The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-06


sions could find employment at any
considerable number of meetings. He
would have large number of meet
ings. He would have a large number
of drivers and owners arrayed against
him. and their entries would be wit
held from any meeting where 1t was
known that he was to officiate.
The professional judge not annatur-
ally seems to protect himself against
the enmity of influential owners and
drivers. and to do this he must be
blind to much that goes on at the
average meeting where bookmakers
and pool sellers ply their trade. No
where is the maxim of "talryrand."
Above all, no zeal. so essential to con-
tinued success as in the judges stand
on trotting track.
Track managers are in the same
boat with the judges. They depend on
entrance fees and the sal eof the bet
ting privilege for revenue with which
to pay their purses and must cater
to those who contribute most to sup
port their meeting or els eclOse their
gates.
While they are, perhaps not in the
majority the trotting turf is undeni-
ably interested by formidable band
of INSCRIPTIONS drivers and owners
who are threatening the ruination Of
harness racing as it has not been
threatened before since the Grand cir
cult and the National Trotting ~asso-
citation were organized.
To control this band of plunderers a
strong government and united front
are needed. and the trotting turf pre-
sents neither. The National Trotting
association seldom takes the initiative
in the detection and punishment of
jobbery in races, but leaves to the
local associations the task of enforcing
the rules.
Standing alone and depending for
their existence on the good will of the
owners and drivers, these local asso-
Citations are, with few exceptions. not
strong enough to hew to the line, and
some of them, as all horsemen know,
have no desire to do so. The conse-
quence is that drivers and owners
seem to do about as they please.
With much promise Of success the
local association in the Grand circuit
a closer union among themselves and
the rules of their meeting. But they
practically nothing.
They appointed one Judge to go
through the circuit. but left two
enough to contrOl-tO be chosen at
each meeting by the local association.
Moreover, the choice of the circuit
stewards seems to have been just as
unfortunate as those of the local track
managers as this years campaign has
shown. Backbone is the quality most
needed in the judges stand and. in this
respect all appear to be woefully lack
ing.
To further safeguard the integrity of
the sport the Grand circuit stewards
appointed racing stewards" whose
duty it was to attend all meetings and
supervise the administration of the
rules. For some reason or other these
stewards have been conspicuously alb
sent thus far this season.
No one identified with harness rae
ing doubts that the stewards of the
Grand circuit stand for clean sport,
but their best friends cannot deny that
it would be hard to find any other in
terest in the horse world so badly
managed as trotting on the big mile
tracks under their direction.
Though no amount of pulling and
jobbing can rob harness racing of its
attractions for the thousands who are
interested as breeders or as pleasure
drivers in the development of the
American trotting horse. abe masses
of the people, who once supported it
SO literally and who still support it
far better than its management de-
serves, are beginning to turn away
from spirit which is honeycombed
with fraud and governed with hand
SO weak that incidents like the case
portrayed on this page are constantly
passing unchallenged.
His many friends will rejoice at the
good luck of Dan" Kimball, who won
the 2:30 pace at Sabetha, Kan, with
Willie Hamilton by Wawan, stepping
one mile in 2:24A. Willie Hamilton,
one of the fastest PAGERS in Nebraska
two years ago, was purchased by KIM
ball & Robare, of Beatrice, and es-
pecially fitted for racing in 1905. At
Tekamah, his first start, the horse
reared several times, injuring his back
to such an extent that he could not be
started again that season. Willie