San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-10-04

Not very FlatterIng to van scote


Not Very Flattering to Van Scooter
The following article relating to
San Antonio and our Jockey races of
last year is taken, from The Horse
man of Sept. 22d, published in Chi
cago and New York, to-wit;
"A gentleman interested in the horse
industry sends us a letter of inquiry
concerning one Clint. J.SVan Scooter,
who he alleges is perfecting arrange
ments for holding a meeting at San
Antonio, Texas, and among other
things says:
~ write to you for information in
regard to one NClint. j. Van Scooter,
who has given several meetings in
different points. He is advertised to
give a meeting at San Antonio, under
the name of the San Antonio Racing
association. have not investigat-
ed him as to his reliability and prop
er backing, but ] do not care to see
my fellow horsemen go to a meeting
so far out of range of other meetings
unless there is positive assurance that
their money will be paid promptly. 1
saw a large crowd of disappointed
horsemen at San Antonio last year,
though the management paid every
dollar they agreed to; but the wealth
er was bad and many of the boys did
not get an opportunity to start their
horses. If | am not mistaken, have
noticed i'm your paper an article re-
lating to Van Scooter and l write you
this letter for the purpose of satisfy
ing myself
''The HOrseman desires to promote
racing. 1t is the keynote to the in
dustry. 1t is the clearing house of
the business, and in order that that
branch of the breeding industry
may be maintained we are determin-
ed that all things shall be done that
we can do in a legitimate way to dis
courage both the ringer and the pi-
rate. The lot of the horseman is
hard enough in the capacity of a
breeder but still the operations of the
breeder are easy and pleasant as
compared with the labors and dis
cOuragements of the campaigner, who
amidst defeat pushes forward, believ-
ing that some day his horse will be
right, and that purse of such mag
nitude will be won that ample COM
pensatiOn will be enjoyed, and that,
for the time being, all losses and dis
cOuraging disasters of the past will be
forgotten. Imagine, kind reader, the
feelings of such man when, after
winning first money of a goodly-siz-
ed purse, he walks briskly, aye, even
joyously, to the secretary's Office, ex-
pecting prompt payment, and instead
of receiving his money he is Informed
in cool, disheartening manner, that
the strong box, alleged to be full of
currency, is empty. Is it to be Won
dered at that after the disheartening
news has been thoroughly digested
the housekeeping, buoyant man be-
comes a trifie sore, and would any
body who has a keen sense of right
and wrong, and is capable of under
standing the frame of mind of this
BILE of his winning horse to the office
of the secretary, find much fault if
speedy justice were melted out then
and there? 1t is an awful thing to
tempt a man too far. Some day the
limit will be reached, and then the
may well look to his
personal safety. .. Those who
have, not followed us closely can
learn much that will be of interest
6y~perusing the editorial columns of
seyeraA issues published early this
summer. and by corresponding WITH
the association st Toledo, Ohio, Stur-
gis, Niles and Hillsdale, Mich. "
As far as San Antonio is concerned
nothing has yet been heard of the pro-
posed races by Van Scooter.