The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-29
The Recon. Smashing Of Records
Which Was Accomplished
at independence.
Contrast Between the Old and
the New Devices in
Tracks.
Direct, the Champion Harness Racer In
the World-C. w. Williams and
His Good Luck.

ulllc IN -.Vus psOGO Ny AlAGSts ~ ~ SA
lerton's performances OF trottinG in 2:lO, AM
thus placing himself hrst among stallion
at that gait, says the New York Times
These two record breaking efforts hav
been the subject Of much criticism and GER
tainly have not been received az cordial.
as wore those they collapsed. When the ba!
gelding Johnston turned the West Sid,
track al Chicago in o06i4 Oct. 5, 1884, ever.
..Aorsemsu in tho country paid tribute :,
tina marvellous achievement and no on
thought OF questioning its merit.
So in somewhat the same degree have thu
numerous miles below PIG trotted by Mel.
son established him rs the king of his kind
and those who expect to see 2:0S54 heater
in the near future have looked on the swift.
footed son of Young Rolfe as one of the
most likely OF the prospective champions
AZ the records held by Maud S., Johnston.
Nelson and AItell wore all made over
courses that have two turns, while Allorton
and Direct accomplished their flights on the
moro modern track with a single turn, the
relative merits of their W doings have
bsen contrasted to the detriment or the
kite track performance.
Ever since "~Independenee" Williams put
the idea suggested by w. Is. Fasig, OF
Cleveland. into execution by constructing 4
kite or balloop-shaped course at Rush park
both professional and amateur writer's have
devoted much time in defining just how
much advantage is secured by the new de-
vice. Starting with the axiom that a horse
can 60 faster on a s~traightaway course than
any other, it cannot be questioned that the
nearer the approach to that the easier is the
task against time. II horses were alike in
every respect there would be no
trouble in ascertaining the exact
difference between the elliptical and
kite traok, but the conditions vary
10, even with each animal, that it is
nix the speed relations of the two. There
have been cases where a trotter would go
quite A. we'll on a half mile track az one of
ths full length, ana, no doubt, there are
others that would perform as creditably
making the two turns as the one. G. H.
GENTLY hat where the turns are thrown so
As to preserve the centre of gravity as
much as possible, he could drive his horse
quito 40 fast on a track with two turns as
on any other. He cited Nelson's mile in
2:1Os4 at Cambridge City last October. and
declared the belief that he would not have
made q faster record at Independence or
Kankakee.
II this is true, the reason does not lie in
the track, as the ~trotter Nelson showed
himself to be soft hearted during his racing
career, and it is tho horse that lacks cour-
& to whom the circular course ID p~articu-
larry suited. The time-honored remark,
mo road was too long for him. has much
force in connection with sxtrem0 speed,
n to the harness racer with pluck n
endurance the long stretches at I%ndepend-
encs and other places where the kite tracks
So rsk-rAA hA-A -~ nau1~ ArI t[o- f--
ish as rssolutely rs they set out. Direct
himself is an Industrious example of this,
for on the Friday afternoon,
when the California meteor started
to lower his own work of 2:094, made a
few days before over the same course, he
ing to the first quarter in 0:32, and kept up
the same rate to this half. From there he
increased the clip in each quarter, pacing
the third in O:31112, while tho last mile was
travsrssd in exactly 0:30. 1t il n rare thing
for a trotter or paeer to attain his greatest
flight at the end of the mile whore a record
IL broken. but here was a case where the
speed came in proportion as the distance
increased, till the stout little stallion came
hons at a two-minute gait.
When Direct first showed his quality at
tho pacing gait early in the grand circuit,
whom he won a creditable race at Cleveland,
his speed n stamina were cited rs an in
stanoe Of how blood will tell. With q sire
like Director, himself the greatest cam
paigner of his time, and a dam like Echora,
who was an exceptionally good race mare,
the product of their union had full license
to do wonderful things. Director repre-
SCENTS the best strains through his sire Die
tator, in whose veins lows the same blood
that produced the earlier champion, Dex-
ter, while his dam was the famous brood
mare, Dolly, whose other sons, On
ward and l%horndsle, have also lone
honor to their iliustrious ances-
Hambletonisn When such blood as that
represented in Director, crossed with
Echora, whose sire, Echo, was got by Ham
bletonian, ont of Fanny Fslter, a grand
daughter of American Star. there is scarcely
n limit to what it may accomplish.
Added to this, Echora's dam, the young
Boston, giving Direct an o%ntcross that did
as much for Maud s. herself as for her
dam. Miss Russell traces directly to the
famous Thoroughbred in the maternal line.
Thus the horse that now holds the harness
record has a double infusion of HANDLE
tonian-Star blood mingled with that of
Mambrino Chief and a thoroughbred strain
that has lone SO much for the trotter.
That Direct hould bs naturally a PAGER
seems rather strange with such a descent,
bat it goes to show that the lateral gait con-
tinues to be what it always was, an une1-
AoAA AAotth lthplO " 0iop Oub III WuSIb,
since the peerless black whirlwind has only
been tried at the pace for u few months, his
early education being in the direction of
compelling him to trot with SO much weight
that 1T was said he carried an anvil on each
toe, it Nv highly probable that he will get
still nearer to the two minute mark before
his turf life end
The driver who now holds the coveted
distinction of riding faster in the sulky
than any one else Is comparatively UNI
known, though among horsemen George
Starr has for some time. been known as a
reinsman of no small ability. AS Budd
Doble's chief assistant, he was OCCASION
ally up behind tbs crack performers in the
stable of the veteran Chicago trainer, but
he had little ehanca to make a reputation
for himself in that capacity. When Andy
Mcdowell severed his connection with
Monros Salisbury and went to take charge
Of Marcus Daly's t~rotters aud pncers in
Montana, the shrowd old California breeder
selected young Starr as the best mnn avail
able to handle hia flyers. MIR. Salisbury'a
rare good Judgment had formerly shown
itself when he induced John A. Goldsmith
to accompany hlm to the Pacific slope, and
he has made another selection in Starr, who
has not only added value to the Pleasanton |
purses with Little Albert, Vic II. and
Homestake through the campaign this sea-
SOD.
There seems to be no limit to the rood
fortune that has attended G. w. Williams
Ia has ventures rs a breeder, trainer and
race track proprietor. His colts Axtell and
Allerton cost HIM Il mere nothing, vet each
has become worth a considerable fortune,
while 10 is the onlS MAJ who ever drove