Year: 1873

dead. If her lot had been cast wi


the sterner sex, and had been brousl


to the bar, she would have been


representative of her gifted father


She would have been the younger Pi


of the family.


THE RACE OF THE OLD KING.


Now as to first race of the Old Kin


Young Guild and Peyton we're on IL


circuit at Carthage, got few fve-do


lar fees, and left for their residence 8


Gallatin, taking the races at Hartsvill


in their route They rode very fas


eighteen miles that morning. to get t


the races. The Old King was fin


large sorrel, finely formed, of immens


stride and powerful action. He wa


fatigued by the rapid ride, they no


expecting to run him, but so soon a


they arrived they were bantered for


mile race with Cook Lewis horse. VIII


had been in regular training, for $40


a side, to carry 100 pounds. TIL


young lawyers accepted the PROPOSE


ton, and the race came off in one hour


They had no time to plate the Oh,


King, so they removed his shoes ant
cupped him. He made splendid rul
and won the match in gallant style
The young lawyers remained in Harts


vile that night to enjoy their victory
and the next morning started to Gal


latin. Riding six miles they came t.


Banks old stand where they founC
some strangers, when they were agaii


bantered for race of one quarter of q
mile, for purse of 5000 side. They
were conducted to the stable where
they found a heavy muscled, compact
horse, which they afterwards under.
stood was celebrated Kentucky quar-
ter-hOrse lately brought to Tennessee
His appearance rather alarmed the
keen eyes Of the young lawyers. Up
on a conference they knew that he be-
ing stranger in the county, and from
his general appearance, that he was q
hard customer. But at last they con-
cluded to carry him beyond his accus-
toned distances and run him 600 yards
for $500 aside, and each carry 140 lbs,
and the race was made to come off in
thirty days. The Old King was high
spirited, was restive, extremely hard
to start as we'll as ride Bale Peyton,
then being the best rider in the State
and of the right weight, the young
men fixed the weight with the intent
to put up the celebrated rider, Bale
Peyton. The forfeit being put up, the
young lawyers left the courts for a
season, and both being good trainers,
Immediately put the Old King into
regular training in accordance with
the then improvements in the art.


They established their head-quar-
ters at Capt. Jack Mitehell's Hotel,
Gallatin, where they boarded. All
the paraphernalia of regular train
ing-stable was adopted, and there is
no doubt that they put the horse in as
fine condition for the race as the most
celebrated trainer could have done
Their old friend, the. eminent Judge,
John j. White, boarded at the same
tavern and had very fine Pacolet
riding horse who had distinguished
himself on the turf, and an old bay,
afflicted with the big-head, who had
been turned upon the commons. The
young trainers captured the old bay
and made him a pack-horse to go to
mill and bring hominy and oats, and
desiring to give the old King quick
motion. and to bring his driving mus
cles into play, and to give rapid and
quick motion for SO short race each
day they trotted him one hour, and
the manner of doing this was to place
a rider on the Judges old bay and run
him at full speed around circle, the
rider leading the Old King, making
him trot, giving him his most rapid
stride One evening while this opera
ton was going on, the Judge and the
young lawyers walked out upon the
common. The Judge observed that
one horse was going at full speed
around circle, the other following in
the rear. He said, What does that
mean; they seem to be going round
and round?" At length he said:-
Gentlemen, | do believe that is the
old bay that the boy is riding in trot.
They had to admit the fact TO the
Judge, and endeavored to make the
necessary explanations. He kindly
remarked: Now, boys, you may use
the old bay moderately to go to mill /;
but its too bad to run him around
circle in that way" They faithfully
promised to comply with his request,
which was done. The training of the
Old King went on satisfactorily. A
few days before the race, Guild and
Peyton desired to test the powers of
their horse, and to break him to go
off at the word. The only reliable
test that they had was to run the Old
King against the Judges Pacolet
horse. By great kindness he had been
gentle to ride, and they knew that the
Judge would not consent for him to
be run with the Old King. They con-
cluded that they would take them out
by the light of the moon and run them
600 yards. Guild rode the Judges
horse and Peyton the Old King
Many were the false starts. Guild
would turn the Judges Pacolet and
rush by Peyton, the Old King to get
him to start rapidly. AT length they
got off together. The whip and spur
was freely used, and each horse was
fully up to their topmost speed, and
the result was that the Old King beat
the Pacolet some forty yards.


This fully confirmed the young train
ers that they had an extraordinary
race horse. They kept their own Sc
crets, pushed their credit to the ut
most extension in raising funds and
then borrowed several horses to bet
on the race. They resolved TO make a
spoon or spoil a horn. The day be-
fore the race which was to come off
at Cairo, they broke up their stable
and with their baggage train slowly
moved upon the battle field with all
the circumstance and pomp of glOri-
rious turf racing. They bivouaced
upon the battle field that night and
their thoughts were upon the morrow.
Like the chieftains of old they next
morning looked for omens and signs
in the heavens foretelling the result of
the coming contest. The approach of
the great king of day was looked for
with deep interest, whether his great
eye was full and bright or covered with
dark clouds. Their horse was a red,
bright sorrel, the other was a dark
brown. The coming of the sun was
without cloud, resembling the beau
ty and brightness of the Old King,
and indicating success. This gave
Guild and Peyton double assurance
that victory would perch upon their
standard. Their object was to get
odds in the betting, at any rate even
bets, as their capital was not very large.
In this there were some fnessing
which is deemed fair on the turf
They gave out that they had no rider
They weighed one awkward boy and