The Portland daily press., 1891-12-12
"reminiscences Of the Days Of Flora
Temple.
A MEMORABLE RACE VIEWED
FROM TIE PROMENADE.

Veteran Journalist.
The prospects as fast mile
track for records and races as in
dicated by large majority of
the gentlemen handling and breeding
horses who met at the Preble House the
other day and organized the Maine Mile
Track Association recalled the fact that
there have never been but two mile tracks
in the State, one In Scarboro. known as
Ling's Track. now grown up to bushes,
and the other in Cape Elizabeth which was
called the Island Track. Both of these
courses were fast and would compare fav-
arably with any in the country at the time
for speed purposes.
The first regular graded and enclosed
track in Maine was constructed In Port
land for the State Fair nearly forty years
ago. 1t was located in an open field on
what was then known as Bramhall Hill,
near the Western Promenade. This course
was decidedly contracted one being only
a third of mile in length and therefore
the horses had to circle it three times to
make the mile, nevertheless there were
great crowds within the enclosure and the
admission fee made it financial success.
Previous to that time the cattle shows as
they were popularity designated were free
to all and the trials Of the horses were had
on come convenient road. The races made
in this city were trOtted on Stevens Plains,
SO called, now the suburban village of
MOrrills. They could get broad. level
straight away course from the Morrill,
House, then popular public hosterly over
to Brighton Corner, about mile in length,
and the crack horses of those days were
owned by Geo. Burnham, Jr., Edward
Emerson Clapp, John Myers, railroad
GlSrse H Iayng Bate the Fu Saasp
John Pike. Sam. Nash. Geo. Webster, Geo,
Babcock, Chas. Sager, Col. Barker, G. l.
Fowler, James Jack, Sam. Ryerson. Drs.
Baston and Cummings and others, large
maj GRITTY of whom are no longer living. In
the first races in the Bramhall track the
local honors were won by Lady Burnham
owned by Geo. Burnham Jr. and Sugar."
the property of I'll. F. Flu bish, then con-
nected with j. B. brown d Co.'S Portland
Sugar Factory. A horse from Dixfield
called the Dlxfeld Boy carried on the
sweepstakes in gallant style against good
field of competitors.
THE LING TRACK.
In 1853 Sylvanus Ling who kept stable
on Milk street about where the present
market is located bought a track of land
on the ScarbOrO plains on the back road to
Saco, about half way between that place
and Portland. The land was very level and
required but little grading. Ling was an
owner and quite dealer in good horses
and he proceeded to lay out a mile track,
the first in Maine. Not finding good sale
for his stab es and sheds in town he tore
them down and used the material largely
posite and utilized the interior of the
course for agricultural purposes. This
was rather four-turn track than an oval
but such was the elasticity of the soil that
it was fast. The old track is still there
and at comparatively small expense could
be put in condition but the remote situation
and some bad contract that wrecked it
many years ago is against It's ressuri ection
1t is three miles from the railroad aud be-
tween seven or eight from either Portland,
Saco or Biddeford.
Despite the remUteneSs of the Ling track
there would frequently be upwards of a
thousand people TO witness some races of
special interest Ling died aud the con-
troll of the track passed to sap Kicker,
well known driver of those days and 1t
virtually died on his hands with no fault
OF Rlckers. The coap ole main OF this track
was the poisoning of the gallent. mare Sea
Foam in 1866. The match was a genuine
one with the money up and large crowd
ready to witness the contest, Both were
Portland horses, the antagonist being
kunWQ at LON lnuiup. Cbd EOdlus OWu6u
by Gran. Miller had been jagged out in
the morning. with nothing unusual In her
appearance but soon after was taken sick
and died in her stall some fifteen minutes
before the race was to be called. A post
mortem revealed the presence In her st0m-
ach of croton oil Quite an effort was
made to discover the Derpetrat0r of the
dastardly deed and arrests were made but
nothing could be proved. 1t killed the
horse aud killed the track. Nothing could
succeed 10 attracting auy paying atten-
dance thereafter and public distavor rele-
gated this fast mile track into 0bscurlty.
THE ISLAND TRACK.
In 1858 William Baldwin railroad SUBJ
contractor secured control OF the level
plateau upon which che Portland Rolling
Mills and village of Ligopia are now 10
Gated, and constructed and enclosed an
oval mile track with the financial assistance
of several Portland men interested in
horse flesh. This was splendidstrack, the
natural soil being soft reddish lUam and
the sub soil of peculiar elasticity, which
made it very fast and easy for horses feet.
Work them as hard as they would, a
sound horse never got sore on the track.
Tnls is precisely what is wanted Tor the
proposed Mile Kite Shaped track and il is
believed that the site surveyed by Civil En-
glneer Jordan about mile distant from
the old island track possesses similar
conditions. springy, elastic foundation.
Inc most noted race that ever took place
on the Island track was in the summer of
1859, between the famous Flora Temple,
driven by James McManus, aud the Cali
fornia flyer Princess, James Ehoff driv-
ing. Inc exhibition was brought TO Port
land by DR.. George H. Bailey, then OF the
firm of Floyd d Bailey, who owned large
livery stable Oh the corner of Federal and
Lime-now Market street-directly oppo-
site Ansel Sawyer stable at the present
day. Flora and Princrss were "nlppo-
droming." as they used to term it, meaning
giving exhibition races about the country
Tor purses aud share III the gate money.
They got as far east as Boston and DR..
Bailey went there and by liberal guaran-
tee induced them to come TO Portland. 1t
was altogether too public spirited for Dr.
Bailey's pocket, fur he was about $500
short of expenses on the deal. The admIs-
sion fee was 81, and fully as many people
viewed the contest from the Western
Promenade as were within the enclosure.
The blrff completely overlooked the track.
and with good eyesight or a glass the
horses were plainly visible. This was
quite pull back to tho financial success
of this track whenever there was any in
teresting race on hand. This was the first
race OF note that the writer ever reported.
and although 1t was upwards Of
thirty-two years ago he recalls
Az ecanas and circumstances with much