Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-02-13

patrons is such that detectives are sta.
toned at its approaches, for the very
purpose of preventing disreputable men
and soiled doves from entering its gates.
And nearer home in our own New Eng.
land States we have such men as Amasa
Sprague of Rhode Island, who built and
owns the beautiful Narragansett Park at
Providence. for the very use my Paris
friends SO much condemn OF offering
purses and premiums Tor trottng horses.
Mr.. Spraguc is also very extensively ell.
gagged in breeding and training trotterS,
and has recently bought an extensive
tract of land in Kansas upon which he
has large lot of first class stock. There
is also Col Russell of the Home Farm
near Boston, n very wealthy gentleman
largely engaged in raising trotters.
Messrs Smith and Hitchcock of Con-
necticul. in our own State, Messrs. Wright
and Norcross and the Lambards of Au-
gusta, the late j. H. Gilbreth. and Hon.
+. S. Lang, who / understand is again to
enter the list of breeders, back to the pro
prietors of our model Highland Farm, we
find the same class of men engaged in the
business OF breeding trotters.
MORALS OF HORSE TRoTTING.
Will the Farmers Club OF Paris tell me
that these men are engaged in raising
trotting horses in the interest Of the
sporting and gambling classes, and that
they should wash their hands from the
stain of decentralization which attaches to
that kindred institution? No, gentle
men; these men are engaged in the no.
bl c avocation Tor the pure love of the
sport and the recreation ii affords them
and although many of them are making
it pay, they are not breeding from pecun'
iary motives, many Of them being mil
lonaires and having fortunes invested in
the business. Many Of these men TO my
knowledge never bet dollar in their
lives, although some are always ready to
tako an honest risk about the chances oi
their horses when they start them. But
the owners OF these horses generally are
satisfied to win the very liberal purses
hung out all over the country for them 10
trot for, and although men gamble if you
please on the result, gambling is by nc
means confined to trotting horses. Dc
not farmers bet on the weight of hogs
on the price OF hay next spring, on the
bushels OF potatoes they will raise on m
acre. or on the pulling OF cattle on Z
drag ? DO not our merchants when they
lay in heavy stock of goods and take
their chances for n rise, or brokers when
they buy railroad or other stocks, or re-
lgious or other societies when they offer
grab bags and guess cakes at their faiI
all gamble on the result ? | have also
heard OF men betting on elections and
know OF several men just now who
want to bet Grant will be the mex
President of these United States. notwith
standing all the enthusiasm for horse
flesh with which he is credited; anC
peaking of Presidents, did the farmers
OF Paris never hear that George Wash
ington and Andrew Jackson bred and
owned and ran horses for purses; and
are all members of the club the peers o.
these illustrious men | notice by the
report that Mr.. Thayer, a veteran farmer
spoke in opposition to horse trots, and
said that farmers had As u general thing
lost money by trying 10 raise fast horses.
| grant it, and il the farmers Of Paris will
apply the same amount OF common sense
to breeding trotterS n they do To the use:
TOR which they would have us believe
they are almost entirely applied, ! dc
not wonder at the result. Ny own no.
ton is that if man goes to work right
to raise = trotter, he is about rs sure tC
succeed as Il man is to raise cranberry
beans il he plants that kind. And it Il
farmer should chance to raise trotter,
is he obliged to trot him at county fairs,
and thereby furnish material for gam
blers And as to whether it pays or not,
I will refer my friends to the prices that
have been paid for n few trotters through
out the country within the year just
closed.
PRICES PAID FOR TRoTTERs.
Mr. H. N. Smith of New York, who
now owns Gen. Knox, paid 100000 for
three trotters- Goldsmith Maid, Lady
Thorn and Socrates, and his is a private
stable that has cost him upwards OF a
quarter of million of dollars. Robert
Bonner of the New York Ledger, paid
$4,000 for the three year old colt Starlle
by Hambletonian he also paid about as
much for the two year old Mambrino
BERTHE, sired by Mambrino Patchen. Mr..
Hall of Brooklyn, n. Y, paid $4,000
for the stallion Jay Gould, at the Buffalo
races; and the celebrated Kentucky stall
lion Blackwood has recently been pur-
chased by a New York gentleman for
$4,000. In our own State -Messrs.
Wright and Norcross of Augusta, sold
the three year old colt Bay Fearnaught
for SIS, 900, and Mr.. Jackson of Win.
throp, sold the stallion Winthrop Morrill,
for So, O00 Another colt raised in Maine
has just been sold Tor $4,000. refer to
the Knox horse known here as the
/ Ca..a..A Il. IL 4 L