Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-04-22
THE TRorTINa HORSE MARKET.
A Washington, ID. g.. Man on the
Cause of the Depressions.


matter with the trotting horse market?"
| This pertinent question was put to j..
G. Sibley, at the Shoreham. ITO enter
p into all of the causes that have led the
present depression in the trotting mar
ket would take more time than / can
spare at present." said Mr.. Sibley. TN
a general way the fault lies mainly at
the door of horsemen and horse breed
ers, which will illustrate as progress
in my diagnosis. The public must un-
derstand that there are at the present
time hundreds of men breeding horses
some for profit and q few for the pleas
ure they find in the occupation. How.
ever, out of the hundreds engaged in
the business only a small percentage
bre ed intelligently. Too many breed
ers are ignorant of and Indifferent to
blood lines and the science of blending
them, the result being that the market
is glutted nowadays with trotters that
cannot trot; with horses that ought to
be drawing plows and lumber wagons.
Then, again, the standard" craze has
transgressed all reasonable limits. In
dividuality has too frequently been sac
crificed to pedigree that had no other
merit but blood to sustain it. With
the sacrifice of individuality there have
been foaled a large number of scrubby,
misshapen, under-sized and oftentimes
blemisbed animals, which in turn have
oeen sent out to the auction mart. Nine
times out of ten they have been too
slow for the track or road driving, too
light for draught or general purposes.
and too small and homely for the car
riage"
"Another cause for the present de.
preston in the trottinghorse market is
by bidding at auction sales. There are
auctioneers. that are honest with sellers
and buyers, but I am sorry to say they
are largely In the minority. tits with.
In my own observation when 1 state
that know of horses sent to the auc-
ton blocks by their owners with the
distinct understanding that If they did
not bring certain price they were TO
be bid In, while at the same time 1t
was given out 10 advance by the auc.
tioneer that the sale was to be positive
aud without reserve. Would. be pur-
chasers have learned these things, have
become suspicious, lost confidence, and,
as rule, are staying away from auc-l
ton sales or not bidding If they do at.
tend them, Lest, but not least, the
irottiDg horse industry !s suffering
from dishonest racing associations and
unfair and dishonest judges In the
stand. When racing association will
permit wealthy breeders and owners 10
enter with the distinct understand
ing that If their horses, do not win
reces In their cless no entry fee
Is to be demanded of them, while
others a:e compelled to pay ~
,Ording to the rules to the last
cent, such discrimination Is injurious to
The borsebreeding industry and dis
gusts breeders. Not only does it dis
gust honest men who breed horses, but
hese things deter gentlemen who
would be willing to invest large sums
Of money in a breeding stud, tend to
ripple the sale of stock and by implI- |
,ation the breeding business In general.
In addition to this, more horse papers
ire published than there is healthy
iemand for, the consequent being that
he rottenness which have ilIustrat I'd
s either defended or ignored.
Oaly few ale honest and outspoken
enough to openly expose and denounce
he things spoken Of. Until we purify
'acing associations and the entire turf
and return to honest and
,pen. and-abovo board methods. until
very breeder erects high standard Of
,reeding and breeds up to 1t, the slum
q the trotting horse breeding business
will continue"
rHE SILENT FLYING WHEEL.
1