THOSE HORSE-RACE MEN.

Dunstan Times, Issue 771, 26 January 1877, Page 4

THOSE HORSE-RACE MEN.

Mrs Crocker, of Detroit, loves to read a daily paper. She begins at the name and reads to the last line of the fourth page, skipping nothing, Bhe hasn’t a first-class college education, but it is seldom that anything printed injthe papers is too much for her. She got “ stuck ” the other day, however, and this is how it happened : —There was a report of a horse race, and she began to read it. She got down to where it said “ John Jay names g.g. Dick,” and she mused : “Ho names g.g., does he 1 T’ve been to races several limes, and I never saw a g.g. round there.” Shepuzzled over it till old MrThomson came over to borrow a few clothes pins, and she asked him what it could mean. “ John Jay names g.g he mused, “ why that’s as plain as day. He names a gray goat of course, and the name of that goat is “ Dick.” “ What is a goat doing at a horse race 1 asked Mrs Crocker. *• I don’t know,” ho replied ; “ but John Jay had one there, as sure as you’re born.” She took the paper and read that ■James Thomas named b.m. Troubador and she wanted to know what on earth it meant. “ That means—that means,” ho replied. scratching his head* 1 thatmeans that James Thomas has his big male "there, and that this big mule was ■ named “ Troubador ” “ I never heard of a mule trotting at a horse race,” she protested. “ But it seems this was a big mule, and sothev let him in.” he explained. The next thing she found was that Peter Black named his b.c. Haney for ' the 2 40 dash. “ You know what that means, do you V as she handed the old man the paper “ Yes, I do,” was the prompt reply. “ If I know ray business, and I think I do, for I owned seven horses and seven sulkies in my time, that means that Peter Black named his black calf for the dash.” ‘‘ Oh, pshaw!” “Very well, Mrs Croker, if you know all about racing, why do you ask me 1” “ Do you suppose that I am fool enough to believe that a black calf is named to trot in a horse race 1 You - are beginning to be a fooj, Mr Thompson ” “ I guess not—l guess I know my business.” “You get out of this yard, sir !” she yelled. “ I don’t pretend to know much but F know in a minute than yon do in fourteen days 1” “Very well, Mrs Crocker, very well, I was going to borrow some of your clothes-pins, but now I won’t hang me if I do !” She ran for the hoe and he for (ho gate, and if anybody has ever wondered over seeing a Crawford-stroet woman rushing a bald-headed man along the side-walk, this article can bo taken as an explanation. The man ■doesn’t live who can make old Mrs Crocker believe that a black calf has anything to do with a race.—Detroit 'Free Press.