St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-09-01
Special Reports from the GLOBE Mankato off
August 81.
The Mankato Meeting.

The love of fine horse is one of those atri-
bntes of which Americans are always proud.
King of the brute creation and endowed with an
intelligence which seems something more than
instinct we place him next to man in the
economy of creation. There are horses and
horses however and there are different degrees
OF admiration with which Americans regard
horse. In some country villages scrub race
between two farm horses will draw almost the
entire population while the finest races on earth
Will not draw enough of the inhabitants of
popuIous city to make corporals guard. The
idea of speed is inseparaby associated with II
good horse and when the pedagree OF
blooded horse is given an American
always asks, what time has he made!
But there are localities where the great Ameri-
can amusement of trotting has never gained any
very great ascendency in the community, and
such an one is Mankato. While she can turn out
vast crowd to a small circus, the good people
of this community not enthusiastically fond of
horse racing, as the very small attendance at the
late inaugural meeting of the Southern Mime
sofa Live Stock and Fair association will evil
dence. But while this may be true of the com
munity in general, it is not true of all. There
are some of the most enthusiastic lovers Of noble
equine here that can be found anywhere. Early
last spring a few of these gentlemen got to-
gether and after one or two preliminary meetings
organized the above named society on the join;
stock plan.
most beautiful location for driving park wa
selected at a convenient distance from the city
fine half mile track laid out and constructed,
fences, stables, judges stand and amphitheater
built and setting August 26, %, and 49, as the
dates for an inaugural meeting the princely sum
of ~ H00 IVa mi in for
days races. The greatest pains in the world
were taken to secure large attendance of the
finest horses in the west and in everything neces-
sary for successful meeting no pains were
spared. With grounds whose natural beauty was
unsurpassed, where natural elevation adjoin-
ing the home stretch, one hundred feet high, af-
fording a grand amphitheater capable
of seating three thousand paople, with
splendid track and ali necessary
buildings and appurtenances success seemed in
evitable. And grand success the meeting has
been from the beginning to end. Those who
patronized the races from beginning to end were
enthusiastic in their praise of the rare sport
afforded Not single race but what was made
square and fair and the best horse, all things be-
ing favorable, invariably won. The splendid
field of horses were all fine condition, the
weather throughout was favorable, the track was
in good condition and the purses all worth COM
peting for Each days races were better than
the day previous, and in the free for-all race and
the free-for-all trotting race better sport never
was furnished in the state at trotting meeting.
All the necessary elements of success were
present but one and that one was an attendance
which so fine a meeting deserved. But although
the association are losers they have the con
sciousness of knowing that they have had
memorable and extremely successful meeting
and have shown southwestern Minnesota some
thing which they never saw before, and ''though
beaten they are not dismayed.'
The association is composed of large num-
Der of shareholders, WHO comprisea very large
portion Of the best business men of Mankato,
and to beat the association You must beat the
city. They propose TO at once proceed with the
erection of such other fair buildings as are
deemed necessary, and during the last week in
September will hold their first annual
fair. You can't beat that class
of men, and the result will be
that in the end this association will prove an or
ganization of which the city of Mankato and this
section of the state will have reason to be proud
| of. Next season it is expected that they viii
join the regular circuit and from this time out,
Mankato will be one of the points to which
sporting men and owners will look, and now one
word to those who feel an interest in horse mat
ters There is no way to cultivate an interest
| among the masses on sporting matters like the
has been no organized, sympathc effort for a
number Of years past looking toward the breed
ing of fast horses in this section. Gentlemens
roadsters are very few in this section and where
you have no local celebrities in the horse line the
masses do not take q vast deal of interest the in
the finest races in the world.
Another thing. In the city of Mankato nor in
its suburbs is there single drive that could pos
sibly tempt the most reckless driver to try the
speed of his horse. While almost every city in
the country that like Mankato has assumed pro
portions, and has begun TO adopt metropolitan
airs, has its boulevard or drive where people can
speed their horses just q tiHle if they like there
is no drive in Mankato where it would be posi-
| BILE. Recognizing this necessity prominent
gentleman suggests that Broad street be put in
such state as would render ii possible 10 Jog
horse little, and that the ordinance in regard to
fast driving be suspended that street The
gentleman alluded TO in company with a number
of others, who also reside upon Broad street
offers to contribute literally toward defraying
the necessary expense of placing the street in
proper state OF repair and which would make
fine boulevard of it. Were this suggestion to De
adopted it would be but 2 .Jry short time befor,
the street would be gay with fine driving horses
and a taste for good horses would be rapidly dc
veloped and they would begin to be in demand
The association VIII give the public ample no
tice OF their coming fair and its many attractive
features, and it IL hoped better crowd will be
present than at the recent meeting. The three
weeks intervening will witness the Rochester
and Minneapolis Owatonna Estate fair) and
Hastings and Red Wing fairs, so that the field OF
horses present at the inaugural meeting last
week will be able to be present then and another
fine list Of sport will be witnessed. Success to
the assocatOu