Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1876 — A California Transaction in Mustang-Flesh. [ARTICLE]

A California Transaction in MustangFlesh.

A large crowd gathered yesterday on Fourth street, in front of the Coiirt-Hoose, attracted; by the moving through the streets of one of die old ‘ buildings from John Taylor’s tot. The brifldtogwas about fifty feet long and had been mounted on four wooden truck-wheel'll with a pair of wagon-wheels in front, to which a team of six stout mules were hitched. 'Aftef many tugs the old house the driver yelling and the mud flying’ dll over tlie side-walk,-scattering the crowd and bespatter* ing the goddess of liberty on the dome of tlie Court-House.- After an hour’s time* they succeeded in dragging the building about 150 feet. Within a few feet of the crossing from tlie Recorder’s office to Evans’ store they stuck fast, owing to, a slight rise in the'street hiade by the crossing. The) driver shotrtdd himself hoarse, toe six big'mules floundfereSfi about in the mud, put not an inch would they budge the old bdilding. 1 Tlie 1 crowd increased and bets were mafic thSt 'they would hever start it again. A teamster from the redwoods, with four, mustangs, had stopped to watch the perforimtfice, a smooth-faced, athletic young fellow. He said nothing urttil, rbused perhapshy a splash of mud, he walked to the front, Wiping dn his sleeve, and said: “I Ain’t got but $3, but I’ll bet every cent bf it that my four mustangs will start that rookery out of there.” There was a derisive laugh from the crowd and half-a-dozed takers. “ Put up the money,” said the tdaihster. . “If I had mote or knew whefe td‘'JjdrroV any, I’d see, the last one of'yotp’ The "bet tvas token. Jerry Fanner held stakes, tlie six mules w6re takeii 'o.ff aiid’ the rotir mustangs hitched on. Meanwhile the interest of the crowd increased and bets .were frdely made with big'odds against the teamster. WUeii beady. to start the excitement was at a.hjgp piteh. The little mustangs bent' to 'their wqrk, but the hoyse did pot move. ’Nothing daunted, the teamster, in answer tp,.tne crowd who were chaffing him from all quarters, said: “ Jf Jim S.fiaw was and bet fifty dollars that (j 'j- could start it. tern warned' up. vet.” “I’ll . bqt you titty dollars' against qne pf ypur> horses/' said a well-known liveryman, “that you Can’t pull it five, feet.” *‘lt’s a whack,” saia the'teamstei-j “ put up coin.” The money was: liaritjed to Jerry Farmer, tlie stakeholder. Another tug; the liitl6 mustangs seemed to'hump themselves, but it was no another fifty agin (hat mate you can’t do it,” saidthe livery, man. eagerly.. 1 ‘ Done,” said the teamster; ‘* I’ll bet thelast Roof pf ’em on if, and you inay swing me to one of them oaks in the plaza if they can’t do it.” By this tipjp the chement, was, running liigh among, the )qokers'-Qn. and side bets wqre numerous?.* One offered to bet SIOO necould not'd# it, and the teamster got a friend -to -takq t|ie bpt for him; Those had watchta- Wrf teamster closely now noticed g., change in his manner, a curious .smile op his coup-, tenance. He walked .up to each horse successively, tapped him on, the rump jwitfi the butt-end of his black-pake, and sijid to each: ‘‘Stand up there nopuin your harness." For the first time he mounted the near wheel, seized a single reip, turowf his team off, “ haw,’;’ them back “gee,” bracked his whip, gpve a yell and, as tliey straightened, the un wieldly load rose over the obstruction like an old hulk,over a swell at sea, greeted by a buftt- of applause from the bystanders. The mustangs pulled for about twentyfive feet and he stopped them. “ You see," boys,” said the teamster, as he got down,' “I’m with them all tlie time and knowjust what they can do, and”—with a childlike smile —“just when to make ’em do it.” As he dropped the stake into his overalls pocket he said: “ I’d give fifty dollars out of that ar stake if Jim Bhaw had been here to see that team pull. Jerry, I’m dry; let’s go oven to Buck Williamson’s and take a dnnk.”—Sacramento Record.