The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-01-06

IN the evening OF Ulle same Gay db DTdCK-
ett's private club room on Federal street
by the veteran pool seller Marshal, of
Rhode Island. Carroll received it with
streaming eyes of gratitude, but after
wards it transpired that Mike did not
own hair in the horse, but had him for
circuit of races, and the only loss to
him personally was the use of this dark
Patchen colt hatcould trot about as fast
as necessary to meet anything in Maine at
that period.
Among the prominent horses that used
to figure at the old Forest City Park
were Samuel Chadwick's, Portland Boy,
Robert Bradly's Babcock Colt, so
called, without regard to ages. Charles
Adams's horse, the General was
character and an honest one, like his
owner one of the proprietors of the old
original Elm House on the corner of
Federal and Temple streets. Many
other notable horses in their times
fiourished on the Forest City Park.
Among them was the stallion Gideon,
an own son of Rysdiclk's Hambletonian,
and royal brother with George Wilkes
and others of that wonderful family of
Messenger speed proclivities. Gideon,
with the royal pedigree was brought to
Maine by Col. T. S. Lang the breeder of
Gen. Knox and the founder of the cele-
brated Knox equine family of Maine. Gid
con was alarge spotted gray animal with
more of the characteristics of a track
horse than a trotter, and our breeders
did not Appreciate him. He was in charge
of Foster Palmer, and later in the east
ern part of the State he left bis mark, no
tably as the sire of the mother of Nelson,
the most wonderful horse Maine has yet
produced. =.
Many Exciting Scenes.
There were many exciting SCIENCES on
this old Forest City Park course, one of
the well remembered ones being when
the crowd on the track in front of the
judges stand sent up the claim that Sor-
rel Dan had no right to start in race,
and endeavored to seize him as he came
down the course for warming up for the
race. The driver pale, thin cadaver-
Gus looking man, apparently in the last
stages OF consumption, whipped up his
horse and the next time he came down
1T was with drawn revolver in his right
hand and the remark that he had but
short time to live anyway, but any man
dead one. The crowd of 'ttoughs'' gave
him all the room he wanted for there
was something dungeons in his eye and
severe demeanor.
On a late December afternoon DR.. Geo.
Fl. Bailey trotted his speedy white mare
Lady Gay Spanker to pull a wagon
against Tom Thumb, to harness. 1t was
a genuine up and UP race meaning that it
was for $500 and the money staked for the
winner. 1t was trotted in snow storm
and the old time fayorite whip, Harry
Bradley was imported from Boston to
engineer Tom Thumb and win the race
volens. Bailey took in the situation
and trotted his handsome mare so fast
that the little horse could not even be
run fast enough in the falling snow to
keep up with him, and he had fair play
from the start.
State and New England Fair.
In 1869 the New England fair was held
at the track in connection with the Maine
State annual exhibition. This show
was constituted under the most trying
auspices; and yet was a handsome fl
nancial success to both associations.
They had large headquarters tent in
the centre of the grounds for headquart-
ers, and erected temporary wooden
building connected with the judges stand
for the use of the press. Among the
guests of the four days were Gen. G. b.
Mcclellan and wife. "Little Mac was
greatly interested in the races, especially
the most important one in which, o. M.
Shaw's horse Gen. Mcclellan, named in
his honor, was a contestant. But his
namesake did not win, and the General
gracefully took glass of wine with the
press people, and said that it seemed to
be his fortune not to quite get there.
II Il. 60. 4Io4
gale sprung up in the evening, which lev
elled the big tent and blew over the
lofty spire of the Catholic Cathedral on
Cumberland street, happily without loss
of life or serious damage.
Presumpscot Park.
Early in the seventies number of
prominent gentlemen met at the United
States Hotel and took measures for the
organization and local incorporation of a
new society, to be known as the Pre-
sumpscot Park Association. Among
those prominent in this movement were
the late DR.. S. III. Tewksbury, Chas. R.
Milliken, Col. Geo. w. Kicker, r. O.
Conant, Hon. VIM. G. Davis, Geo. III.
Hitchins, Geo. Durham Jr., Geo. Water
house and others. AS an illustration of
the ease with which money was raised in
those days, for an association where
there was mutual confidence, it may be
mentioned that ten men put in thous-
and dollars each, to begin with. A large
tract of land was purchased in the adj
joining town of Deering, and neither
money nor intelligent effort was spared
to secure first class grounds and track.
About $40, 900 was expended there in
few years. Although in such immediate
connection with the sandy plain, they
had hard and expensive time to get
track there. But the perseverance of
Col Kicker and the late Geo. II. Hitchins
finally succeeded. The Presumpscot
Park Track was opened with four
days horse meeting and it was highly
successful in every particular. Later on
the State Fair was held there for three
consecutive years. The city appropria-
ting, 81, 500 for improvements with that
understanding. The New England Fair
again joined our state association in
fair there in 1875. The most notable
event on the Presumpscot Fair track was
the exhibition heat of Smuggler in 2.22.
But as this was made to saddle it was
not so remarkable feat after all,