Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-30

The trotter is reaching this point, and
when he does-when his years of breed
ing will carry with it strong an in
stinct that he cannot break, even into
gallop-then, indeed, will be the great
American trotter though when at full
speed, to attain his ends. he adopt either
the movement of Star Pointer or Cres-
ceus. The American saddle horse has
five gaits. but is he not the saddle horse
still? Cannot the American trotter have
three without it being said that he is
about to be lost to the world. In riding.
some riders prefer one, some another of
the saddle horse gats. In driving. does
it detract from the trotter that he has
two gaits at your choice?
But at last the argument of the dis
tinguished gentleman is sifted to this:
The American people do not want the
third gator they should not want it
but either through carelessness or design
it has crept in and threatens to give Us
a trotteriess race of horses.
Whether the people want this gait
not, l am not prepared to say. | have
always thought they did. because the
gait is so popular With them. Bjt
neither they want it or not. they have
now to take it. hecauSa the laws of nature
are stronger than the wishes of man.
That law of nature excmpliGed and dem
onstrated in the animal is this: Like
besets like or the likeness of an ancestor.
Breed for generations to stick to ha"-
ness gait when put between shafts and
forced to extreme speed 7 shall adopt
the one of two instincts most natural to
me.
Put | am a trotter.'
This is the writing on the wall AMI
this has it come 20. The distinguished
gentleman, Gen. Tracy deap in tn study
of grave problems and seeing only one
side of the trotting problem. has NOT
given it the deep thought Y re III -,
and which the close student Of many
years has given. Fut II has coma u this
as the records are proving. Even the
Halls are trotters in thu true extreme
speed sense. Else could Hal D;lard. if
the instincts Were not one and inter-
changeable. ever have sired 2:11 trot-
ter?
In discussing the anna teur question the
Spirit of the Times has freely quoted the
opinions of its contemporaries ard has
opened wide its columns to correspond
ents. 1t has kept its gates wide open
and all have been welcome. AS a gener-
al result of the argument think it
must be conceded that as the rules now
are, they cover all amateu r records where
/ object Of value is competed for. and
therefore the board Of review of the Ma
tional Trottng association cannot re-
verse its original decision in the McKer-
ron case. In writing of the case the
Inter Ocean, While leaning strongly to
1,n ta1,r ciI :, bo Cr,i,.i
of the Times in this Interpretation of the
rHles.
1t says The resolutions passed by
some of the eastern clubs. petitioning the
National Trotting association for Il re-
hearing of the case wherein John A. Me-
kerron was given a record of 2:10 for
winning the inter-city cup al Boston last
fall. can be of little avail. All the re-
trials and re-hearings can bring only one
result as long as the rule stands that
| horse gets a record when he wins pre-
MUM of any kind. The question is an
old one, and each recurring season and
| the growth of anna teur racing by gentle
! men drivers who do not care to race for
| money only emphasizes the fact that the
matter must be taken in hand and set
tied in some way. Years ago. Morris j.
Jones, when member Of the board Of
appeals of the American TrottinS asso-
citation, advocated the giving of records
to horses only when the contest was for
money purse. This, 1T seems to me,
would be the easiest and quickest wav
to dispose of the matter Put the sport
on the same basis as amateur athletics
! the winning of a heat in a money con-
test. giving the horses professional rec
ord, and making the driver profession
nj I, ON, NOV. L,,,
could trot for premiums having a value
intrinsic or otherwise. For the benefit
of the brea ding interests The auth enticat-
Ell an2t 5ur records could be kept as we'll,
thus giving stations proper credit for the
performance of their get and serving also
the double purpose of handicapping the
amateur contests as Well. There are some
minor details that would have to be pro-
Vided for, but on the whole the giving
of gentlemen drivers public marks with
out making the time a bar 10 public
races, cannot help but rebound to tn,
benefit of the sport, and would work {
hardship on no person or interest in
volNed. l would so further ard adyo
cate the giving cf amateur contests az
/ public meeting-that is. a class for prem
iums where the cracks Of the local roat
brigade could enter Witlout the chanc
c. being penalized vita a public record
This plan would, in many instances, b
the feature of the meeting. attrlctin
the biggest crowds, bringing tne revenu
that mana gers e tro-.ins association
are much in need Of"
Our esteemed cont ms Dr3ry would d
we'll to remember that in athletic an
. bicycle races many grave abuses aris
. in connection with the Irize question
ana we shall be pleased to know the MOI
| al differences between competing for
, 500 purse and a $1,000 cup. but we ar
, | just as anxious as he to have the rule
SO amended, that the anar eurs can hay
5 their competitions without obtaining
record, PROV ided ii can he arranged with
! out inf,icting an injustice on the profes
SIGNALS.