Los Angeles herald., 1890-07-16
ABOUT THE CITY.
-- II
Interesting Chat With Cap
tain 7. B. Merry.
He Talks About Australian
Horse Matters. p
sst..
A Young Man Charged With
Seduction.
General Miles Visits the City on Tour of
Inspection-Other Matters of
General Interest.

y y
man about 80 years old, with white
hair-what there is of it-and white
moustache and imperial, clad in a natty
striped linen suit and a jaunty hat on
the back of his well-shaped head, you
will see Captain Thomas Merry.
Captain Merry arrived in Los An
geles on Sunday. He was here once
before in 1859, but that is anticipating.
Captain Merry in 1888 edited the Mis-
soula Gazette. He is a thoroughbred
Democrat, and he fought the count out
of Silver Bow district last year with
great vigor. "But they beat u.s." he
said last evening to HERALD reporter,
and it was the most foolish thing the
Republicans could have done. They
had clear majority in the senate, and
went to needless rascality in counting
our men out. But they will pay well
for it, for Republican majority will
never be known there again.
eyes; got in from Australia on Sun
day with six thoroughbred mares for L.
j. Rose, and landed them at Rosemeade.
How did come to 60 to Australia
Why, some time ago was sitting talk
ing horse to,Mr. Rose, when he made
proposition for me to 60 to England to
buy him some thoroughbred mares. He
was going to give up trotters. Well, sir;
wouldn't 60 to England for any man,
not to buy horses. told him that what
he wanted was Australian stock, and 1
soon convinced him that the weight,
carrying ability, the stamina, the boni-
ness of the Australians was what he
wanted. shipped nine some weeks
ago, and on Sunday arrived with six.
Everybody who sees them calls them
cart horses, and they do look heavy.
Before I went away l saw Fairy and
several other fine horses and
fine goers, out at the ranch,
and I told Mr.. Rose then that
1 would not bring him such good-lookers,
but my horses have bones, good bones.
That is what America needs. Our
horses can hardly ever race after four
years. They have to be "nerved" then
to keep them going, like Hanover, Ori-
famine, and lots of others. The conse-
quence is their hoof drops off, or their
leg gives out altogether. Mr.. Rose will
breed horses from these mares which
will be able to race till they are seven,
eight, or maybe nine years old. Where
these horses come from in Australia the
soil is all of lime stone character and
the feed makes big -boned horses. These
mares you understand are all broken
dol n as far as racing goes, but their
product from American sires will aston
1ish the country as to speed, staying and
weight carrying. Our thoroughbred
horses are all too inbred there is hardly
one in the country but what will show
crosses from Lexington, Glencoe or Sir
Archie blood. The consequence is that
the bone has degenerated. These big
framed, speedy yet solid Australians
will prove regenerating factor"
"You have been here before, cap
tain 2"
Eyes, in 1859 / was here as exchange
editor of the San Francisco Alta. used
to take the papers from the stage when it
arrived"
'.The stage from San Pedro?"
"San Pedro! Hades and pepper. no !!
The stage from Missouri, boy! The
overland stage. It used to lay over here
all night, and would get the papers,
scissor them, edit the stuff, make copy
of it, and by morning put it in the mail
bags. The stage reached San Francisco
at 4 o'clock, and that stuff went i'm
mediately to the printers. It was a
long ways for an editor to be from his
Office, but it was good scheme.
"By the way, the jockeys of Australia
are the best in the world. They have a
dozen crack steeplechase riders, and we
have not one in this country now.
Teddy Powers, in Australia, is the best
Jockey in the world"
Captain Merry is familiar with Aus
tralia and its people, as in 1883 he
served under the United States commits
sioner to the Melbourne Exposition,
Frank McCoppin.
Captain Merry will remain here over
the August race meeting at Agricultural
nork