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FIRST LAUGH WAS THE BEST When Timoleon Beat Suwarrow in Old Virginia Hatch Eace Colonel Tylers Confident Joking Repaid frith frithInterest Interest When William Johnsons Hone HoneDefeats Defeats Rival In the Mnd Fo41owing Is the story of an historic match race between Timoleon and Suwarrow as recorded by Auld Lang Syne under date of April 28 1833 and published in the American Turf Register of that year The race was run over the Charlestown Jefferson County Va course courseIt It was Medley against Medley again says the writer but not so closely contested as the match I gave you an account of some time since My friend Colonel Tyler was the owner of the Bellair colt Suwarrow and Timoleon was in the hands of a man known in Virginia in former days as the Irish beauty William Johnson full of fun and up to a thing or two twoThe The colonel believing his horse vastly su ¬ perior to the others which were to contend with him was in high spirits the night be ¬ fore the race He was the amusement of the company apparently at the expense of Johnson which by the by he stood pretty well as he recollected having had his fun out of the colonel before beforeJOHNSON JOHNSON PRAYS FOR RAIN RAINTho Tho colonel told Johnson that the race would only be exercise for his horse that Timoleon would not make him straighten his neck Never mind said Johnson but if it please God to let it rain I will straighten neck and tail both before I am done with you youThe The customary mode of preparing race courses in that part of Virginia at that time was to plow deep and most likely a stubble field then harrow well and if the weather proved dry it did tolerably well I have often heard it said however that luck was all bait or no bait and faith so it was with Johnson His petition was heard and it rained most powerfully You can readily imagine how the track was fter it itColonel Colonel Tylers horse took at least twenty two or three feet to the stride Timoleon went clipping along like a little dipping duclJ in the water pretty much up and down in the same place about eighteen feet to a stride When the signal for the prepara tion was given both stripped well and pretty nags too tooTIMOLEOX TIMOLEOX TAKES THE TRACK TRACKThe The Bellair was a beauty and much the larger of the two At the word Timoleon took the track determined to make play and kept at it When they had nearly fin ¬ ished the third mile Johnson discovered that the colonels horse labored too much for comfort in consequence of the mud There ¬ upon he began to pay him for what he had received the night before and I assure you he did pay him both principal and interest which everybody seemed to enjoy although the colonel was a great favorite Johnson asked him ironically if he thought he would have exercise enough or perhaps as he expected a harder race the next week he had better not give his horse too much work It will knock him off his foot per ¬ haps Then again he would ask him in the hearing of friends if he had not better let out a link and straighten his neck a little littleAll All this the colonel bore as a man should who had previously had his share in the joke and was beaten handily owing to the mud Johnson was delighted as he was not generally successful The colonel and himself had many a bout in those days At the close of the race there was a general peal of laughter which was kept up pretty much throughout the day in consequence of Johnsons humorous remarks Toward night all separated in good humor
