Post Boy vs. John Bascombe 173 



"Arthur Taylor" continued Porter, "is a great creature 

 in his line of life and has long been deemed at the head of 

 his profession; but he must be content to bear a rival 

 near the throne. For out of twenty races in which Col. 

 Crowell's horses have been named this year, Hammond 

 has won eighteen, winning for the veteran, in purses and 

 matches, the sum of thirty thousand dollars." 



Bascombe's victory took the Northern people by sur- 

 prise, and the excitement and feeling of chagrin over the 

 defeat of their favorite was slow in dying out. They 

 believed Post Boy was the better horse and that his defeat 

 was due to a change of trainers. John Buckley, who had 

 charge of him for this match, had been out of the training 

 business for two years, and, it was urged, did not know 

 Post Boy's temper and constitution. There was, therefore, 

 a strong desire for another test. At the club dinner where 

 the wine was red, there were many banters and accep- 

 tances, from which reports spread that Bascombe's friends 

 were afraid of another trial. This led to a proposi- 

 tion by Col. Crowell for another race for a sum not 

 less than $10,000. This banter was not taken. Later a 

 challenge was issued to the world for a match race for 

 $20,000 a side. This banter not being taken within the 

 time specified, Bascombe, after running and winning one 

 more race, went into the stud at $100, at the Hampton 

 Course, near Augusta. Col. Crowell had combined his 

 stable with that of John G. Winter, of Augusta, as a result 

 of trouble with the Indians at Fort Mitchell, Alabama. 



During the ten days following his defeat by Bascombe, 

 Post Boy won two 4-mile heat races, in one of which he 

 ran the fourth mile in 1:47; but in the Fall campaign, he 

 lost two races to Col. W. R. Johnson's Atalanta and paid 

 $1,000 forfeit to Mingo. Up to this time he had run 

 sixteen races and won nine; in three years netting $12,700. 



