Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-05-21
ABILENE And Her FLYERS.
THE GREAT RACING CENTER OF
THE SUNFLOWER STATE.
The Leading Horse Paper of the
Country Praises Our Racers-A
Number of Prominent Horses Des-
cribed-High Honor Paid.
From the Horseman, Chicago.

esque cities of the wonderful west.
From the earliest history Abilene has
been an enterprising and winsome little
city. The Smoky Hill river, running
just south of town, is heavily bOrdered
with natural groves, and the charm of
the scene has been enlarged and beau
titled by the artificial groves and the
numerous establishment of a progress
siye and enlightened husbandry.
abilene has had its boom, and is now
undergoing the calm of depressed
finances incident to the drouth of last
year. But Notwithstanding the chill
of such a reversal, the city eyinces a
high degree of business conservatism
such as will conduct it out into the
larger ease and independence of the
good times which the growing crops
will bring. The people here believe in
Abilene, and count upon the early
wealth and progress as being sure and
inevitable. Three railways traverse
the city limits, giving it the advantages
of competitive routes east and west.
The city is amply supplied with hotels,
waterworks, electric lights, schools,
churches and all that go to make bust
ness successful and life agreeable. The
water with which the city is supplied
is conducted four miles from a spring
yielding more than two million gallons
daily and which is shown TO be ninety
eight per cent. pure.
Abreast with the decade Abilene is
pushing to the front in The speed horse
world and presiding over this industry
is a strong and brave trottiDg associa-
ton, already several years old. Out
from town a half-mile is mile track
that is already known to be very fast
one. Indeed it is so fast stretch of
dirt that some have accused thejud ges
of former races OF tinkering with their
watches. The two meetings given by
the association in 1890 were full of sur
prises to the owners and drivers of the
horses driven on it. Sixty of the horses
starting in the various classes lowered
their records and eighteen of that num-
Der made records of $50 aud better.
The Interstate fair and race meet
ing will be held at Abilene September
81 to %, when $4,000 in purses and
stakes will be offered for trotting, pac-
ing and running races.
All entries will be received by Sec
rotary G. A. Rogers, at Abilene. This
country is an extraordinary one for
developing speed horses. The roads
are so very good nearly all of the year
around that trainers and drivers can
work their stock from April to Decem-
Der, sometimes more than that. The
truth is the roads are always good and
but for cold weather they could be
worked the year round. Another rea-
son why this is a good locality for the
speed horse industry is that feed IS
usually very cheap. Prairie hay which
gives solid. flesh and good breathing; the
water is excellent and the atmosphere
dry and light. One seldom hears of
pneumonia among horses in this eli
mate.
1t will pay the horsemen to study the
purses offered by this association.
Knoxville and Independence are the
only other two associations who have
ever offered as1 900 stake for yearlings.
This meeting will be right after the
Topeka and just before the Wichita
meeting.
w. G. CoWles is,manager of one of
the grandest horse farms on earth,
mile and one-fourth out from town.
1t contains four hundred and six
acres, all under improvement-gOod
houses, barns and stables, groves and
well watered. 1t lies upon the north
side of the Smoky Hill river, and one
hundred acres of it are in fine blue
grass pasture and well shaded by nat
ural groves of timber along the river
bank. The farm is for sale at $24 900.
There is no finer horse farm on earth.
As before said, the climate is advanta-
geous, the fertility of the soil is pro-
verbal, there is no scarcity of water,
there is plenty of shade, stock thrives
and markets are near at hand. Mr..
Cowles' farm is well provided for horse
raising and he sets really reasonable
price on the property, 1t would pay to
take trip to Abilene and look at this
farm. The value of blue grass as a
forage crop is acknowledged. The
grass on The farm Mr.. Cowles wishes
to sell is well set and is good for all
time. One hundred acres in blue
grass represents a large crop, as it is
a prolific grower and brings a good
price per ton, if the buyer does not
wish to save it for his own use. Mr..
Cowles is president and treasurer of the
Kansas Farm Mortgage Company, at
Abilene, and will cheerfully furnish
all information regarding this property.
John II. Mshan, one of the pioneers
of Kansas, also one Of the leading law
yers of the state, is a lover of the
horse. He owns q stock farm and is