.


The horses few off the traek-every
one seemed to be seized with q sudden
determination to take the shortest cut
out of the RedstOne country, and not
one Of them could be brought back in
time to save their distance. The purse
was given to Hays under q great deal
of hard swearing on the part of the
owners of the horses. A general row
ensued, but the fun Of the thing put
the crowd all on the sids Of the bull.
The horsemen contended that they
were swindled out Of the purse, and II
it had not been for Hays horn and OK
hide, which he ought not to have been
permitted to bring upon the ground,
the thing would not have ended as it
did.


Upon this, Hays told them that his
bull could beat any Of their horses,
and that II they would put up 500
against bis purse, he would take of
his Ox-hlde and leave his horn and
run q fair race with them. His offer
was accepted and his money staked.
They again took their places at the
starting post and the signal was
given. Hays gave his bull another
touch with his spurs, and the bull
gave another tremendous below.
The horses remembered the sound,
and thought all the rest was coming
as before. Away they went again, in
spite OF the exertions OF the riders,
while Hays galloped the bull around
the track and won the money. From
that time they nicknamed him Sham
Hays. He Afterwards removed to
Ohio, but his nickname stuck 10 him
as long as he lived.