Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-08-31
GREAT is THALBERG.

| well does the writer remember the
peaceful Sunday morning many years
ago when first he saw Thalberg. An
unknown quantity, Bates had brought
him home the night before. The horse
was tied outside of the stable and
George Adams and Jim Valleau were
scrutinizing him with the apparent un-
concern which the true horseman al
ways indicates when seeking infor-
nation. Jim said "he looks like Care
less" BStes answered, "if he turns
out to be as good as Careless, will be
satisfied" "How good is he, Carl"
asked Adams. Bates squared himself
away for a long speech. Said he:
"The people bought him of said he
could go just as fast as he wanted to,
but that when he wanted to go it was
speed wasted, because he never wants
to go when there is a race on, and if
the driver hits him with the whip
they don't expect to see the horse
again for nine days. L didn't pay
much for him, and I am going to see if
he won't win races" The big bay
stood there, wisely sizing up the sur
roundings, looking as peaceful as a
chiseled lamb on monument, and the
writer, who was young, thought Carl
was stringing his little audience. The
first time Bates started Thalberg, how
ever this impression was dissipated.
The horse acted like a cross between
devil and an idiot and bobbed around
in the shafts like cow with an apple
barrel on her head Bates sat in the
sulky like a wooden Indian at panto-
mime, and let him bob. Then the
horse, who was evidently looking for
licking, kind of sized Bates up as if he
thought Bates wasn't doing his turn
right. Finally as no one seemed to
care whether he trOtted or made
monkey of himself, he started away af-
ter the field, which had got away i'm
the meantime, as if they had some
thing of his and he wanted it. He
didn't catch them that heat, but he
did a job of trotting that was beautiful
to behold. In the next two heats
Thalberg had some trouble i'm getting
away, but finished up with the bunch
and the last two We're an absolute
walkaway. He took the outside and
trotted around everything.
Since that time Thalberg has been
steady winner. He has trotted more
heats under thirty than any horse now
living; and in actual races he has won
more heats under $50 than any other
horse, living or dead Thalberg is the
fastest campaigner of his age on the
face of the earth. Horsemen from
Maine to California and from Canada
to the Gulf know Thalberg, and extol
him as being the perfect race horse.
Beyond question he is the greatest
campaigner that ever lived. For fif-
teen long years has he carried to vic
tory the colors of old Winneshiek, but
in all those years he has never, since
his first appearance, raced in Decorah.
We have been debarred too long from
seeing i'm race horse who has repre-
sented us so ably, and we are happy to
announce that at the Winneshiek
County Fair, on Wednesday, Sept. l.,
Thalberg, Fighting Thalberg, the
gamest horse that ever looked through
bride, the horse who would not per-
NIT any man to strike him more than
once, but who has won race after rcce
for the man who was kind to him, will
race against "The Parson," a steady
going PAGER with record of 2.19i.
This will be great race, and while
Fighting Thalberg, wise, steady, game
and fast Thalberg, of the knowing
head and sturdy heart, will have the
sympathy of the crowd, "the talent"
knows that The Parson is race horse
that it will be credit to Thalberg to
defeat Surely, it will be a.great event
to see the old horse race for practically
the first time on his own home track.
.