Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-03
AMONG THE TRoTrEns.


From Harper's for October.
General Withers' principal stable Is kind OF
horse cathedral. This is by no means common.
Many fine animal, almost as much the pride
and pet Of it's owners family az II they were OF
Arab stock, is led out from but shabby quarters.
The stables Of the region are clean and whole
some, but do not incline to fantastic elegances
of adOrnment such as are growing in favor
among ourselves in the northern cities. Here
the light strikes down upon us through colored
glass windows; the whole interior is faced up
with hard woods, and the floor of the principal
aisle, or naive, strewn with soft straw for ex-
hbting the PAGES Of the animal upon could not
be neater If it were that of drawing
room. The main dimension is 155 feet,
and this is crossed by a transept of 10O The
stalls are toward sixteen feet square They
have outer as we'll as inner doors for egress in
case of fire, and these are never kept locked.
Little or no fancy iron work in the wAy Of eta
bic fittings is used, wooden racks and managers
being preferred. Wide open spaces over the
partitions and transOm ventilatOrs carry of all
OdOrs. The clean hay is piled in mows above,
and the corn and oats slide down by traps into
convenient bins. Then there is place for sui
kies and road wagons. q harness room and q
harness mending room. and great collection
of the mysterious looking boots and weights
uScU Ill DTeHklNS III tll0 CrOttcr wear ny llIClC
courtyard is reserved as hospital, and in it
stand few animals awaiting dolefully the end
of their woes.
II am no great believer in veterinary doc
tors" says our host "They kill more than
they cure: blanket my patients protect them
but little medicine. That is my system"
Visitors sit comfortably in chairs in the cathe-
dral-like stable, and the horses are brought out
before them.
Each bluegrass breeder. of prominence has
his regularly printed catalogue of stock, revised
yearly, generally with wood-cut of the best
stallion on the cover. Some, as Gen. Withers,
insert the selling prices, from which mo devia-
ton" is advertised. In looking over such a cat
alogue, from $500 up to $4,000 are found to be
portiOnately more for older ones than could be
at once made useful. But when horse has
really entered the ranks of the great "fyers,"
there Is hardly any limit to his value. One
with record of 2:3O may be estimated in a
general way worth $4,000. From $50 down to
second. When we come into the teens and
near the head of the record, Juggling with
gold and diamonds is a coarse occupation in
comparison. Mr.. Bonner is said to have paid
$33, 600 for Dexter and $50, 600 for Rarus, and
Mr. Vanderbilt $4,000 for Maud'S. But this
last was before she had made her great time; now
that she has made it, you are told cOnfdentially
that person stands ready to draw his check
willingly for $4,000 whenever he con get a
horse that will lead her. and give him the dis
tinction of having the fastest trotter in the
world. But how does it pay? Well, it pays first
in stock raising; it pays next in the opportunity
to take purses and stakes afforded by the great
system of RACING circuits; and no doubt even
those gentlemen who withdraw from racing,
and do their driving in private life, find it pay
In pleasure and improved health from this
kind Of recreation, extravagant as it is, which
they might not be able to procure so well
from the expenditure OF equal sums in any other
direction.