St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-09
JOHNSTON AT MIDWAY
q Great Entertainment Furnished Yester-
day by Commodore Kittson's
Fast Horses.
The PAGER Johnston on a Slow Track
Makes Oil 81 Without Very
Great Exertion.
Mr. Beaupre and Mr.. Merriam Make
a Good Display With Their
Steppers.
Fannie Witherspoon Beats Minnie
$50 So and Little Brown jug
Exhibited.
The NIidNNnY Exhibition.

The Midway Exhibition.
Yesterday afternoon Commodore Kittson
furnished the people of st. Paul and the
state of Minnesota an entertainment OF rare
excellence. 1t is doubtful if there is a
single individual in the United States that
can produce its equal. The exhibition was
made I'D of the fast work of PAGERS, trotterS
and runners, besides double-team trotting
and double-team pacing. In addition to
this the remarkable novelty of two running
horses, each hitched to sulky, making a
running race to sull1ies. AS new depar-
ture in racing it proved a grand success,
and excited a considerable degree Of curl
osity and enthusiasm.
The early part Of the day was cloudy and
rain was threatened, but it did not come,
and on the whole, Notwithstanding the
threats of rain the day was warm and
pleasant. The result of this condition was
that about three thousand people went out
to the grounds to witness the trials OF
speed. A considerable portion Of this num-
Der consisted of ladies, whole families going
out. children and all. From 2 to o'clock
the thoroughfares were thronged with car
riages filled with gentlemen and ladies max
ing their way to Midway. 1t is good
many years since those racing grounds have
witnessed such gathering, and 1t reminded
the older residents of st. Paul OF the period
when the lamented Gilbert butcher, j. G.
Burbank and Gen. German used TO watch
after and superintend the races. The eX-
hibition was sort OF
SOCIAL MATINEE,
where everybody felt at home, gathering
of friends, for q short season Of pleasant
rural diversion. A good portion of the
available grounds along the home stretch
was lined with carriages, both inside the
enclosure and outside the outer railing. and
far out into the outside grounds, so that
they were five or six deep.
The track was dry, soft and sandy, not
withStanding it had been rolled and pre-
pared as well as it could be, under the
circumstances, and consequently it was
several seconds slow. This is to be
regretted. as a good many who went out
there hoped to see Johnston make faster
heat. OF course, it is well understood
that as it was he made a very fast
one, the fastest ever made in any
race in Minnesota. Still the curiosity
was raised to such high degree that many
expected that he would beat 2:11%. He
could have done it easy enough had he been
on a fast track. He appeared to be in eX-
celent condition, and put in his work with
such ease and grace and with so little effort
that he did not look to be going at much
more than three-minute gait. When he
got through with his fast heat yesterday he
was no more distressed than he would have
been from walking around the track.
The judges were William L. Merriam
and J. B. Hubbell of st. Paul, and Mr.. w.
H. Colby of Fort Dodge, Ia, was selected
as timekeeper. te
GEM AND MIKE WILKES.
-.
selected the races were commenced with
great promptness, for the reason that there
were so many events that Mr.. WOodmansee
feared they would not be able to get through
the whole program by night. The fl, st
event called was that of the pacing race
betweenC Commodore KittSOn's bay mare Gem
and Abe ROhrbach's Mike Wilkes. The
first heat of this race was a remarkably good
one. and showed that Mike Wilkes is a
great horse He has very steady, firm
and resolute way Of going and takes hold
of his work with great courage. Gem
seemed not to be quite herself, and broke
in each of the heats. Gem had the pole
and they got away the first time they came
up to very good start, but as they went
around the first turn Gem broke badly, and
before she got back to her gait Wilkes had
placed at least ten lengths between them.
OGlll ulldllN BOb uONll 10 NOih lBdNCA
very fast but it was too late. She could
not make up the difference, and Wilkes
came home a winner in 2:16A. The first
quarter was paced in 81 seconds, the second
in 33, the third in 34$l and the fourth in 33.
1t will be noticed that his second and fourth
quarters were the fastest.
On the second trial they received the
word on the second trial, and both were pac-
ing fast and on even terms. until they en-
tered the back stretch, when Gem again
broke fully as badly as in the first
heat. When Wilkes reached the half-mile
pole he was at least ten lengths ahead of
the mare and going very fast, as though he
meant to make the most Of his opportunity.
She finally got down to her work and began
to overhaul her competitor. AS they swung
around into the home stretch Gem was
gaining very fast. At this time Wilkes left
his feet, but caught so quickly that he lost
but little, and for an instant he was COM
PEELED to take Gems dust. BY hard work
he succeeded in getting under the wire first
by a length. Time, 2:201.
Won ARNIM AND REVENUE.
This was as pretty treat OF speed as the
most fastidiouS horseman could ask for.
Both horses are high in flesh and it was not
desired to give them fast full mile SO they
were sent to the wire from the half-mile
pole They got very even start aud kept
so close together all the way around that it
was impossible to see that either had the
advantage, and so they passed under the
wire, making dead heat in 1:0S15, a 2:17
gait, the quarters being 3419, "a.
MIR. BEAUPRE's TEAM.
Mr.. Bruno Beaupre's double team Of
PAGERS were brought out, and after going
warming up mile they were sent along, Mr..
Beaupre driving, and made the mile in
2:32I. When Mr.. Beaupre drove past the
stand he was loudly cheered, and in re-
sponse took off his hat, and when the heat
was over he was warmly congratulated.
Mr.. Beaupre feels very great pride in his
team for the reason that both of his horses
were foaled in Minnesota, and are thor
ough Minnesotians.
W. r. MERRIAM'S TEAM.
The next event on the program was
the exhibition by Mr.. w. r. Mer-
riam of his double team, Silverton (2:22)
and mate The trouble with Mr.. Merriam's
team is that Kitty Clyde is not fast enough
for SilvertOn. If she could have kept her
feet with him they would have trotted a
good deal under 2:20. They went to the
quarter pole III thirty seconds, when the
horse forced Clyde off her feet and she
broke, and was not down again till they got
half way to the half mile pole. Soon after
they passed the half mile pole she broke
again badly, and again when they were
half way down the home stretch she went
all tO nieces They reached the wire how