Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-07-06
ONE aaBAT NEED OF THE TURF
w ant of gxp iiisu osd ana Trustworthy
Tfsio ers and Diivsrs.

Something should be done to educate
Young men, who sre row employed ia The
larger tr9tting s,abl s. up TO the driving of
| horses In actual races, says the Callfornis
| Breeder and Sportsman The growth OF
the clearinghouse interer. in this State has
been 50 rapid ard uniyerssl, thai the de-
msnd ia s,ready far in advance of the sup
piy. Col.equently every year goes by and
sees mary valusble Lorses sold FOR one
| third Of their actusl value just because
their owre. cannot secure a good and com
| petent handler. All this time there are, on
many OF cur large breeding farms, good
and competen. young men at work in
subordinate capacity, who drive plenty of
| fat horse. in their pre- imlnsry work ard
vet never q, chance 10 ban lie u horse IN
a bous tite race, from Oae yeats end 10 The
other
The reader will ask, why 10 not theee
youpg men cut loose from there entanglc-
msnls and get up for themselves az drivers
AID trainers? This is much easier said than
done however. A youog MAJ goe' to work
a., 4 groom, We will say, at Piesssnton or
Psln Alto. He attracts the attention Of the
head trainer who gives him chance to
drive three or four untried horses. Ii he
does we'll with them, he is promoted to be
az assistant driver and has q comfortable
h me Nth a well spread table and good
sleeping quarters, which he can retain IS
lorg As he behaves himself and does bis
work properly. Men ike Goldsmith, Mar
vim and starr. are not fond Of making
| changes except for cause; and as these new
tegipners have their wages paid tl.em reg
uiarly on the first day OF every month, they
do rot feel much like lssviog steady EN-.
Mo, ment for an uncertainty. Therefore
they decline going cut and taking their
chances of get.iag stable of horses owned
by men who are not breeders and VINO
have, let US add, no further intereSt in any
horse beyond the money he can win during
the four or five months duration of the cir
cult in which that horse may have epgsge-
ments. This is the principal reason why
so many young men prefer to work by the
year for rich breeders, in g subordinate
capacity, father than incur the risk Of
walking around for four or five months 10
every year, out of work and ont of money
lGkewlse
The only way that We can see Tor Great
irg an increase of drivers is for uotiog
associations TO give one or two purses at
each meeting, conditioned in favor Of this
III li5tlb u4tttDfuIkgu LGt
be purse for 30 horses given, to be
driven by men who have never put horse
into the . 30 list. with first and second
moneys psystie in cash and s sutky given
to the driver of the third horse, As y starter
to enable him to go into business on his
own sccount when he so desires This is
shout the only wsy that we can see to
provide the meas for filing the
llng-fe!t want A 2 80 class race
c1uld be given in The same
rasnaer, ard some good might result from
it, In former days, purses were given for
horses that had not trotted for money, but
the progress of trotting has been go rapid
and so great, thst the green horse" purses
are side tracked forever and are now heard
of only st the imsllest AID most obscure
country fairs. But We never heard the
equity Of giving such purses called in ques-
ton and, if it was Just and fair to bestow
awards Of public money upon untried
horses, it must be equally fair and proper
to give similar sums Of money towards the
promotion and elevation of men who are
un ried as drivers.
or course, such step would meet with
general disspproval from old trainers and
drivers of already recognized ability, not
40 much that they fear competition from
these new graduates a. that they deem them
spoiled for future service in sub0rdinate
capacity. They evidently think that good
groom has been spoiled in the effort to make
3 poor trainer and, therefore, they are likely
to throw cold water on the proposition.
There ia need of more trainers and drivers,
however, and something should be done TO
bring the supply up TO the present demand.