Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-09
Overton, Va. January 4, 1896.
70 the Editor NJ tho nisnafeh.

Overton, Va. January 4. 1896
To the Editor OF the Dispatch:
I confess ] write with amazement.
These who are In authority in Virginia
seem 10 know so little abou. the blood
stock industry OF the State. Mr.. We'd
derbufn. OF Washington. ID. C., has writ
ten the strongest and best letter / have
seen on the subject OF racing, but. UNI
fortunately. he is on the wrong side.
40 one knows better than he does that
winter racing is the destruction OF fine
horses in Virginia. III these Alexandria
sports want to race their horses in
winter. let them so, by all means. 20
New ORLEANS. where the ground never
freezes, and they can race a hundred
days every winter and where they will
be met by gentlemen who will extend
them every courtesy. | am az much Cp-
posed TO betting as any man n the
State, but / don't know. after all. that |;
is a bad thing for a man 10 lose his money
while he Is young. One Of the hest les
sons l ever learned was az a faro BE- nix.
forty years ago. where | LOST all OF my
dollars. but gained a lot OF sense.
In my opinion the best thing the Leg
islature can do and IL should be- done
as soon az II meets. is TO pass law
breaking up racing in Virginia from the
18th OF November 10 the 18th OF
April inclusive. in each year TLen re-
strict racing 10 twenty days on each
race course under heavy tne and inn
prisOnment for not less than two years
I'm the pententiary. Horse cling Is rot
by any means the only wa Of gam
bling. There are grain. stock, and cot
ton exchanges, and sometimes meh GAM
BILE on base and football, aud before
ma wilt - m
bicycle races. People should remember
that George Washington. the father Of
his country. raised and raced race-horseg.
so did John Tayloe, Of Caroline, as
high and pure a man, perhaps as the
former Then there was Thomas Jeffer-
son and John Randolph OF Roanoke,
who both patroniZed the thoroughbred
horse as well as the Merritts, OF Bruins
wick. who imported Prism at 5000.
an immense price for those days IL these
men desecrated Virginia, then We would
better give up the country. which.
Heaven knows, is poor enough. Mr..
jefferson rode Thoroughbred horse as
long as he lived. and then gave him TO
his grandson. a blow now struck at the
thoroughbred horse falls with equal force
upon fire cattle. 'ine hogs. and nnc
sheep. and forces the farmer TO dig with
his hands a miserable existence cut of
the earth. ] know nothing whatever OF
book-making or pool-selling. but ] have
II frolr the very hishes. and best
arthori'. that II winter racing Is broken
up thess modes of betting will regulate
themselves. Certainly there can be no
book-inaker unless there H. man TO
take his odds. Recreation OF some kind
Is need felt by nearly all men. par
ticularly the hard workers OF the coun-
try, and there Is no spors lees harm
full, and more attractive. when properly
conducted. than racing As an evidence
OF this. at every agricultural fair the
crowd invariably gathers at the grand
stand when the races begin. The high
bred horse IL vastly superior to all others.
and viii carry his rider with ease and
comfort 10 both. General Lees Traveller
was grandson Of the thoroughbred.
GRAY Eagle. and carried the General
three years or more. He was always in
good condition. and like his great owner,
was always ready for the fray.
II. j. HANCOCK.