The evening times., 1896-04-02
THAT AUSTRALIAN MACHINE.
Claims Made That the idea Is Not q
New One in This Country.

In billiard room in this city yesterda 3
some horsemen were gOssippiDg about
race horse starting and discussing the gate
using method. said to be an Improvement on
the oId style of dispatching racers on their
course.
1henovci affair OF Sister Marr entangle-
meuti the starting machine wehbngandL Ler
Consequent failure TO take any part in a re-
cent CaiIfo rnia race, for which she was heav-
ilybac kct. Wa aSCommrntc ed on and the Opin
ion was agreed To hy men who have seen
the gattsin OIe ratiOn in the South and West
that similar accidents are liable to occur
where the appliances are used.
The idea of lining up horses TO start for
a race behind gate or barrier said a
horsenan lately returned from New Orleans
:" is as simple and Old as the one OF putting
horses at hurdles extended acrOSs.a track.
It's on the measure of perfection OF the
action of She movable gates used in start
ing flat runners tha the merits of the man
are entitled to I've judged. The gate starts
which sa " avera ged good and were prac-
tCaily standing starts. but any style of
understanding or flying-which sends
the horses away promptly on fair terms is,
of course. eniinently satisfactorily to all
concerned. This standing start, introduced
and shown To be practicable through the
different machines. Is, l think, likely
to do away with mechanical starting ap-
pliances of all descriptions in time.
"A starter, quick of eye and foot, takes
a position In the middle of the track and
before the starting post, and from such
station. after his assistants have right
faced the horses on perfect line some yards
back he quickly throws out his starting flag
i'll plain view OF the Jockeys, eager to start
The race is on. The starter speedily and
gracefully leaves the track. and the horses
all together dash past the descending
time flag. No third flag is necessary
Now. this plan. l contend, will work as
well-consequcntly better, being simpler
the gate plan. AMI if given a trial it
Will prove great improvement over the
present way of giving the starting signal
from the side of the track.
The Jockeys intent on mana ging their
horses cannot have eyes for a flag which
is dropped TO the left OF them, PERHAPS
as they swiftly pass on after they have so
passed the starter. With the flag swished
directly in front of them to a standing
start, there can be no false breaks and
a rider needs not he left at the post unless
his hors" refuses to move off In company
when urged. Starting by a flag in the
center OF the track on the erace-approaching
side or the actual starting pole, IL is
impossible for horses to beat the
timing flag, and by SO doing invalidate n
race.
"A starting incident like that which
uanspired at Latonia seven years ago is
about the only kind of an at-the-post
blunder which my plan would not guard
against In the case referred to the
horses were started while the judges We're
absent from the stand. and the race had to
De run over again. which WIS done without
altering the first result in any important
way, from a betting standpoint. If the
flying start is desired in conjunction with
this flagdropping from the front propo-
sitiOn, a swinging boom or some sncb