The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-08

days of long ago, when the bike was
not and the equine king was monarch
of adulouS myriadS who Historically
shouted themselves hcarse in honor of
his recurring triumphs.
With care not to fray it's moldering
edges the scroll of memory is unrolled
to the very early eighties, when the
great galaxy Of PAGERS, with the blind
Sleepy Tom, their chief, split heats and
kept 10000 enthusiasts keyed up to con-
cert pitch till after the sun went down.
Then appeared the shade of j. l. c.,
who made himself and the North Star
state a worlds record, and was king
for day Then the ghost of Molly
Mccarthy, queen of the Western turf
fitted shamefacedly by, for on our
track she was shorn of her untarnished
laurels before eXpectant multitudes.
Then Brown jug, long the peerless now
hauling a buggy in some Eastern town
and after him Johnston, still king Of the
high wheel. And last, but not least,
the bronze-coated Fanny Witherspoon,
who gave to the state fair track the
two mile record. And there are others.
Not perhaps with national fame, Cut
with local honors thick upon them.
And of the men, where were they?
Many gathered to the happy trotting
grounds, and yet many taking but lit
tie, if any, interest in their erst fay orite
sport. Why this apathy? Some will
tell you that the tastes of the people
are changing, but the old patrons of
the track will mildly asservate, sit is
that - - legislature and their no
betting law" But whatever the cause,
enthusiasm is dead, hardly murmur
is heard from the stand, no matter
what the finish, and a bicycle contor-
zionist will win more hands than the
most exciting finish of Splan or a
Geers.
The judges were n. c. Katchell,
Mason City, To-; George F. Short, Fari-
bault, Mimi; L. H Haskins, Hamline,
Mimi; starter, D. Stacey.
Eleven of the twenty colored faced
the starter in the 2:1S trot at the fair
grounds yesterday afternoon, among
them such state fair favorites as Good
Morning, Strathemore, Oslund l., Ray
W and Senator Wilkinson. At the
third score they were sent off to a
struggling start. Senator Wilkinson
swung out and showed to the front on
the first turn with Cossette and Jessie
Dhu in close attendance The Senator
drew away, going up the stretch with
the other two teaming it behind him,
to them were added at the half, OSlund
l.. as team with Strathemole and
these closed up on Senator on suffer-
ance at the half and around the turn.
Here, too, William Tell began to make
play. On the stretch Senator drew
away. leaving a thick bunch behind
him who fought it out hard down the
stretch Oslund l.. and Robert Lee
place, which Oslund secured by a
head, the rest somewhat scattered.
Time 2:161a.
For the second heat the trotters We're
sent off to an abominable start at the
second score Senator Wilkinson show
ed to the front around the first turn
and was trailed by what appeared to
be Robert Lee, and then joined by
Strathemore showed prominently with
Cossette A. In the stretch William
Tell began to come up to his horses
from the rear, passing one after the
other till he joined issue with the Sem
ator on the home stretch coming very
fast. Wilkinson got the whip and re-
sponded gamely, but was not speedy
enough for Tell, who won with some
thing to spare, by length in 2:16;
fourth, the rest struggling in.
The whole field again showed in the
trotting race. but they We're just as
averse to get together as before, and
they scored four times before they
were dispatched to a moderate start,
Senator Wilkinson showed to the front
round the turn and into the stretch,
where Jessie Dhu closed up level with
him, Good Morning third and with her
William Tell closed latter Strengthening
out the hind team closed on the front
team on the top turn, and the rest
never being much in the race. William
Tell forced himself to the leaders, but
Good Morning would not be shaken
off: a tremendous drive home resulted
in William Tell beating the Senator
by length, Good Morning third and
Oslund L.. who had rushed through his
field on the top turn, fourth, the rest
trailing Time, 2:16.
At the conclusion of this heat Happy
Jack, the lone PAGER, was sent against