Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-08-31

TRACK AND STABLE GOSSIP.

Bingen (2) 2.19A has stepped a mile
over Readfield in 2.15, last quarter in 81
seconds.
Ezra L. was buried in cloth covered
casket bearing a silver plate and in
tered with honors at MapleWood mark
Whoever knows that game race
horse Joe Patchen knows also that in
addition to his ability to go fast he has
a mind of his own" says The Horse.
man. 1T sometimes requires all of
Jack Curry's ingenuity to get him to
go his best and still retain the horses
good will No one charges Patcheu
with being a gutter but if not urged
he will loaf once in a while He has
his own ideas, too, as to how he shall
be urged to go his clip Jack Curry
hasn't hit him with a whip since tho
time the black horse and John r
Gentry raced in the West J. G. Tav-
lor. Patchen's owner tells the story on
Curry. The incident begins at tho
finish of one of the heats when Toe
fatchen was in the lead and taking il
easy Curry. aware of Gentrys repu
tdtlon as sneaker. was afraid the
brown horse might come along with 4
1uSh ana nip the heat at the wirr.
Patchen evidently thought he had the
neat won and didn't respond to mild
urging as readily as Curry wished. and
the latter hit him a sharp cut with the
whip. There was knot in the end OF
the lash and the blow must have st,lng.
tor 1t brought blood. Patchen won the
heat but he felt the insult Curry had
heaped upon him by using the rod. and
no sooner was Curry out of the sulky
than the big PAGER let both heels fly.
and missed Curry by a very small mar
gin. Curry knew there was a war on.
ana regretted his rashness. Taylor the
owner, followed Patchen to his stan
and offered him some sugar from his
pocket. 1t was taken with all the evil
dence of appreciation that previous
attention of the some kind met with
curry came along thoroughly worked
up becauae 0TPatchen's manifestations
OF disappr"val, and offered an apology
i. the form of more sugar But the
| big horse was not to be reconciled So
| readily and further showed his injured
| feelings by making a vicious lunge at
his driver With his mouth Curry got
| out OF his reach but was completely
| crestfallen by this further manifesto
| ton, and realized that he had lost the
| friendship of his pet When the next
heat was called and Curry was about
to get up to drive. Patchen again let
g with both heels and refused to stand
{ stiil long enough for Curry to mount
| until the rubbers held his fore foot and
| made it impossible for him to kick 1t
| was several weeks before the breach
was healed, and mighty glad was
| Curry when he had again established
himself on friendly terms with the
horse. Does Curry use a whip any
more? Not much. He drives the crack
racer with a small metal wheel fix ID
in the butt of his whip. and when he
wants to do more than speak to the
horse he simply runs the wheel along
his back. The effect is better than
whip could produce Patchen just
slides out from under it and does not
seem to consider it an insult. Curry
says he would lose a $1,000 race rather
than take chances on using the whip
and again losing the confidence of the
great PAGER
y Waterville man has named his
trotting horse Bill of ENpense-whioh
is probably appropriate
While a Rigby, Regal Nelson. go
. 1874, by Nelson. 2o9. owned at the
Morrison Stock farm. worked an easy
mile in 2.-5, last half in 110, and Patsy
n, 2.32l4 also with III Morrison string.
was driven a mile dangerously near
30.