Omaha daily bee., 1883-06-08
DRIVING.
What John splan Has to Say Upon
the S~ubject-Ali Drivers
Incorruptible.

The well known driver, John Splsn,
who was himself once ruled off the
track for crooked driving, said to a
reporter tho other day: Eyes, a per
son can always hear all the talk they
want about crooked driving, and gen.
orally those VIII o charge 1t the most
are those who know the least about It.
In the frat place, q greater part of the
talk comes from parties who have
backed their judgment on q race
and found that they we're mis-
taken In the abilities of their horse,
and to make themselves feel ss easy as
possible they charge the race Yves
crooked. Now, ia the fret place,
under the present management Of all
the national association courses, II Is o
hard matter for a driver to pull his
hGrse, for the judges are all men of
Experience, and are quick to tell
mo- her q hor4e Is beiog driven for
wat he is worth or not, and every
diver koows mat If he Ia detected In
rocked work To will be ~disgraoed or
bSrred from driving on any of the
tracks that hold a membership In the
association. If he Ia once expelled he
might as well go to shoveling coal or
saving wood for u living, for he can
never do do anything as O driver.
It is q straight tip that I don't know
of any driver OF the ieast Importance
In this country to- day who would
undertake to pull q horse fer q con-
sideration, unless the owner would
command 1t, and there is no man that
l know of, and 1 am pretty we'll
posted on all Of them, who would not
rather drive his horses on their merits
than to scheme with them. Any man
who handles q horse will naturally
take pride In him, and would much
rather see him win than lose, not
only becaure 1t adds to tho drivers
reputation, but because he forms
a certain ELECTION for the horse. /
would to-day rather take o smaller
salary from a man who wants his
horses trotted on their merits than to
take q large salary from a man who
would rather rotcrooked, and l don't
believe there are many drivers In the
country, and certainly none of any
prominence, who don't think the same
thing. Now Commodore K.ttson,
the gentleman for whom I am train.
Ing, never thinks about other horses
In q race In which he wishes to enter,
but II he thinks one If his string Ia
able to win, he says 60 In and trot
them on their merits, and II they beat
as II Is because they have a better
horse.
l. II q man has a good horse and trots
him on his merits, there Ia no matter
what the combination Is, If there Ia
such a thing, If he Is able to win he
will do 1t, unless there Is foul driving,
and In that case, the judges can dc.
Ode 1t; but all drivers know that they
are playing with tbs fire when they
undertake to drive outside the rules
of the association.
st. julien and Clingstone would be
the greatest team that ever wal hooked
double, and they would make any
other double team sick. There Is nc
telling what 1t would be possible 70,
them to do. ! tell you, l think q grea,
deal of Clingstone. He Is a wonder.
full horse, and no mistake; and
a match between him and st.
Julien would be q great event IN
turf history. Clipgatone has MOI
been worked much yet, and wss MOI
In condition for q race, although hi,
physical health Ia better than could b,
expected after the operation which
was performed on him. Afser h
gets to work In earnest l don't thinl
there 10 any horae that has license +,
beat him.