The Press., 1896-10-22
CHAIN WHIP.
To the President and O6fcerS cf the StGford
 

AgrGcWIt,tTGI Society:
 Gentlemen Knowing you as do, and fully realizing the self-sacrif1ce you have made, and the long, patient and unre- numerative time and effort you have given to the development of our local fair, and further knowing you to be gentlemen who have ever labored to give to the public an exhibit and entertainment of merit and character, free from brutality and objectionable features, I desire to call your attention to an exhibition of brutal ity, possessed of such revolting features of inhumanity and brutal barbarity that, if the laws of the land do not soon pro- hibit it, believe you gentlemen will for ever rule 1t off the grounds of the Stafford Fair Association. l refer to the driving of MT. Royce's horse, Prairie Lily, by a chGi7a ao1ip. That you may fully realize what the chain whip means, and what It's internal rattle implies, ask you to read the following from the Hartford Times of October 8th. Respectfully yours,
 ALvARADo HOWARD.
 The use of the chain whip has become sort of fad with many horsemen. This is proven by the fact that since the great ?) Salisbury brought out and also left out the grand horse, Directum, 2.054, by the assistance of this device of brutal in- genuity, many horsemen throughout the country have adopted the same method of wringing agony and speed out of the grandest of mans animal friends-the light harness horse. When one consid- CTS the fact that only to force a race horse to speed actually beyond his limit is this instrument of terror and abuse applied, rI.f4 hn oP {o telligence and humanity of the men who boast of their great admiration for the light harness horse, and who apply every method that observation, science and practical breeding can possibly advance to the betterment of the trotter and pacer.
 The chain whip is usually about foot long in stock, with about the same length of chain lash. The stock best adapted to the fiend who uses this modern imple- ment of torture is that of a broOmstick cut to the proper length. To this is fast ened the chain (generally of figure eight ltnks) by means of @ wire wrapping, as was the case at Willimantic. While the actual striking of the horse in a race Is not very frequent, it is the terrorizing memory of the torture received in the closed box stall and the ring of the chain against it's wooden stock that stirs the race horse to strain every muscle to speed faster. One can easily imagine the prac- tice of some hea1tless horseman, when he thinks of the effect of the mere ring of the chain on the speeding horse, and of the manner in which the animal has been taught to tremble at the rattle of the links.
 The gentleman who caused the arrest of the driver of Prairie Lily for abusing the mare in her stall with a chain whip, told the writer that he listened to the beating of the mare, and that the almost human groans that she emitted at each stroke from the internal whip were heart rending. He further said that he raised the blanket on each side of the mare and saw with bis own eyes the raised welts (more properly bruises) made by the chain whip; that the driver drove by the stand with all ordinary whip in scoring for the heat following this treatment in the sta ble of torture, but that before the horse went away one of the drivers rubbers again handed him the chain whip, that when the arrest was made that one of the stable hands hid the chain whip, but that The Times informant found 1t and handed it to the officer. The driver was acquitted because an inspection of the mare (?) next day proved her to be in good form and possessing none of those tell-tale welts which remain for days on the animal that receives them. How ever, there are more of these lessons told us from Meriden and Waterbury, for in- stance. At Meriden, during the fair re- gently held there, the judges took from the driver of Fairview Boy one of these chain gads. At Waterbury, only last week, another lesson was taught us of the whitening terror this style of whip causes to horse. The bay stallion, Mel son, owned by w orcester, Mass, man and was driven with chain whip. In the same class was very fast Connecti- cut horse. This Connecticut horse, in days gone by, had been a subject on which the chain had been applied. He had the speed of the party, but at the ringing of the chain whip to inspire the speed of Nelson, the horse became frightened as the memory of his own chain lashed days were wildly brought back, and became so wild that his speed was entirely lost, and in his frantic efforts to leave the sound of that we'll remembered whip be- hind, he choked so badly that he had to be withdrawn from the race.
 Our National TrOtting Association should formulate rule that would forbid the use of the chain whip while on any of the members grounds, whether in race, or while occupying stall room either at a regular race meeting or in preparatory work, and subject the man that disre- garded such a law to 8 years suspension with fine, and with expulsion for a sec- ond race. Of course, outside of the race track the National Association would be powerless, but then the humane societies would be materially aided, and would, as their part of the good work in their every day business, take care of those who cared to defy the laws of humanity.
 The sensitive feelings of an audience on such occasions are wrought to pitch of indignation Gas was shown at Willi- mantic) which borders on a vast idea of rendering unto the unmanly driver chas- tisement that might teach him that even in horse racing the sport to be enjoyed when given through the medium of de- cency is totally eclipsed when the strug- gling horse is goaded to speed just be- yond his limit by the cruelist of inven- tions to secure speed from our harness horses. The chain whip must go.
 We believe that even now rule AS cov- CTS this matter to 8 nicety, and that the judges at any race meeting have the pow CT to apply its worth to any driver or owner who insists on offending the sym pathetic senses of the public by using a chain whip. This rule is as follows:
 Any misconduct during or in respect to race, fraudulent or injurious to the character of the turf, although not speci-