The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-07-23


Ifthe editor of the Columbia Journal
knew all about the circumstances con
ncctcd with that race on the second Of
July, and was as good Mt driving trottcr,
as he is at editing n paper, it is just pos
siblc that he would not have taken the
failure of Diana Keesee so hard.
There is no place that | have ever been
with horses, that would as soon go 10 as
Columbia. | have always found the
Judges disiuteI ested and competent, the
people hospitable and generous TO n fault,
the dinners good and plentiful, the babies
fat, and lots of them, the ladies well
dressed and perfectly beautiful, and even
the niggers and little dogs treat me clcv-
er and seem glad to see me, and ! can
assure you that an opportunity to go TO
Columbia to u Fair, or trotting race, rs
anNiously sought after, and eagerly EN-
braced. In going there the last time ]
went | can assure you the motives that
prompted me were just the same that
they have always been;-frst, | am fond
of a frolic; second, Columbia is the best
place in the world to have frolic; third,
| thought could beat Diana Kcesec;
land ! do love to beat the good ones-any.
body can beat the mean ones,) and last,
but not least, l thought the premiums ]
might win, would pay my expenses and
have some left. There were three races
in two of which had my poor little vel
low horse, "Punkin,' entered Relying
on that generous and liberal spirit that
had always met with in Columbia, | be-
lieved that could get the Trotting As.
ISOLATION to change their programme so
far as to trot the race for 3 minute horses
first, and then trot the race for three
years DID, 30 as to give my unfortunate
punkin colorcd horse a chance to rest,
so that he might be better fit to do battle
with the inYincible Diana Keesee. ! found
that was not mistaken, and that the
members of the Association, to man,
were perfectly willing to make the
change, but that they were held to their
printed programme by one whose private
interest might be furthered by having the
races trotted as published. OF the above
fact | was informed by one of their most
efficient and most liberal members on
that day. THUS we find even in that
most liberal and enlightened community,
a man who has lived there for more than
a quarter Of u century, and has come in
daily contact with kind hearted, and
generous people, still sticking to the ear
ly impressions that he brought with him,
(for | am sure he got no such impressions
after he came, man so lost 10 the gen.
crous impulses that abound in Maury
county, that he was willing TO see that
poor little yellow horse, with n EaXon
name and tail, trot two hard races on
that hot July day in succession. Lay
joking aside, and the truth is, that ! was
expected to 90 on and make a big fight
with some horse in the first race, and
by that means assure au easy victory for
the Pet
Now put yourself in my place"-what
would you have done under the crcum-
stances? Knowing exactly who CAUSED
those two races to be trOtted in success
sion, the probabilities are that your
ideas of fairness and prOpriety' would
have prompted you to have done just
what did; you would have reserved your
greatest effort for the man who refused
that poor little yellow horse with HaXon
name and tail and white legs, the poor
boon OF five minutes for refreshment'
between the two races. My horse was
very sore aud little lame after travel.
ing on the turnpike, and acted badly in
the first heat of the first race; the other
two heats | could have won with great |
deal of ease, but | knew that | would |
have to trot each heat in $50, or better, |
to win. | did not think it prudent TO go |
on and do it, making fast time and brok- |
en- heats of the first race with another, TO |
be trotted Immediately after il was finish |
ed, and that other 10 be with the Zion of
the tribe OF Judah, it being in every |
bOdy's mouth that twas no trouble for |
her to beat 40, and her owner had writ /
ten to me nearly two months before, that |
she had shown him PAS. Under the cir. |
cumstances, | let the first race go, and |
put yourself in my place" you would |
have done the same thing, unless you |
were stark mad. Now, ifthis be Jockey
ing let them make the most OF it, II is /
just the kind of 'jockcying," "open and |
apparent though it be, that | intend 10 |
practice IN my management OF races. ]
carried my point went there TO beat |
Diana kccsce and did it, and have no
regrets as to the means used to accom-
pllsh that end. She beat me n year a~n /
and went quietly home and sp:n 70 nv,
sell, better luck next Inn And Il INV
having mo hi, d. 81 coirnosa and
proprioy should i brinr d DOWN [ on I mv
nead, and the head of my poor little vel.
white feet and white face, such terri
bic calamity, as to be excluded from the
track Of the Maury County Association, |
| will submit with the best grace / can,
and seek ''other fields and pastures new
for my 'jockeying For that is the kind |
Of policy | intend to pursue-that IS, to |
make an honest effort to beat the big |
ones" although it may create the great. |
est dissatisfaction in the minds of all |
the country editors in Christendom |
And | feel assured that my character for |
fairness and propriety' in the past will |
not suffer by the comparison with my
anxiety for pecuniary considerations and |
am willing for the gentlemen who com
pose the board of your agricultural and |
trotting association, to say if the above be
correct. Regretting very much that Co
Iumbia should be the first and oaly place |
where / should have been censured, and |
asking that hereafter my |
conduct be more 1ully looked into before |
it is so hastily condemned, / remain,
yours, A. j. MCKINNIN