The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-05-09
THE TURF.
a Kingdom for . Horse-The Experience
Of IN Indianapolis Man I'm Making a
frotter.

/
| frotter.
"a few years ago." said the shabby
man. scratching his head through con-
venient hole in his hat, II had q fever
to be the owner of fast trotting horse,
and it didn't take me long to find man
who had promising six~nonths-old
| colt.
II bought the embryo trtter. paid
Sl60 for the animal, and put IL on past
ure. In the fall several horsemen adj
vised me to let him run on pasture this
winter and freeze him out l did so,
and the next spring when went to look
at the animal thought he wouldn't
bring over ten dollars. But paid his
pasture-bill, hired colored boy to rub
him down, the long hair came off and
he began to take on flesh.
was advised to get careful man to
break him, and when l began to inquire
for such careful man found the town
was full of them. hired one for TWEEN
| ty-five dollars, and in two weeks some
thing got wrong with one of the horse S
legs. The breaker, without asking,
hired doctor, who took the horse to
bis stable to board, for which he charged
me one dollar day.
II took the horse away from the
breaker, and, considering myself i'm
posed upon. refused to pay the bill. He
sued me, and, running in all the stable
hands and horsemen about town as wit
nesses, he had an easy victory; and l
had heavy costs to pay.
II then got another man to finish the
breaking. He drove the horse once or
twice and then made discovery that
pleased me very much. You've got a
fine horse there said lie, sone that will
make trotter.' l began to think / had
Goldsmith Maid or Red Cloud This
horse ought to be put on the track He
took me aside and told me very privately
that he would undertake the animals
education for one dollar day. but not
to tell the terms to any one as it would
injure him in his profession.
HE took the prodigy and trained
him for three months. Every Sunday l
went out to the exposition track to see
him. Every time the trainer told me
with enthusiasm that he was the most
promising young hoss' he had ever
seen, and filled me with vanity. But /
had never seen my horse go. One day
found that the only training he was
getting was in being driven about town
at night in a beastly state of intoxica-
ton (the man, not the horse). Before
this / had supposed that all horse
trainers belonged to the temperance
band.
$50 I took hossy away from this
fellow and sent him to the Southern
Park. The track was mile long, which
| was told would be better. l got new
driver, who, after going around the
track, pulled up and said:
What do you ask for this hosp
" Don't want to sell him.
He's good one-or he will be if
he's handled right. He's been nearly
spoiled, though. They've got him to
hopping. But can bring him out of
that
You canP What'll you charger
We'll, you've been swindled so
badly I'll be easy with you-a dollar a
day. -
80 | employed him. In about week
called to see how my trotter was get
ting on. He's doing better said the
trainer, but he still hops. He will have
to have his teeth leveled up
''Holy terror, thinks /; what have his
teeth to do with his hopping But l
concluded to have his teeth fixed, and a
man with black satchel came to do the
job.
Don't he wabble or hitch little
when you drive himp' inquired the horse
dentist.
eyes, good DEAL said the trainer.
.It's his teeth, said the dentist. So
he leveled up the grinders and paid
him five dollars.
but somehow, although my horse
looked prettier when he smiled than he
ever had before, he didn't seem to i'm
prove in other respects. got hold of
the man who groomed the steed and
after putting couple of silver dollars
in his hand pumped him.
"'lt's as much as my place is WORTH
said he, and you mustn't give me away.
Your horse hasn't been drove hardly at
all. When they see you are coming
they hitch him mp and trot him little
and can't get chance to rub and feed
him as ought 1 told him wanted
him to work on my horse and would pay
him well for it. All right, boss said the
groom.
1.-TWO weeks later I saw my horse
again. The driver said he had never
seen horse improve so rapidly in his
life. He told me he had been giving
him medicine, had loosened up his hide
and made his hair to lie down. He got
five dollars away from me for that. l
wanted to know how much owed him.
He figured it up. There were blankets,
and toe-weights, and boots and big
blacksmith bill. and training. etc. /
paid his bill and took him away. On
the way driving back to town I tried to
overtake funeral, but the last carriage
in the procession distanced me and the
hearse was out of sight.
"Still the horse had every mark of
trotter, and l put him in the hands of a
careful trainer at the State fair grounds.
One day this honest man said to me
This is no track for horse like yours.
You ought to send him to Cleveland
the finest track in the world. There's
nobody here to appreciate good horse.
Up there somebody'll see him. I'm
going to Cleveland, and I'll take him
there for you. He needs to be worked
for awhile there, and I'll work him for
you
$50 off to Cleveland. The horse was
gone about two months, and l never
heard anything about trainer or pupil
until one day | received postal from
the stock-yards. Ny horse was there
found bill attached to him ($165),
and wasn't to have the horse until the