The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-15
WALTER j. KING & BROS. Managers,
ROOMS / AND ? BAILEY BL0Gh. HELENA, MONTANA.

his business at the moment to pay any at
tention whatever to anything except getting
there first. | doubt if there is an old
driver who could sit d W and tell you
about any particular finish at the wire
in a great race, unless some &C
cident befell him to enforce it on his mind.
Frequently ] have been coming to the wire
neck and neck, and ut the end of the ace
did not know what horse was making the
close contest with me. At that moment all
the energies of the driver are centered in
getting every possible inch out of his ami
NAL he can. The romanca of the occasion
never fingers with him, or even Expresses
him. When | drove Goldsmith Maid her
three fast heats Mt Buffalo, an achievement
which startled the trottino world at the
time. ! saw nothing in the occasion except
my duty, and what | could get out OF the
mare. l had the same eXr erience with Dex-
ter, and in estimating that horse you must
bear in mind that he is the only trotter who
has ever gone one, two and three mile heats
under the saddle, in harness and to wagon,
and made big records in all, that will live
as long as the turf lasts. That is the ren-
son why l regard him, as we'll as many
other men do who admire trottlng horses,
as such a perfect animal for track work.
The powers and purposes OF the t~rotting
horse interests have been wonderfully
changed and advanced within the past few
years. Trotting stock has become more
valuable and is put in training earlier than
when | began. don't like that idea. l do
not think a horse ought to be put in a race
until he or she is five or ak years old: but
they arc developing them SO early now that
at three, and even two years. they are raced.
| NV opinion is that this shortens the active
life of the animal, and therefore makes him
of less vnlue on the turf than as though
they had gone to the hardening ago of five
or six before being called upon to do hard
work.
California is to a greater or less extent re-
sponsible for pushing young colts on the
turf before they have q chance to mature.
The good climate out there gives them a
chance to develop more rapidly than in this
colder region. Another thing il that thev
can work their stock practically all the year
while we have only a short season in which
to fit snd develop our animals. |. see no
reason why California-bred horses should
be any better than ours, except the long
season there gives them a chance for work
longer, which, of course, tends to more rap
idly develop them, and has caused our
breeders to push their colts, which l think
is a mistake.
and that is the rapidly advancing price OF
trotting stock. A horse that five years ago
would bring only ST., coo would now fetch
from $4,000 to $1,000. and perhaps more if
he had SONS extra good points. hin of
the stallion Axtell bringing $105, 600, the
hIShtHb piiGo cfCI pdli lOI II ioEhe III INC
world. There ars any number of stations
in the United States that ere worth 800, 900
This in itself ia tho best illustration of the
remarkable advance made in the Drice and
grade of %ttotters within the past few Years
This is partly due to the growth of wealtt
in many pursuits and the demand of ricl
gentlemen for fast road horses. A case il
point is Jack, which came into my hand!
three years ago with n record of 2.Z9t.,
reduced it to 2:l2H, and then sold him to Z
gentleman in Boston for a good road horse
The man wanted to be sure TINT 10 one
could throw dust in his eyes, and / thinl
he has found in Jack what he WAS lookipt
after.
The sales of young horses this year indi
cate that tho present season will be til,
most prosperous that the trotting turf In
ever known. Ihore are plenty of surses %,
1 the hanger worth $4,000 to $4,000 70
young horses. This tends to attract tn
attention of breeders and to advance tn
Rrade of animals. Hut, moro tfan all, i
, gives the old onea a GOOD place and show
, row snbstRntiai the t~rotterB are. While i
may be trie that in md around soma of til
. big cities the running horses are attrnctia
u the mix OF attention, it must be borne i
! MINI TINT large running tracks arc scare
and confined to half a dozen places. Irot
: ting grounds can be found in almost eve!
populous county of tho United states, mn
. meetings are held thereon every year. nm
n sometimes twice n year. AS n rule tho ne
y rlcultural interests picfe- trottiup H. ruI
Q ming. while the sporting men hang to tho
!, oughbreds. In other wo dis, the runnin
o interests represent II clnss. while the tro,
d tsrs command the general public, not onl
q IN q lew. but In many localities.