Tennessee Oscar, a Horse without a Rival 269 



if he had a weakness it was in being too eager for success 

 in a close contest. 



At the tap of the drum Oscar went off under a tremen- 

 dous head of steam, and, in spite of all Simon's exertions to 

 restrain him, was soon 50 or 60 yards ahead, which served 

 to increase the doubts of Simon's fidelity. 



Dr. Shelby dashed across the field and ordered 

 Simon in a most peremptory tone to hold his horse, 

 to which Simon replied, in his characteristic style, 

 "You d d fool, don't you see his mouth is wide open." 



And Simon would have made the same reply to Gen. 

 Jackson under the circumstances. The General said to 

 Simon on one occasion just before the horses started in a 

 very important race, " Now, Simon, when my horse comes 

 up and is about to pass you, don't spit your tobacco juice 

 in his eyes, and in the eyes of his rider, as you sometimes 

 do"; to which Simon replied, "Well, Gineral, I've rode a 

 good deal agin your horses, but (with an oath) none were 

 ever near enough to catch my spit." 



On another occasion, after Maria had beaten the Gen- 

 eral's favorite, Pacolet, and when no friend dared to take 

 a liberty with him, Simon, meeting him in a large crowd, 

 said: "Gineral, you were always ugly, but now you're 

 a show. I could make a fortune by showing you as you 

 now look, if I had you in a cage where you could not hurt 

 the people who came to look at you." 



Many years ago I was riding on horseback with Col. 

 Elliott to the Nashville races, and when we reached a 

 point about one mile from the ferry at Nashville, on the 

 Gallatin Road, he observed: 



"Here is the place where negroes were annually hired 

 in old times and where I have often hired Simon, who, on 

 account of his deformity and dissipated habits, usually 

 cost me from twelve to fifteen dollars per annum. 



