The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-07

season must succeed or ran. ini7 - -
longer true. Springfield, and hartioiu,
In New England, dropped out OF tne
circuit some time ago because Of adverse
legislation. Then western tracks increas-
ed 30 that western horses began TO stop
at Buffalo and then return West Rocn-
ester once star Of the first magnitude,
has fallen away. Utica and Albany are
out and though New York has come In,
the interest felt here is not what II should
be, and the New York tracks might all
be abandoned without the sports suffer-
ing any vital damage. In Ohio and Indi-
ana. in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, I'm
the mountain State OF Idaho and Mon
tana. I'm the prairie States OF Nebraska.
Kansas and the Dakotas. and upon the
Pacific slope there are literally hundreds
of tracks where twenty years ago there
were rome. and some OF THESE new tracks
are row the crack courses Of the coun-
try. Tcrre Haute, indianapolis, Column
bus. Galesburg and a number OF other
towns | might name have remarkably
fast and well-kept tracks where meet
ings are attended by great throngs. OF
the Grand Circuit tracks. / should say
Detroits and Cleyeland's are the best
kept up In the Fleetwood track New
York has decidedly the poorest course
near any great city. though II Is In bet
ter shape this year than ever before,
ard the entries for the fall meeting are
unprecedented. All trotting men believe
their favorite sport will take new lease
of life I'm New York this year. and that
the renewed interest will be permanent
and greatly promoted by the completion
of the Harlem river speedway two or
three years hence. II only first-class
track were 70 be established near the
big city there need he no fear that there
would be any failure In interest / be-
lieve that If the pool box were 70 be en-
tlrelv suppressed harness racing would
receive a terribly severe blow, though
there are places where the attendance
would be large enough TO keep things
going. The action of the Fleetwood peo-
pie I'm hanging up their purses as they
promised, and of the owners in filling the
entries so gloriously, show confidence
that there will be some sort OF arrange
ment made that will be satisfactory all
around. OF course the betting priVi-
leges have been abused in the past on
many occasions and almost every track,
and there should be some regulation,
perhaps, but for the good OF the sport
tho opportunity to bet should not be en-
tirely wiped out"
1t should be said that there are few
horsemen who think the abolition OF the
pool box would be a good thing for har-
ness racing in the long run. If this
should be brought about this year In
New York state. however we believe that
all the Empire State, tracks. save Fleet
wood. would be very badly off.
ArAIK WITH VETERAN DEALER.
"Old Man" Bishop, the veteran dealer
who looks not more than sixty, but who
ALIX, TROT~rING CHAMPION, 1903 81
(By courtesy OF The Trotter and PacerD
actually is seyenty-nine. and has been
active in the promotion of the trotting
horse since early in the '50s, in a long
conversation endorsed about all that Mr.
Kelly had SAID. and so did Mir. Nelson,
the New England breeder. Said Mr.
Bishop:
"Not only Is 1895 going to be the be-
ginning OF an era OF revived interest In
harness matches. but II viii also witness
great development I'm the use OF trotting
stock for other than track purposes. As
10 what horses will break the records
j do not like to make predictions. There
is promise I'm Alix. in Directum, I'm FAN
tasy I'm John r. Gentry, In Robert J. and
in young Directly There are two horses
as yet not publicly exploited-one east
and the other West-that are going 10 sur
prise the harness world before the season
is over. No, / won't name either OF them.
ITO leave that part Of the subject let
me say that in my judgment there IS
great encouragement in the future Tor
breeders Of trotting stock, and. in fact,
for all sorts OF horse breeders. The abb
normally low prices that horses brought
in 1893 and 1894 absolutely shut of the
source of supply In California and other
far western States whole herds OF half
wild horses breeding naturally on the
great ranches for the business market,
nave been deliberately shot. Horses have
been killed in the central western States
by hundreds for what their flesh, hides,
hOOfs and bones would bring. and not
one I'm ten of the breeders of 1890 are now
I'm the business Now truckmen. express
men, cartmen, contractors and the Ike
are going TO wait horses right along.
They can't run their business with cleo
tricity. The stock OF horses used by them
IS wearing out, and five or six years from
now the demand will be so much greater
than the supply that prices will go away
up. Horses Will have 10 be imported from
Canada, from Mexico and South America.
All this won't help the breeders Of trot-
ting stock particularly, perhaps, but the
demand for trotting stock for carriage
and road horses will. and that demand
is going to be a very big factor Of the
horse market In a very few years. The
hackney horse is a beautiful animal. He
holds his head high. his coat shines, he
has splendid action, but he can't go. He
isn't fast enough for the American mar
ket. Even now some of the rich men who
have invested hundreds OF thousands in
hackneys and farms TO breed them on
are realizing the hard facts, am are