Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-02-02
SID @ IL s

With their horses comfortably
clothed N warm winter blankets and
CHARTERED in big box stalls knee deep
In cracking oat straw, the horsemen
these long, cold, bleak nights sit
around the glowing coal stove and
trot fanciful heats. To hear them
talking a novice would shut his eyes
and think himself dreaming, such mar
around the stove. They real off pedi-
grees as long as a clothes line, and
every time they take a drink the
horse goes faster.
Early in the evening they light their
cigars and gather around the stove.
Come, men, let's take something"
is proposed.
This opens the game.
I'll tell you fellows" begins one of
the horsemen, II believe my gelding,
Gaslight by Lamplight, dam Electric
light a full brother to Doctor Fire
light. 2:03, by All Light, 2:05, dam
Miss FREELY, by Bonfire, will step a
mile before the latter part of May
along in 10. He is coming S years
old and last season showed he had the
goods, having stepped a quarter in 49,,
a 2:0s gait.
Lets have another swig of B. e..
L."
Nov, I believe this gelding Gas
light, you know he is a PAGER and a
good clean going sucker, will, if moth
ing happens, step a mile for me right
close to 2:07. The beauty of him is
he Is heady, and when it comes to a
bruising race there's nothing doing.
Give us another drink. bartender"
This horse, Gaslight Is a better
locker that his fast brother. Doctor
Freight, who went down through the
grand circuit last year and swept away
all the big stakes, winning the last
mile of a five-heat rae in 2:03. Fire
light, | believe, is now a 10-year-old.
Bring us another round"
GAS l was saying. I would bet 500
that his horse, Gaslight, will do miles
for me along in 2:06. There is no
reason why he shouldn't. Look at his
breeding. Can't be beat anywhere in
the world. His sire, Lampiight, was
one of the greatest speed getters in the
history of the world"
"What'll you all have?"
Nov, if Gaslight should fail to go
in 2:05 beroe the season is over I'll
miss my guess. Last season, of course,
he was a tri1e off but he showed me
he had quality. And talk about a
f1nisher! When this fellow sees the
wire when he heads into the stretch
he goes after 1t like a work horse to
the feed box"
Better all take another"
when Gaslight was foaled and !
saw him trotting around In the pas.
ture | said to myself: There is a good
one.' / believe he can show 2:04 with
railroad watch and when it comes tc
stamina he's got all of 'em backed of
the roads,"
Here, bartender, give us another
drink"
"AssI was saying
Just let me ask you a question:
puts in a bystander.
"All right"
What did this horse of yours dc
last year? You sent him to twelve diff
ferent meetings and started him thai
many times. The record shows he was
d~istanced hopelessly eight times, fin
ished fourth once and was three times
! just able to run inside Of the banner
And he was only in the 2:25 class, and
now you say he looks to you like 8
2:03 horse. He looks to me like 81
cents"
"Give us a drink"
Nov, wait a minute. This horse
!; Gaslight is a counterfeit. He is 'dinky
got two curbs and never did see a fas'
!, mile. Had him in the Is class on
lineup record. The only time he eve.
flew by posts vas on the train. H,
wouldn't even make a good deliver.
horse in a dairy wagon, for on a COLI
day like this the milk cans woult
freeze"
Lets have another
From this time on twenty exper
shorthand reporters could not follow
the conversation.