Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-02-19
iHORSES
AND HORSEMEN

wilkes sleep. 50 from Norfolk rose
garden. the birthplace of Zinganee,
Genes grace In the Guise of Il comedy
maid ,as light Il dancer as ever MUIR
INJURED Yes. thank you TO MAY
have the pleasure OF this waltz?" And
the atmosphere about the home of great
Morello's dam vibrates with the sound
waves from our church bells.
The poet Virgil from whose works
quotations are still permissible in the
House of Commons. has cleverly imi-
tated. with his lively dactyls. the gal
Looping OF the horse; famous artists love
TO paint him both i'll motion and re-
pose; sculptorS fashion him in bronze
ard marble; his strength and courage
are beautifully described in Holy Writ.
But for the horse many of the bright
est pages OF romance and history would
not have been written. Sir Galahad
rode horseback, ana so did Washington
and Lee.
THE THOROUGHBRED.
In countries where civilization is most
advanced we find that the thorough
pred, or running racc-horSe. has reach
ed the highest degree of perfection The
best families, according To the books.
trace their ancestry back To the Arab
and the Barb, but the relationship is
very remote. our Foundation stock
came OF course, from England from
which country we have continued to
Import the finest specimens obtainablc,
until now the American Eagle is quite
ready TO dispute the supremacy of the
race course with the British Lion. Pa
role and IroquoiS gave the Engiishmen
Il taste Of our mettle-and stll there
are othtrs.
Although our racers nourlshed and
grew strong in speed and wind. there
nave been unsuccessful attempts to
improve them By the introduction OF
fresh blood from the desert. Enthu-
siasts have imported. at great expense.
the best Arabs they could buy: the four
that the Sultan presented to Mr. Rhine.
the American Minister at Constantino-
ple, and that were sold by Congress
because the Constitution prohibited the
acceptance by a person connected With
the Government of II present from Il
foreign power; and General Grants
Arabs All these were good horses OF
their kind. But they were by no means
the equals OF our own horses in size.
speed or action; uor has tftCir-i,i,tet.
proved OF any benefit to our racing
stock
1t is now contcnded by some good
horsemcn that the thoroughbred has
about reached the limit of his speed at
tho run. They claim that the minds OF
great men have been SO long bent on
the subject Of Improving this species OF
morse that the resources have been
!,eIIIy, y not quite exhausted. ana
'hey atl'!pulc Inc ahEht ana slow ioW-
crng of the records jo the better con-
dition of the tracks and the greater cx-
1eFiehce OIL the trainers OF the present
day
because nc mas bcen bred and trained
Tor that purpose through many general
lions. the thoroughbred IS practically
only Il running racer But notwith
standing TINS inherited Partially for
tho run. some ihoroughhredS make oX-
c"llcnt harness horses. When properly
selected and broken to harness, there is
no more fearless and reliable driving
horse ihhn this aristocrat. Such
good judge as the late Major Thomas
boswell than whom there was no bet
ter horseman nor gentleman. had n de-
cidcd preference for thoroughbred
driving horses. and his family carriage
was drawn by two OF them. Ii is a
wcil-known fact that the race horse
Planet took great deal OF his exercise
hitched To a buggy. and that SO hitched
he could trot mile in three minutes.
The late Governor Stanford proved con-
ciuslvcly that the highest class irottcrs
could b. bred from wisely selected
thoroughbred dams. ana Mr. Robert
Bonner now uses, one of these trotters
bred by Governor Stanford as his pre-
1nicr trotting sire.
Tho American Ilorsoman and PAGER.
wheel Company are offering to the pub
The American trottcr is distincntive-
~ an American product. and all patr
otto horsenen feel proud OF him. Like
our army and navy, he has won glo-
rioua Victories at home ana beyond the
seas. gaining an almost Worldwide
reputation Ton speed, endurance and in
tellgcncc. From an obscure beginning.
he has grown upon us with the years
OF the present century. Slowly at first,
and with humble surroundings. he
forced his way along i'm Il characteriS-
tically American manner. until he now