The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-04-13

During a Previous Winter-HAiustFn-
 tIon Of the Best Time to stop-some
 Items Of More Recent Date From a
 Turf Journal.
 The following notes of men and ! horses are from the last number of the Trotter and Pacer:
 It has been apparent on several oeca- sions that any history of the old time horsemen is interesting to readers of | turf journals, consequently my pen < readily portrays a few minor incidents | that have occurred to memory. The most interesting accounts of the kind | referred to would relate to horsemen that were prominent ill this section sew eral decades ago, but those stories would require more time than can < devote to them at present. I remem- Der hearing an account of the George ! Wilkes vs. Ethan Allen race at Fash [ ion Course, Long Island, and the men who attended 1t from this city. At that E time the stallion George Wilkes was called "the colt" but his right name was Robert Filingham. was pleased with the story and took few brief notes of it at the time. The Trotter and Pacer can have a pen account of some old timers, provided there is any | call for notes of that kind.
 A New Haven horseman who died only a few years ago was George Bots ford. He was gentlemanly in appear ance and deportment-of pleasing ad- dress, with a ready flow of language decidedly appropriate for any occasion regarded him as sharp, shrewd and reliable for anything in the line of ad- vice. He frequently bought horses in New York city and sold them in this vi cinity. On several occasions he was proprietor of livery and boarding sta bles and occasionally made real estate deals. -
 It was in the livery stable office of the late Charley Cruttenden that the fol- ! lowing conversation occurred. Said George, Do you remember the time you drove the horses on the stage over to Branford?" .'Yes,' said Charley, T remember Said George, II mean the 1 time you drove the four horses Oh the stage and took party over there. 7 Yes" said Charley, T remember it T mean said Botsford, "the time you turned over the stagc.'' "No,' said Charley, T don't remember it.''
 The sleighing carnivals of those days I were held on Whalley avenue and they l were well named "carnivala,'' as horses and sleighs were nu- merous on the drive and con, siderable speed was uncovered on good days while crowds occupied the side. l walk in front of the buildings. On one of those good sleighing afternoons George Botsford and Arthur S ap- peared on the avenue with the former at the reins driving a horse that was used as family horse and owned by Arthur's father. It was early in the afternoon and before the fastest trot- ters had arrived at the speeding course. After driving over the road several times Botsford started at the far end of the drive for a race with few others driving towards the city. As George was an expert reinsnlan he got up con- siderable speed and forged to the front, winning the race from the fastest that were on the broad avenue at that time. It was a good fast race and was watched with interest by the sidewalk crowd near the finish. "Ha, ha," laughed Arthur, that was a great race now we'll go down to Broadway, turn around and go back and beat them again.
 NO, we won't,' said Botsford Ar thur looked little surprised, as if he l 4eafc 7ts, statement. Continuing, Arthur said, | Didn't we beat 'em good? We can beat 'em any time-turn around, drive back, start with them, and we'll beat 'em again."
 sNo, we won't" said George, who ex- plained the case as follows: we have beat them, that's all we can do--we'll go home now and we'll brag about it all winter; they will beat us if we give | them a chance" said he. Botsford was cunning enough to know that the time Ito quit was when he could quit winner. I have often thought here was a lesson | in his explanation.
 | LATER NEWS. 4 I During recent conversation with l Frank MeGrail he stated that the auc- | tioneer, Dr. Elwood and himself had /! met so much opposition that they had abandoned the horse auction project in the city of Hartford. They were re- fused a license for a time--then the Hartford Business Mems association put in some objections to the enter prise. One of the officials of the asso- citation met MT. McGrail and in order to oppose the new business quoted the law that refers to non-residents. Owing to the prospect for considerable legal liti- gation the horse auction sale was aban~ doned. A large number of horses that had arrived for the auction were shipped away and sold at bridgeport, where the new enterprise received a much more favorable reception.
 During call at the extensive Board man stables in Hartford learned that ex-Major Boardman had, owing to fail- ing health, been obliged to give up the management of the stable. The busi-
 ness is evidently in good hands, as the two men who appeared to be in charge are gentlemen of ability who are un- doubtedly popular with both new and | old