The age-herald., 1901-08-25
Purity of the Turf.

1 EhiiAy VI eitS
 Most of us who endeavor to control our ideas and elothe them in intelligent garb
 for public edlncation and instruction will
 agree with Heine when he says:
 "We are not masters of our ideas,
 They master us and force us into the
 arena,
 Where like gladlators we must fight them''
 There is however, a preacher of the gospel In the city of New York whe comes very near shackling the creatures of his brain and exhibiting them in true form to listening world when he fares forth armor-elad in quest of sinfulness. This preacher rarely arrays himself in the full panoply of his gorgeous rheto- ric," but when he does it is a momentous occasion. It is then that his majestic sentences swell to the dimensions of ma jestic thought and his Imperial clarion" sounds along the whole line of battle and
 moves forward with one overwhelming charge. His name is Tamage-T. Dewitt Talmage. Generally, this preacher is not gorgeous. He is simplicity itself, but the virile force of his plain words are to be compared only to an avalanche, so sweeping and forceful they are. Recent ly this great preacher delivered a master full sermon. on the turf. It was bold, log ical explanation of what the great breed ing industries of our country should make the turf, and If followed out to the letter the material and moral welfare of racing and turf interests would walk
 hand In hand the pathway of thrift and | prosperity. MT. Talmage said: There | needs to be a redistribution of coronets
 among the animal creation. For ages the | lion has been called the king of beasts. l knock off it's coronet and place the | crown upon the horse, in every way mo-
 bler whether In form or spirit or sagac-
 ity or intelligence or affection or useful
 ness He Is semi-human and knows how | to reason on small scale. But what | shall say of the effort being made in | this day on large scale to make this | splendid creature of God an instrument
 of atrocious evil? make no indiscrimi- nate assault against the turf 1 believe | in the turf If 1t can be conducted on | right principles and with no gambling | There Is no more harm in offering prize for the swiftest racer than there is harm at an agricultural fair In offering a prize | for the best wheat or for the largest pear or the best corn-thresher, or in a school offering prize of a copy of Shakespeare | to the best reader. Prizes by all means | That is the way God develops the human race. Rewards for all kinds of we'll doing. Heaven itself Is called a prize. But the sin begins where the betting be- gins for that Is gambling, or the effort to get that for which there is no equiva- lent; and gambling, whether on a large or small scale ought to be denounced of men as 1t will be accursed of God. I preach this sermon on square old-fashioned hon esty. I have said nothing against the horse; 1 have said nothing against the turf. I have said everything against their prostitution. man may admire a horse and love a horse and not be willing to take the dust on the road, and yet be Christian, an earnest, humble, conse- crated Christian, useful to the last"
 As a matter of fact and history very few, If any, of the noted breeders of our country ever bet a dollar on their race
 horses. They race them entirely for pleasure and the prizes offered. It is true that the prizes are princely and
 commensurate with the quality of sport | offered by the owners and breeders.
 Two Queens--Firenzi and Imp. | Some ten years ago the great thorough 1 bred mare Firenzi held the best horses of | her day safe at a mile and half She
 was game to the core, safe, reliable and intelligent as a human being, and in the affections of the racing world she held
 the position of queen regnant without envy or rivalry or detraction. She occu- pied the unique niche in racing fame among mares that the mighty Salvador
 did among stalions, and after long and brilliant career on the track she was transferred to that magnificent harem of equine celebrities at Rancho Del Paso, the home of Salvador, the champion race
 horse of the world at all distances. These two marvellous thoroughbreds were mated, king and queen as they were and
 1t is said that MT. J. B. Haggin, the mil lionalre owner of the most extensive
 thoroughbred breeding farm in the world
 sold their first colt when a yearling for
 the princely sum of $35,0O0. Great mares have appeared on the turf, since those days of the Titans, but the throne vacat-