The sun., 1890-09-14
PARSON ARNEY is SORRY.
THB MINISTER VINO cor Up HORSE
RACE WON'T DO 1T AGAIN.


the Turf Alone-Vvhnt Lee sits 60 no IT. |
MusKEooH. Mich. Sept. 13-The Rev. ]. W. |
Arney says he won't run horse races any more. |
He has given up that business and is going to |
stick to the Gospel
Parson Arney IL the Methodist minister OF
earRnac, Michigan, who somo time In July !
conceived the idea that II would be good
thing for his pocketbook TO get the owners OF
horses in his neRhborhood to trot their swift
est animals for prizes. At any rate that was
tho way in which the story got around the
country There was q race, and the Methodist
minister, 1t was reported, not only conducted
afTalrs. but sat in a sulky behind his speed
lest horse and ran him TO victory.
Parson Arney very soon obtained wide
notoriety. The ministers OF churches not far
from his homo preached sermons OF severe
denunciation. The Methodsts generally
didn't know exactly what to think OF a minis
ter who could talk from the pulpit on Sunday
and manage a race track on week day. 80
great became the scandal that Presiding Elder
Barnes OF Kalamazoo drew up charges against
the ministerial lover OF the turf and presented
them before the Methodist Conference which
met here this week.
| Before the conference convened the Rev. Mr..
| Arney was interviewed. He said he knew that
| he was going to be hauled up. but he declared
| that his conscience didn't have any spots on 1t,
| and he was sure that he would get through oil
right He said that little after the race the
district conference met and held an inquest
upon his conduct. He told his story. and
his brother ministers decided that there
was nothing to make fuss about
lis he labor in Tho Afnsy Vineyard A1n ot the Lord
didn't bring him in many shekels, that he
Gdn tt see Ga any better way to get It than to ayai
himself OF his knowledge OF horsetlesh. With,
Ens ond Of orses ae says IL he can't Sep this It
was born in him, and he isn't at all ashamed
Some twelve or fifteen months ago he made
q horse trade, and got the best OF the bargain
III % nSSyas nnd enS
from the fact that for some Boston 1nanciers
he bought eighIeen or twenty horses, and that ,
good blood in them. 1t was the aequisition. Of
rass' ney into '0hf his fs horse race dlicuIty. As
a minister Of the GOSPEL he wandered a
duties Of preacher ordained. when he had
started as horse agent therefore when he be:
flesh flesh OF excsIIent shape yiGor and ire, i PER
haps did not seem altogether improper thaf ne ne
ha Of the bRSr or rs Other
and out racing man, exactly what those horses
could do on regular race track with croWa ,a
OF people looking on and purse to excite
The long and the short Of 1t is that the Rev.
Mr. Arney yielded TO his inclination to test
those horses. and won for himself not only q
whole lot OF money. but a great deal of trouble.
~ Pesns Eder Barnes bishop an
drews appointed a committee to consider the
bfltnseiii bfin with yigor He told the, committee
, that it was really necessary for him TO have
obtained tI % werc too too valuable 10 keen and too
good to sell TO any Of the farmers living around.
they USE ply Ee Mr.
= own language he said: II thought a race
,, might attract some attention to my horses.
. would help to sell them. talked to some Of
my friends and the race was the result n Ny
1 did not drive. my own horses. as the papers
: represented. We bad more horses than q we we
8 Intended. On that account we received more
advertising than we had contracted lor; N
sSt S oznseta0ns the KY @
. three, that were engaged o IN the race ace
SRS O. Sst bs sOee more Sond
be easier for me to sell them now nnd M here Is Is
where my profit would come come ro in; The eoIo piizes
VHsi We had = good ID order and a pleasant time. ,Ne
/. gambling was permitted. and there wasn't a
iseHas seion could On tpS Be TaaS made oAH The %
s cate severely criticised me: and Elder MoSre 9fn
{ PAPER PAPER making my statement OF the case. Elder
thS5 shoud sho dosn s1rnn n6e 5hH
: have been would have had nothing to dc dc
5 with the races. Now was not prepared iol
:. | this suggestion ana WOulu NTllo but O.
< personal letter to the editor because wen,
:. into the race with my eyes open, with pur
in e aha aS 1pt 5eeeet eepy my
h in Christian work; ! am fond OF preachi11R !
have worked hard among my people, and thf
I; | results OF my work are most gratifying.
have an innocent fondGess Tor horse tha
is my private affair and hold that properly
conducted horse race Is innocent amusement
NV own church people understand my rositioI
q and want me TO come back another year"
e b deu 10 SGsis out t'SeH wheler The
y Rey. ,Mr, Arney told Them Of The rather favor
# ters and laymen who had read Of the nov
widely Sdy hoE1e race fo snG Gt 'if
Il IS fhGs repSfed eT ar that fn eceVSd re
very sympathetic letters from quite well
known SIerEymtsa to 81 fHy n9hnG NJ s0n OF nGTeI n
T. most every State in the Union; II 1t is tru'
n that the minister was commended for his con
N ministers mini It would be extremely interesting
8 he should publish the names Of those wh'
Rs does eI moi stand alone IN bis bse
), that a minister may. without discredit TO tn
IS Cloth, have good deal 10 DO with horses ant
@ 1t took the committee three days to fnd ou
c. all they wanted to know about the propriety o
y any minister appearing upon rage track. eq. az
!; the proprlety in particular OF the Rev. M
,ee Arney's action on the course at Saranac, Ate
. became convinced that the Rev. Mr: Arney wa
A good deal OF horse man. There. was eyl
andIH and racing Horses, Although the minister ba
y said that before his trial. he would not submi
a to any conditions that might be imposed o
him. by the Conference; that so 10
as he was concerned he didn't car
whether ne was suspended or not neverthe
less upon consideration, and after having bee
,s' persuaded by some OF his friends. he exper
N enced change of heart and pledged himse
N that he would never again indulge in hors
On races It pleased the coPIeE;eance very mpc ,h
i. he wouldn't be wicked any more, and they i
him down easy by tnHg Hd9nting resolution dnto %
~ ence places tLe seal OF Its unqualified dii
S n sein 9hS h9rt
n the Discipline, as very demoralizing in the
" character; and further. formally declaring th'
10 the idea oi ministers training horses or ira
stances be approved" The RESOLUTIONS ende
d with theee words: Indeed. we believe as v
are reminded in our ordination to this no
mt once. that We should as much as lieth in |
apply ourselves to this ono thing and draw d
N | our cares and studies ths way"
The question which is now puzzling thoi
we who have watched this case is what will NJ
| ,uIfh ba IA