St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-23

nentiy before the pubic, and the association
promptly offered a special prize for him to
try to beat the best pacing record, 2:11M
made by Little Brown jug two years before.
On the appointed day. the driver ofJohnston
had man stationed at the half-mile pole,
whose duty it was to tell him as he passed
how fast the first half mile had been paced
This individual, who seems to have been
somewhat overpowered By the sense OF the
responsibility which rested upon him, made
a mistake Of three seconds in his calcula-
ton, and as Johnston went flying past him,
he shouted Il :02." Thinking that as he
had gone the first part of the mile so fast, it
would be an easy matter to accomplish the
remaining distance before the allotted time
Johnston made no effort to urge his horse,
and the animal came home at his ease in
2:11&I, the first half-mile having been done
in / :05 instead Of 1 :02. At Pittsburg the
following week the horse was taken SICK
and did not pace again until fall, when he
was driven q mile over the Chicago track in
2:10, as officially announced, although q
number Of ontside watches made the time
2:O9%.
1t was after this performance that Commo-
dore Kittson purchased Johnson, paying for
him $4,000. He had bought Little Brown
jug two years before for like sum, but
trouble with that hor5e's feet had pre-
vented his making any showing in races.
BROWN JUG.
Like Johnston, Little Brown jug was Of
humble origin. He was bred in Kentucky,
his sire being the horse called Gibson's Tom
Hal-an animal with not even local reputa-
ton as a sire. Little Brown jug was used in
his childhood as saddIer, and the fact that
10, at
was discovered by accident. When years
old he was put in a race, and while pacing
a heat at jackson, Mich, attracted the atten
ton of Mr. H. v Bemis, of this city, who at
once purchased him for 800. This was
in 1881, and that season Little Brown jug
paced the three fastest heats ON record at
Hartford, the time being 2:11M, 2:11$4, and
2:121%
At the dispersal of Mr. Bemis' stable the
following string he was sold to Commodore
Kittson, but foot-lameness prevented his
showing anything like his real speed. Last
fall Mr. Robert Bonner, who perhaps knows
more about horses feet and the ailments to
which they are subjected than any other
man, took the PAGER in charge, and few
weeks ago returned him to Mr.. kittson's
trainer in Cincinnati i'll perfect health.
MR.. KITTsoN's TRoTTERs.
Besides these two PAGERS, COMMODORE Kilt
son has a large stable of trotters in training,
among them being Fanny Witherspoon, III;
So So 2:17A: Minnie r., 2:19; Won Arnim,
2:1915; and Pilgrim. This last named horse
now 6 years old, is son of Smuggler,
whose record of 2:15H is the fastest ever
made by stallion. Pilgrim was driven last
season in order to develop his speed, but not
trotted in races. During the Cleveland meet
ing he showed half mile in :074, and it
is believed that this year he will be able to
equal or surpass the record of his sire.
THEIR DRIVER.
The Kittson trotters travel ABOUT the coun-
try in a handsome ear made especially for
their use, and each one has an attendant to
look after its wants Their driver is John
Splan, who became famous few years ago
by driving Rarus mile in 2:13L, it being
the first time that Goldsmith Maids record
of 2:14 was beaten. Span is a good-looking
bright-eyed man, little over 80 years of
age and has worked his way to the topmost
round of his profession, it being generally
conceded that in point of ability as driver
and trainer he is second to no man in the
country, although there are three or four that
dore Kittson's driver is full as interesting as
his horses.
AS an entertaining conversationalist
Splan has no superior. He can reel off in
teresting stories by the yard, and keep an in
teresting circle Of auditors around him for
hours at the time. He never smokes, never
took a drink of wine or liquor in his life, and
says that good nights sleep is the best
preparation for driving race. He is a per-
fectly fearless rcinsman, and in the excite
ment of hotly contested heat will endanger
his life without a thought as to the conse-
quences. No matter what the circumstances
may be- he is never at a loss for an answer
to any question that may be put him. His
story of how he graduated from the position
of rubber to that of driver is worth repeat
ing 81 was rubbing horses for Dan Mace'',
said Splan. 'And one day an old gentle
man who had taken great deal of interest
in me came along. ''Why don't you get
horse, Johnny" he said, 'and be a driver
yourself?'
II explained to him how it was almost i'm
possible for a boy who had no influential
friends to obtain possession of a trotter. i
have got two, he said, my favorite team,
Twang and Sting, and if you like l viii let
you train them Of course [ accepted his
proposition eagerly and lay awake half that
night thinking of my good luck. The next
morning the horses were sent to to the track,
and, boy-llke, wanted to begin operations
on them at once. So | harnessed Sting up
to sulzy that l borrowed for the occasion
from one of the trainers, and while this was
being done took Twang out in the field in
side the track and turned him out to grass,
tying him by long rope to a strong stake
which 1 drove into the grounds Then l
went back and began driving Sting. l
warmed the old horse up pretty well, and
then started to drive him full mile.
We got along very nicely unit we elaine to
the place where Twang was nibbling grass.
The old horse saw his mate coming at very
unusual rate of speed, and as we neared him
he gave loud whinny and started in hot
pursuit. When he had galloped the length
of the rope that held him there was a sudden
stop. The stake to which the rope was tied
held its own, and the result was that Twang
turned double somerset and broke his neck.
Unconscious of the destruction that was go
ing on behind me 1 drove Sting down the
homestretch at his best rate of speed. After
completing the mile and stopping the horse
Hound that the unusual exercise had made
him dead lame, and from the way in which
he limped it seemed highly probable to me
that he would never recover. While be-
moaning this fact small boy who had wit
messed the catastrophe to Twang came up
and informed me OF it. The next morning
the old gentleman who took so much inter
est in me and who regarded me as bright
and promising boy came out to the track.
He buried Twang, led Sting limping home
behind his buggy, and my career as driver
began and ended in one day"
HOW RARUS WAS NAMED.
Rarus, the horse that gave Splan his repu-
tatation, belonged to an cid farmer named