Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1888-02-14
"when You Run a Quarter Race
You Must.know Your Dog"

You Mustsknow your Dog.
"Chiron,'' a spicy correspondent
of the New York Sportsman, recently
visited the "Vinton'' Stud Farm of
F. j. Manning, Esd, near this place.
In visiting of his trip, after praising
Mr.. bt%anning's fine stock, he gives
the following humorous incident re-
lated by Mr.. NJ, the characters in
which will be readily recognized by
some of our readers:
"By the way, Chiron,'" said my
host, " as you were always of a pnilo-
sophical turn of mind, let me tell you
a true tale of the turf which L shall
entitle, TAB, lode, and Canisi or,
A Turf Allegory, with a Moral"
"Help YOURSELF" said Mr.. NJ,
with a wave of his hand towards the
sideboard, where the Monticello lay
cleaning through the cut-glass de-
canter, ever and anon showing bright
flashes of reflected light that seemed
like the eyes of a tiger c%rouching in
his lair.
"Well," he resumed, taking his
scat, "you remember Tab, the spec
ulating pill roller of Fallstafian shape,
him with hirsutical absence on the
calvarium."
"Most undoubtedly do l." 1 re-
sponded.
"Well, I've had a half-mile track
in the meadow, and n day, while a
race was going on between SNOWFALL
and a bay owned in the town, Tab
Thought he would banter Tode for n
race. The race vas made up-Tode
to ride his W mar a cold-blooded
hack, and Tab produced as his entry
one of my thoroughbreds, with burrs
in tail and name, and all the Parapher-
MALTA of deceit that intellect could de-
wise to influence the betting.
"They got a fair start, and of
course the thoroughbred ealloped
away from Tode and the cold-bIooded
gray mare
In Imagination Tab fingered the
ducats won so cleverly, when horrible
to relate, up jumps q dog (canis in
the Latin vernacular), Tabs sure
thing bolts and the gray wins. The
crowd yelled, the money changed
hands, and Tab returned to his emul-
sions and mixtures 4 wiser man.
"They do aver yet (you know how
the post hoe prOpter hoe method of
reasoning is applicd) that to this day
Tab cannot view any animal of the spe-
cics CAMS without becoming Thoughts
full and appearing sad. 1t has even
been asserted that he will not eat Be-
logna sausage because it might have
dog meat in il. This. however. 1 am
inclined to ascribe to dietetical and
physiological reasons rather than to
the blind prejudice and bitter antip-
athy of 4 smart man who failed in his
little game"
Well," said L, that is a sad tale
of dubious smartness; now where is
the moral?"
:. Why" said Mr.. NJ, with an ex-
pIanatory wave of his hand towards
the sideboard. d" when you run a quar-
ter ice you must know your dog"
1t is supposed that m attempt was
made to burglarize the b. & o. de-
pot at this place, last Tuesday night.
Mr.. r, Smith, the agcnt,-on going to
the depot on Wednesday morning
found a pair of skids leaning against
the depot below the back window, the
upper section of which had been let
down and several Stats broken out of
the inside shutters, but on the inside
of the depot there was no evidence of
any having been there during the
night. 1t Is thought an attempt was
made to enter by way of the window,
hut the %beligerent vas scared off be-
fore accomplishing his entrance.
democrat.