Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-08-19
The srea, PAGERS.


The announcement which comes
from Cleveland that during the trot-
ting meeting at that place last week
the managers OF the PAGERS Johnston
and RichDsll made match between
those two horses for 5000 aside has at
trscted general Interest and attention
In turf circles, tecauseit is everywhere
believed that the match is a genuine
one, and not another OF the numerous
hip podrOme affairs which have been
ioisted on the public at entirely too
frequent intervals during the past few
years. II has long been AN open secret
that the Texans who own Richball are
confident that he can beat any PAGER
or trOtter in The world, and IL is only
fair 10 them To say that their challenge
10 meet any named horse In single
contest was put forward last winter,
and has NJ no time been Withdrawn.
just how fast Rlchball really Is II u
doubtful II anyone knows. His best
public performance ia 2:l2l, but IL is
well known that he can reduce these
figures almost any day when the con-
Il tons are favorable, and during tho
recent meeting in this city he was
driven mile one morning In 2:llb
the last half being done ia lni or
course even so good q performance Us
this would not beat Johnston when
the bay gelding Is at his best, but the
Richball men evidently are firm In the
faith that their horse has a reserve of
speed, else they would never have put
up u, 800 on even terms for race with
a horse that obtained u record Of 2:l0
the very first time he was driven "A full
mile at his best rate of speed, and that
has this season shown himself To be as
fast rs ever by going "a mile In 2:ll!,
aud repeating I'm 2:l2. And In addi-
ton To this they have placed their
money against one of the best match
makers In this country In the driver OF
Johnston.
Brought up In aschool where match
making WIS one of the chief requisites
10 success, Splan has slways been noted
for the excellent judgment possessed
by hun regarding other mems horses
IA well IA those In his own charge.
This was plainly enough shown three
years ngo last winter, when he match-
ed Charlie Ford to beat BoDesetter.
AT that time BOnesetter had record
of 2:lO, made the previous season, and
was looked upon IA one Of the most
promising horses In the country, while
Ford, whose record was 2:2Ol, seemed,
In the opinion Of many capable horse
men, 10 have about reached his limit,
20 far as speed was concerned. He had
Just passed into Splan's hands, and nj
though John had never pulled lbne
over the Vrey fellow he was confident
Of his ability to defeat Bonesetter.
when asked by friend ON what
ground he considered Ford to Ice capa.
BILE OF meeting Bonesetter on even
terms, he said at IL like this: When
had Rsrus and he WAS at his best we
used To rive good many exhibitions
over half.mile tracks. You remember
how many years Goldsmith Maids
BIS stood AZ the best over halfmile
track, and that IL wns never beaten un-
I'll Rarus did 10. From the way in
which Rarus used to go made up my
mind that any horse that could trot
half-mile track In 2:2O was capable of
2:l6 on mile track, and had this In
mind when Ford and Bonesetter were
matched, because Ford had trotted the
half mile track at Cincinnati In 2:2O4 -
The result of the race proved the cor
rectness of Splau's ideas, and, IA he
subsequently gave Ford IA record of
2:lBi In the third heat OF "A race, II will
he seen that he was not far out OF the
way M to tha difference in point of
speed between mile tracks and those
OF only half that distance in circum-
ference
But whether Johnston. for all his
superior speed, can beat Richbsll in a
race between the two III point open
to great deal OF argument. Rich
balls forte Is in living out n holly
contested race, and 1t IL an indisputa-
bile fact that he can go the fourth mile
fully M fast as he can the first.
Whether his opponent In the coming
match Is IA really game horse can not
now be told, because he has never
been tested In II race against horses OF
anything like his own speed. But
his mile and repeat In 2:lll, 212, not
long ago, was evidently taken 10y
Splnu ~ evidence enough Of his STAN
ina, and on the strength OF this tria'
the match WAS made. Ii Is possible
but not probable, that other horses
will take part In the coming race, ~
both. the Johnston and Richball meI
have expressed their willingness /,
let In all that want to put up S. 600 /
conner. The only horse that would
have living chance against the tive
PAGERS IN Jay-Eye.See, and II Is not a
all probable that Mr., Case desires I,
engage him In race against the side