The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-27
The Saratoga Races.
From the World.

than is now assembled AZ Saratoga For the
first days encounter forty-one horses were
entered all of them boasting prime blood
sixteen that of Lexington, nine that OF Light.
ming, and three that OF Lapidist. Down for the
second day we find fifteen among the twenty-six
referred to the Lexington strain, and among
the other eleven, which all seem to be respccta-
BILE animals, several sired by Glencoe, Eclipse,
or Bslrownie. The nominations for the third
day include several specimens of the last three
parents offspring, one of Lapldists, and two of
Lexington's For the fourth day, which opens
with a selling race, we have not vet the names.
Those tor the fifth day are twenty-five in num-
Der, distributed among the more famous sires
in the proportion OF nine to Lexington, four to
Lightning, three to Eclipse, two to Lapidist,
and one to BalroWnie. For the sixth days
races we have no names; but it is not probable
that any inferior horses will show their heads
there.
The interest felt in this Saratoga meeting. and
the widely diversified classes of people who show
1T, are proofs that the noble science OF horse
manshlp Is looking up. Many an American not
yet grey can recolect when horse-racers and
Sabbath-breakers used to be prayed Tor IN the
same breath, when the little boy who ran away
from his parents, in the more Juvenile library,
always used TO attend matches Immediately
before taking q skitf on SUNDAY and getting
drowned. There may have been some pallatIon
for the preuoice, but it has met with rapid
death during the last few years. and nothing was
wanted to give 1t its final dismissal but the sight
of so many horses of frst-class character assem-
bled from distant quarters of the United States
by the stimulus, but rather for the reputation
than tor the pecuniary rewards, offered IN the
Saratoga races
Apart from the mere accident of betting
which will occur in all times and countries
were trials OF skull are not absolutely pro.
hibted we regard every reunion of this kind
as an occasion OF unmingled good to the
American people. 1t reveals to us our exact
state OF STRENGTH in nj the mOst imDOrtaut
particulars which can concern a civilized
nation; gives the experts IN one OF the most
valuable OF our national manufactures tre-
qutnt opportunity to compare notes, and affords
Them a tribunal whose laurels shall be worth
all the acquisitions of science and experience,
all the expenditure OF pains and money which
ii look to win them.
The breeding OF fine horses presents itself as
duty OF paramount importance to every
nation which would cultivate its arts and pre-
serve its freedom. We need not initiate Con-
gressOnal orators, and 90 back 10 chaos and
"Danas Cyclopedian tor classical illustrate 0ns of
the usefulness TO man OF that animal whose
utility has been predicated in the opening
sentence OF every schoolboy's composition.
What we particularly desire to suggest is the
horses value to ourselves.
Upon this sioe Of the Mississippi his speed
and power seem to be in constant requlsltion:
but beyond the river stretches a ar lmmenser
region :han we already occupy, where he IS
pr,me necessity OF human eXlstenCe-a region
whose title we hold but which shall never truly
belong 10 us until the nation Of holsemen
already dottne its vast pletcaus and cauons with
their ccrrals have spread over its entire length
and breadth. Doubtless the Pacific Railroad
rather loads, for there must eventually be seve-
ral-will 'orm the grand aIterial system through
which the blood OF travel and OF traffic shall go
forth 10 vtalize this magnificent waste; but the
capillaries by which all the deep seated tissues
OF our social and commercial systems must be
nourished, are the roads and br1dle-paths upon
which horses can travel.
A large portion OF our national territory can
never know any other means OF communication.
1he country called ''the Plains,n occupying, IN
rough figures, an area of 1000 miles long by 600
broad, in the course of nature must always re-
main virgin 10 the plough. The country OF the
Sioux, AITapahoes, Cheyennes, and Camancnes
may be cleared of those treacherous nOmads;
but one might as soon attempt to turn the
Tartar steppes into Holland kitchen -garuen as
the plains into farming land like that OF the
Western prairies or the valleys of the Middle
States The inirequency OF rams the character
OF the soil, ana the distance between the large
rivers, must prevent this region from becoming
valuable as arabic land; while every advantage
OF climate and spontaneous fertility ht 1t tor the
graZiers purposes. For the raising of any kind
of stock, to the horse breeder, the daiTy.man,
the bee-packer, and the sheepiarmer, the plains
are an eXhaustless area OF wealth; and whenever
it shall be developed, the horse will be as lndis.
pensable an agent in the accomplishment OF the
end as the human pioneer, who must ride him
over millions OF acres where q railroad cannot
support itself, but where he can add immense
yearly returns to his own wealth and that OF the
nation.
The necessity of fine breed of horses to our
political existence has been sufficiently demon
strated during our late war. While it is not
supposable that such prices as were offered by
our Government tor its cavalry mounts could
have called into IFS service any frstclass animal
who was not sold for vice, and while we make
all allowance. tor the frauds OF contractors 1t
still seems astonishing that quite such bad
horses as were the case should be furnished to
our soldiers in the field. Few forced marches
occurred during any campaign in which the
roadside was not dotted with the expiring car
cases OF miserable screws, who had yielded to
glan6eTs, SPAWN, and hide-bound, the breath
which could not be accelerated ont
OF them by spur or musket-ball. Toe
great grievance of the army, for whole
corps and campaigns together, was the
wretched quality OF the transportation. NO
army can be said to be mobihZed until its can
non and its sabres can start, so that much OF
the time, save as force OF observation, our sol
Oiers might as well have been in Washington
as further south of Mason and DiXon's. There
can be no doubt that our earlier disasters and
much OF the painful slowness OF our struggle
were owing to the superiority OF the Confederate
horse and boTsemen over our own. Had we mel
the Southern cavalry, man for man, with such
riders as those of California, Colorado, anC
Nebraska, horse to horse with such animals as
they bestrooe, we should have Tcaped the ful
fruits Of many a victory only halt improved, anC
converted the ill.iortune of other fields besides
Winchester.
From every point of view, the interest in
hoIseraisng, manifested by such reunions a.
those of Saratoga and Paterson, is favorable
sign. We do not expect to see our next wal
find us in position where both steeds and dra
| goons have to be bred before we can mount ou
men. The stimulus which has brought abou
| these valuable tests and exhibitions OF ou
| strength in the horse respect which they IL
turn pass on to every farmer or amateur whC
| has taste and talent for the most elegant an(