Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-03-18
BEAUTIFUL TiN-CUP EXAMPLES
From Western Horseman.l |

FROM W eStern HOrSc1ntn.
was in a race last October, in which
pair of stations, local rivals, were com
peting, says IN. Il. g." One of them
was the last horse in the race, time, a.
35i, 2:37, :37. A few days after, at In
dependence, he was awarded splendid
trophy embazoned 2 rs. Next summer
in his locality the fame of this achieve
ment will rival the glory of Allerton's
defeat of Nelson. He will be great
racehorse stallion and breeders will swell
the Golfers of his owner with their eager
offerings. Is it to be wondered at that
a newspaper is needed to defend an insti-
tuition which can transform 81 quickly Il
slow horse INTO fast one! And will any
intelligent man go on record as candidly
saying that the giving of this horse
record of 2 20 will improve the trotting
horse industry? Will any respectable
citizen risk all his hopes for the future
upon the accuracy of that performance?
| will not say that he did not trot mile
in 20, that the watches were not prop
erly manipulated, for | was not there,
but | will say that such performance
should not be allowed to cumber the rec
ords and mislead the people with whom
we are striving to popularize the trotter.
Defenders of the notorious tin cup mill,
for revenue only, will urge that this is an
isolated instance. Suppose everyone
tells of the cases they know about. For
fear the above case may be regarded as
solitary, | may as well give few more
Instances within my own personal know
ledge. A busy little white stud started
last season with one of my horses in four
races; the bulk of the money and the
fastest heat, 2:3lt, came my way. His
driver switched off for Independence,
and the little white stud now equals "Bill
Simmons pony, having record of 2 %.
Last July | saw a stallion defeated in a
split-heat race, the fastest heat being 2 20
by the winner. The defeated stations rec
ord is now 2:l4a, and he is the trump
card of his family, thanks to the indie
pendence tin cup mill. A brood mare of
mine has son that can go some, al
though she is not standard. He beat
Erena and Egbertine, along with lot of
others, for $500 purse, fastest heat,
:35t. They went straight to the tin-cup
mill and got records of 2:24f and = :25.
Is this true line of excellence? Do the
records show what mare is really the best
producer? The nOn-standard campaign
ing son of a non-standard dam won his
races, beating the tin-cup frauds in
actual contest for actual money. As a
matter of fact, is not his dam superior to
their dams? Is not the tin-cup record
misleading? Does it not turn attention
from superior blood to inferior? Is it
not braZen lie. IA sham, fraud, an alb
use that must be reformed? If it is not
reformed all the breeders in the land will
have to join in the mad scramble for bo-
gus records or quit the business. If
public sentiment permitted grocers tC
sand their sugar, Il dealer not conform
ing to the custom could not stay in the
business. \ tln-cup record is like sand
in the sugar-it degrades and vitiates the
entire mass. Give us less sugar and
have it pure; do up the sand in another
package. Give us records and trials in
separate doses. But that is the point
The tin-cup people do not want theil
goods marked.