Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-03-24
THE LITTLE BLUE JOCKEY.
BY ANNA MASON.

Early III the season the usually quiet
town of W was all alive with excite
ment and gayety. Fine equipages filled
it's thoroug hfares, while strangers
crowded it's hotels, keeping the propri-
etors and their supernumerary assistants
on the verge of despair with their exac-
tions, only bearing up under them
through the powerful incentive of money
being lavishly squandered
Besides all this, the wave from the
outer world had brought into the quiet
town a style and elegance in dress usual
In fashionable localities, but astonishing
to the towns people, awakening them to
a sense of their own deficiencies, and
turning many pretty little head with
foolish tongings, hitherto unfelt.
For the first time, except, on the most
insignificant scale, horse-racing had
found its way to the secluded town.
Heretofore it had been confined to
farmers lads, mounted on miserable
grass-fed specimens of equine creation,
although it must be admitted that Judge
Harris son, seated in his light sulky
behind fast horse, had, occasionally,
raced on the road against Brack Turner
and his celebrated La Purcelle
ployed on the estate of Mr.. Tremaine,
the magnate par excellence of the place
on grounds purely mercenary.
AS the first rosy dawn prophesies the
full effulgence Of approaching day, so
these premonitory signs of mighty
"turf-fever," that rapidly increased and
eliminated in the grand races, stirring
the great world beyond W, and
bringing surging into it men of wealth,
ladies of fashion, lovers of the turf, and
a host of spectators, gamblers and adj
venturers. The great wave swept over
the little town, and it scarcely knew it.
self
Mr.. Tremaine, a gentleman of large
means, was fond of horses, and had al
ways kept number. on his place. He
was somewhat given to trading, and I'M
usually fortunate In his transactions; for
when he bought horses whose fine points
or, more correctly, latent possibilities
of fine points-no one else seemed to
appreciate, he would, after due care and
training, part with them ON terms ex-
tremely advantageous to himself.
There was one little mare bred on his
place of pedigree that would have led to
DO great expectations on the part of
hrf-men, that early exhibited marked
traits. She was difficult to break in, and
ebelled so fercely at work that she was
at last turned loose, and allowed to roam
about the place at her own sweet will.
Occasionally she was called into requi-
sltion by Tom Snow, the groom's son,
when sent on some errand, until that
worthy discovered that the small irrita-
BILE, nervous mare had remarkable speed;
after which he surreptitiously led her
out at night and won many trifing
wagers Of peanuts and grog.
It 80 CHANGED that she was seen by
Brack Turner, who at once perceived he1
great capabilities. He demanded pri-
Yate interview with Mr.. Tremaine, and,
as It's result, was at once installed as
Dolly's trainer; whereupon he proceeded
to break her in and bring out her fine
points.
Many times did Mr.. Tremaine medi-
tate parting with her, for it seemed as il
even with her patient trainer she never
could be broken into steady trot, while
the expense of keeping. Turner was nc
trihe. On the other hand, the trainer
prophesied glorious career for Dolly,
and held his faith in mistaken, while
with great earnestness he urged Mr..
Tremaine not to part with her.
The event justified his confidence and
recommended his penetration. Racing
men came from a distance to see Dolly;
fabulous prices were offered for her; and
and when race course was finally laid
out IN the suburbs of the town she was
entered in competition with horses OF
famous record.
Mr.. Tremeine's only daughter Mai-a
pretty girl of eighteen, sharing her ia
theirs enthusiasm for horses, and herself
a fine horsewoman-re christened her as
Purcelle, and she was no more known as
Dolly.
On the first day of the race the little
town was as gay as Rome at carnival