The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-10-20
items for Horsemen.


Mr.. Coker, of Beetly, England, has just
sold to an agent from Illinois, twenty-one
Norfolk trotters by his celebrated sire Stock
well, and they will be shipped to America at
once. As this is breed of horses of which
the average American breeder and horse
man knows very little, the following extract
from an article on the Norfolk trotter in
Wallace's Monthly may prove instructive
and interes ting: Records of their speed
are indefinite and uncertain, but it is said
that mare namedPhenomnea,t trotted in Ju-
ly, 1900, II miles in 56 minutes, and in the
same month repeated the performance in 80
minutes. II this be true this mare was the
superior OF any American tr0tter, not of her
day alone, but for many after her day. When
we remember that this was at the rate of 20
miles in 81 1-3 minutes, and that it was not
until 1S49 that Trustee, in America covered
| 20 miles In 59.353, the conclusion n is forced
| upon us that the Englisn had the material
| from which to build and evolve great breed
| OF trotters. That they have nothing equal
| TO Phenomena In these days Is certain, and
| the cause Of this retrogression is probably
| that the trotting instinct and action in the
horses of the olden time have been sub
merged by repeated infusions Of running
blood, Just as the ancien PAGER disappeared
before the tides of Oriental blood upon
| which the English thoroughbred is founded"
| An old-time liyeryman, in a conversation
| on the treatment of horses, expressed his
| views as follows: MANY men imagine that
when they know that the horses head is a
sort of rudeer on his bow end and the lines
are tiller ropes to steer him with, they are
| possessed OF all necessary knowledge for
| driving and working him. Such is not the
case, however. Some considerations of the
anlmans characteristics will be advan tage-
L ic mn atpro H., of1 1at..
| to the best of his ability whatevever he un-
derstands his master desire Of him. But he
| Is tlmld, disposed to be nervous and excita-
BILE, and when his nerves get the better of
him his power of thinking and realizing
| what you want him to do becomes impaired
| temporarily. You should be able to see
| when he is so affected, and to distinguish
the indications of that condition from those
| OF vicious obstinacy or temper. 1t will do no
| good to whip him when he has an attack Of
| the nerves. That will only make him worse.
In fact that is the general effect Of the whip.
Soothe him, encourage him, speak placidly
| and kindly to him, let him see you and touch
you with his nose as you do so, and he will
| soon be calm, intelligent and willing again.
| Ii he happens to be vicious, balky brute,
| sell him to somebody who has time to fool
away with him"
Old Waterwitch has set new jewel in her
| crown. Her son Waterloo, by Belmont has
| mother of four trotters better than 2.30
three daughters which are the dams of 230
trotters and one son which is the sire of six
23O trotters 1t is grand showing, and it
is almost certain that Wardet and Warlock
will enter the list, which will make her the
dam of six trOtters and three producing
daughters.
One of the best of the many good things
which Col. Thomas S. Lang did for the horse
breeding interests of Maine, was TO bring
Gideon to Maine, which he did in 1870 or
1871. He is the sire of Ezra L., (2.21N, and
of the dam of Independence, Glenarm, Nell
son. Susie Owen and Hambletonian Knox,
all of whom are within the 30 circle. Dicta-
tor Chief is by Dictator, and he by Rysdyk's
HambletOnian
1t has been said that there is more than an
eve n chance that Jack Spratt may make the
attempt to beat 220 at the State Fair
track sometime this fall, one day next week
being talked of as the time. A well-known
auburn horseman, it is said, has comnunica-
ted with Mr.. Smell, of Portland, the owner
of Spratt upon the proposed speed trial, and
Mr. Smell is inclined to start his horse to beat
the above time 1t would be a wonderful
performance at this late time in the season
Mr.. Hubert Herkomer. who married his
| aa....ea .,ifa,s eietar tho nthar do,, ,,,o.