The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-23

H. ,LIAM b. PETIT.
TIE Turf and FOOL Selling.
Editor The Times. The present ces-
sauon of racing lu the neighborhooi
OF New YORK, owing To- the law
against pOOi-Seling recently enacted.
has resulted in the formation of racing
association known AS tn. Virginia Jockey
club, but controlled and organized by
northern men who nave begun racing and
pCOl-selung IN The nclSnDOrhOOi of Alc.-
audrid, iu this state. Some o. our Nii-
girla breeders have hailed with delight the
revival OF racing within the limits of oar
Commonwealth. ana nave udlcuied anN
opposition TO poOl-selimL as sometime
purItdulcal and AS opposed To our ancient
traditions. I'm support of tne theory,
they have referred To the period when Viz
einia was distinguished as the home of
the thoroughbred, and when many ut our
foremost men, AMONG them the Father OF
his Country Randolph OF Roduohc, inc
TaElOeS BdNOr~, Nlluam r. Johnson ami
others were identified with ana patrons
OF the turf. To attempt to compare the
turf as conducted to-day with lI d- ~ rA-
listed in aute-beilUm Tunes lu OBJ" T'u'h
is to institute a comparison between TWO
rearing and performances of their racer
the points are those 81 contrast I..H'i
than resemblance. FROM inc b'l"- Oh
the Revolution down to that oI lht tlFN
war racing uOIusaed u \lr-tuit. ANA
there were NOT only weii-cOuuuc',i race
courses at The ltt-tr cities, u.s. J. N'ut','
Frcehiu and Eroltrock, near Richmond
and Newmarket. near Petersburg, Oui lht
smaller towns and county seats, SUCH, Tor
instance. as those nm gloucester Cdrohnc,
Bruins wick. etc.
TideWatcr Virginia was at that time
the nome of an educated and rctu,i
country gentry and scattered throughout
the lower cOuutiet We're breeders OF som"
of the best observation-disclosures ou thlo Couu-
ucnt. Every boy i'm the country Was
brought up ON horse ana nom "a
miiarity with that animal from carry
childhood the people AS a. class under
stood. appreciated and took pride ih the
iect of the short race ls io enable lu@
The conc, ur5y that attended ue rave
meetings at Fairfield and Newmarket was
made up OF people VINO knew 10.
horse WEcu they saw one. ana NHO valued
racing from their enjoyment OF tHe 7yoIl
as at sport The institution was AS Ii"'"
"a part OF their AugiO-odNon ciNlHzdtoi 't
mo common law of England, ana "a sopi
horse as mucu the bUihtlht OF H-
-ulaa as that other uon." ANIMAL 'i'
dog. The people who went % these races
bet amongst each other "l ,'ol ST. '.."
when a great race, sucu as tNdl pew
Red Eye and Nina, was on LaIb' many
dollars changed hands. w HHiHl IT,
johnson. the Napoleon OF me iuil. ".7
always ready 10 back ms JIb-in,"l " ,''..'
his money. and after the Henry -4. .If-c
race offered 90 put up ttty ,h,'7.tt-
dollars as "A wager that he coui4 P-o-
dIce horse from Soulh OF uIt i'.'''''~
that could beat any from the olH,t H,''
OF H. So too with that muDh h'l'N'H
and lamputpd turfmdu, Major tom IpH
well. who never bet Oh race, uu' N''.i
ruu his horses for purses ana was I,''s
% back Planet for ioui-Hllr ''~c
against any horse in or out Of America
The main point Of dlilef,h't n'' %
I'm. oIl-tlue racing and that OF the lI'N-
emit Is this. The people who men pi'Iyi-
IZeI It We're capable OF app t'i"ui- 30.
real merits OF a good morse, ana 'L.'
went To the races primarily from ''.'
motive of enjoying Inc Spgi fa'".
rs hardly necessary To add, ana ihJr"
at an familiar with me t'uI
near New YORK We'll know, unit
the vast thronss VINO attend s5 ,l',
reason. 10 is perhaps no eNdgseration 10
saw that rot one man IN ten OF lhe"
really cares anything ABOUT oi
has any knowledge or a Soo1 Hoiat. "un
they 20 from the love or the crowd anu
excitement and last. but not least, INr
betting. a little over year ago lHe
writer attended one ol the race meetings.
al Guttcubms lu company Win 'h' on
-euortrr OF the Evening sun tNe" loihl,
M. f,eas of the people iu attendance
were a. study worthy OF Hosdtih, ana
there could be no doubt about "hdL
they We're there FOR. Inc reporter, "u"
mad been i'm attendance Tor long lihc.
lc seen dav after day, or until tht} I1et
AN their money, Wnen new ones IoD'
their places VINO in turn began ptlnD-
with the tuOkWdkcrs. or course, li DIS
not fair 70 take GlttenburE as a sp'''-
men OF our race courses, but what mas
beeu said OF ID Is by no means
altogether inappllcdbic To the Del
ter class, such as Morris idLN
and Shccpshead Bay. II may n'
unuosSible, and Doubt IS under any 'N-
,.Iiustauces Is, % entirely get rd OF tur
1fra0 oil our large cities ana inc -'u"-
inc gambling element, Dut WHAT r''iN''
the writer as one OF the greatest "di' 40
good racing, conducted tor mo sport lt-
SELL Is not merely the Tact That Sc nave
not in this country to-day ''uu.,|
gentry. such as once existed Do inc SCUM.
but the fact mat snort races are inc
style at present lu vogue. lh' cIlci Oh
iect OF the short race Is 10 enhDlc lur
Jockey clubs 10 nave a greater variety
of contests each day, mus calling forth
more entries and better inducements Tor
betting Apart from any decentralization
caused by pOol-selling, this species OF rae
ing Is not favorable % the development OF
the best type OF thoroughbred. The re-
suit already has been the production of
class OF "sprinters' horses without the
stamina and substance or the Old-tiWc
fOur-inIler. and which are pred, IN Ie-
Spouse TO the dictates OF fashion, 30 run
six furlOngs or Whereabouts az hNey
pace, but which are united 10 80
good distance. Upon this subject, the
Turf, Field and Farm" says. IN IT'S last
issue: The blood stock OF the country
possesses all the elements 20 produce stay
ers, but II the present course IS con-
tinued IL will not be long until We have
very few horses capable OF running two
miles or over with weight Tor age"
To any man who - a genuine admirer
OF that noblest animal OF Gods creation.
and VINO appreciates the grand Sport
which has long been the pride OF English
men and their descendants wherever
found. IL does seem pity that the very
idea OF the turf is TO the average mind
inseparable from that OF poo;-selllng and
gambling. To utilize the thoroughbred
solely as a means TO provide ample and
convenient facilities for bookmakfng A.
nothing short OF degrading the most beau
tiful as well as the gamest OF animals
and al the same time inJuring the COM
munity at large
better evidence OF the sort OF encour-
agement racing now receives cannot be
furnished than the fact that a prohibition
OF rambling Is the QDfliVa lent of fOrhtn