The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1895-08-29
KING OF THE TURF
Joe Patchen Clearly the Worlds
Fastest Horse in Harness.
HE TOOK ALL THREE HEATS
John X. Gentry GameIy Struggled Against
superior Speed. but Was Beaten
With Ease.

Chicago, Aug. 22-Joe Patchen today
won the great match race against
John r. Gentry in straight heats. The
race took place on the famous Wash
ington track, but as wind that
amounted almost to a gale blew all
afternoon a sensational time perform
ance was out of the question. The
three heats were covered in 2:O5H
2:07A, 2:07H.
Nevertheless the performance Is re-
garded as one of the most important
that has taken place on the trotting or
pacing turf. Patchen's victory was de-
cisive and seems to put his claim to
| first place among harness racers be-
yond dispute. Twelve thousand people
saw the race and the fact that betting
was prohibited did not deter the crowd
| from showing a degree of enthusiasm
| that is seldom excelled at a horse
race. Gentry was undoubtedly slight
| favorite in the public's well wishes,
| but the Patchen horse was cheered just
| the same. In what little betting there
was outside of the track Gentry also
ruled favorite at about 10 to 9.
| At the end of the second heat old-time
| horsemen pronounced it the greatest
race in history. In these two miles
Gentry was a close contestant and SO,
considering what was at stake, the
| contest was regarded as unprecedent-
| ed. But the third heat went to the big
black so easily that the veterans were
disposed to qualify their opinion as to
| the prominence of the race.
The start was delayed in hope that
the wind might die down. Conditions
were against a time performance, but
at 3:15 p. m. the two giants of speed
were called upon the track, although
there had been no decrease in the arid
| gale. Curry and McHenry, the drivers,
| stood in the center of the track and
| tossed a coin for the advantage of
position. Curry won and got the pole.
| While appearances do not count for
| great deal in the case of horses, Pat
| chens looks We're so decidedly better
that 1t caused misgivings in the minds
| of Gentry's supporters. Patchen APP
peared full of life and spirit. Gentry
| looked tired, and when they scored for
the first time Patchen clearly showed
more speed. Gentry broke on the Sec
ond attempt and acted ugly.
| FIRST HEAT.
| They were sent away on the first
| score together. Patchen moved slightly
away and for over a quarter Of mile
|
ter being 49, On the second quarter
they had the wind at their backs and
raced the distance in :30h. Nearing
the half pole Gentry began to crawl up
and his friends tore sections out of the
| grand stand when he went past Pat
| chen at the far turn as If 1t were no
| trouble at all. The third quarter was
covered in 80 seconds fiat, the fastest
| of the race. On turning into the
stretch Gentry still led by a length or
more and his supporters were bouy-
| ant, but on the way to the wire the
| crowd was surprised to see Patchen
without being touched by the whip
come up on the outside and by his own
gameness beat Gentry out by a good
length. Neither horse was touched by
the whip in this heat and it looked to
be fair test of their speed.
SECOND HEAT.
In the next heat McHenry let Patchen
go out and set the pace all the way
around to the stretch. Then ensued a
long and furious drive. McHenry using
the whip savagely on Gentry, who over
came all but about three feet of the
two lengths difference that had sep
arated them at the head of the stretch,
but Patchen had both speed and endur-
ance and won. Time by quarters: 1871.
80. 311s, 80. Never did a horse show
| greater gameness than Gentry display
ed in the last quarter. For a quarter
of mile he stood the lash, straining
every nerve and being apparently in
distress all the way, yet never once did
he show the slightest inclination to
break.
THIRD HEAT EASY.
The third heat was easy all the way
for Patchen, who led and won by two
lengths. Time for quarters: 31%, 32A,
91h. BIN. The only explanation offered
after the race by Driver McHenry and
Owner Scott was that their horse was
not in condition.
1--WE made a mistake" they said, '1n
not sending him to Cleveland after the
Freeport race. The other horse was
on edge, ours was not"
Colonel Taylor, the owner of Patchen,
said: II knew that my horse could
beat him any part of 1t, from 100 yards
to a mile. Had the race today been on
the Terre Haute track with no wind
the first heat would have been in less
than two minutes"
Both horses will go to Fleetwood Park
to race next week. Only one race in ad-
dition to the special was completed
SUMMARY.
2:25 trot, breeders stake, 3-year-olds,
purse s2000-Abnet won, Pat L. second,
Marie d. third; best time, 2:14h
Special pacing race, purse s3000-Joe
Patchen won in straight heats; time,
2:O5A, 2:07A. 2:07A. John r. Gentry Sec
ond.
212 pacing race. purse $1,000, (unfin-
ished)-Susie G. won two heats. Slum-
Der won one heat. Ella T. third. Brown
fourth; best time, 2:145a.
2:20 trot, purse $4,000, (unfinished)-
Annie won two heats, Bryson took one
heat, Miss McGregor third. Margaret
fourth; best time, 2:14.
NEW METHOD OF PAYING TROOPS
Money VIII BE Sent Direct to the Post
| Commandant.
Washington, Aug. 23-The new ar
my regulations will make some import
ant changes in the method of the pay
ment OF troops. Instead of sending
paymasters to the various posts
throughout the country the rolls will
be made up at the headquarters of the
army department, or at places where
there is no local department headquar-
ters. The rolls will be accompanied by
1 envelopes containing the money due
each officer and soldier and will be sent
to the commandant of each post by ex-
Il