Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-26
LONG BRANCH.
Latest from LOngfeIIOw and Harry
Rassett.

Latest from LOngfeIIOw and Harry
Bassett.
From the New York Times, June %.
The first summer meeting Of the Mon
mouth Park Association at Long Branch
will begin on Saturday next, June 20. 1t
is not the mere fact that the races are
coming that is arousing the enthusiasm
which is 50 observable, but the consumma-
ton of the lOng-desired object of bringing
into competition the two greatest horses
that have been seen on the turf for years.
The rumors current about the city for
the past few days, regarding the lameness
of LongfellOw, are without the slightest
foundation in fact, and are evidently made
I'D for the purpose of getting longer odds
against him. With the view of ascert ain
ing the condition of LODgfelow and Bas-
sett, the writer made visit to Monmouth
Park, on Tuesday last, and satisfied him
self that all was well, and that both
Mr.. Harper and Colonel Mcdaniel
we're confident of carrying off the
Monmouth cup. Neither Of them
passes a night away from the COM
pany of his horses. Uncle John Gas Mr..
Harper is familiarly Called,) although in the
evening of his life, is full Of enthusiasm
over his horses, aud his ruling ambition now
is to beat his gray haired rival, Col. Nc
Daniel. 1t is one Of the idiOsyncraSies Of
human nature to worship DlammOn, and
Uncle John is one of the gods most de-
voted followers. Yet this old man,
with all his love for gold, refused a
handsome fortune for his horse. ''Keep
YOUR money" said he, 'and l will keep
-mv horse!" On Tuesday Uncle John
was sitting under large tree; a short dis
tance to his right LongfellOw stood in his
stall, with his long, shapely neck reaching
ont over the bars that confined him to close
quarters, showing to advantage bis deep
chest, broad barrel and powerful arms.
Uncle John frightened up as we
left his pet, and to our question
he replied that LOngfelloW was taking all
his work well, and would run from 'eend
to eend." He felt very sore over the
defeat of Lyttleton in the mile-heat race at
Jerome Park by Tubman, for" said uncle
John, 81 had the old man beaten (alluding
to McDaniel), but for the breaking Of that
s sirrup-but never mind, I'll have him
here" We then left him, expressing the
hope that he would capture the wary Col
Onel, which remark he seemed to take as
"a beam OfCOmfort.
A few steps brought us to Col. McDan-
iel's quarters. Although time has silVered
the Coloners hair, he will not confess to
the infrmities of age, and he expresses
himself as frisky as two-year old. Ger
tain it is, that the prosperity Of the last two
years has completely rejuVenated him. He
attended the annual sale Of yearlings at
Alexander's farm in 1868. With the per
ception for which he is noted, he selected a
colt by Lexington, out of Canary Bird, by
imp. Albion, a mare that was unsuccess-
ful on the turf He gave S3l5 for tie
colt, and named bin Harry Basse t,
and since his first appearance as twO-year
old at Saratoga, he has suCcumbed but once
to his adversaries, and then when out Of
condition. As Bassett ran at the late meet
ing at jerome Park, it is unnecessary to say
that he is in fine settle, and takes all the
work the COnonel gives him. The,specula
ton on the contest is very heavy, and Bas-
sett has slightly the call at 800 to 500
figures which show that the partisans of
Longfellow have the greatest confidence in
Ills ability to command the lead on the I'd
of ,IIlV,