The Washington herald., 1909-08-22
TROTTER And PAGER
Speedway Planned for the
District Horsemen.
COL. COSBY BEHIND SCHEME
Eastern shore sti1 the Mecca for
Lovers OF the Horse and cracks Re-
port Fine Crowds and ltare sport.
Review OF Past Week in Grand
Circuit-Other Track NtwA.
BY L. d. SALE.

BY Il. ID. SALE
The gladdest news that has come TO
local horsemen in many months is the re-
cent statement made by Col. Cosby,
through President De Graw. Of tho Riders
and Drivers Club. that Washington Is
again to have a speedway
And, from all outward indications, the
scheme will soon materialize. On Thurs
day last the writer visited the site OF the
proposed new speedway and found a
large gang Of men at work pulling up
by the roots the rank growth OF weeds
covering the homestretch OF the old one
mile speedway BY, the time this article
is IN print the work will have been fin
ished, and about all that remains to be
done is to clear away the debris. harrow
the course. and run float over II In or
der to give the track a smooth surface.
1t may take some weeks after the
course is ready for use before anything
Ike fast work over It can be expected
by horsemen, not only on account Of the
nature Of the soil. but because the track
has been so long In disuse Tbs begin
ming Of the course IS around the turn on
the Potomac River side, and the finish
Of the half mile will be at B street, the
same as when the mile track was In use
II should be said IN this connection that
Col Cosby has thus far proved himself
to be a man of deeds rather than Of
words. aud, he has also given the lie
70 f,a
past. that he was such an ardent friend
OF the automobile that local horsemen
need expect nothing from him. The
gratitude of local horsemen IS also due
to Mr.. p. V. De Graw. who, from the
start. has done so much 20 stimulate To-
cal interest In a speedway. and who has
done more than any other man 20 keep
that interest alive. He will go down in
history as the father OF a speedway in
the District OF Columbia. in which he
was ably assisted by such able and en-
thusiastic lieutenants as Gen. Nelson A.
Miles. John o. Gheen. B. +. McCaully,
DR.. J. d. Robinson, John Preston. Albert
Z. Brooke, James Neil, Javins Brothers.
Henry Copperthi.e, Charles McDermott,
and a host OF other gentlemen too nu-
merous to- mention.
The length OF the new speedway viii
be about half mile-a distance sufi-
ciently long enough for all practical pur-
poses A great many horses in this COM
munity find the distance Of half a mile
quite long enough for them 10 draw
wagon az speed, and just as much fun
can be extracted from such a distance
as over a mila course. The fact that
new speedway IS an assured thing viii
revive the market at this and other points
for fast horses, speed wagons, and speed
harness. and all the other equipments
that go with matters OF the kind named.
or course, the opening q a project OF
the kind contemplated will naturally
bring to the course some Objectionable
characters, with whom some persons viii
not care 10 mix. IL Is hard 20 understand,
however. how these Objectionable features
can be eliminated.
There Is not and never was an aris-
tocracy OF the turf, and, IN the nature OF
things, there never will be. AS a witty
Englishman once remarked: The turf Is
the most democratic institution invented
by man--all are equal above and below
II f." All OF which is quite true. The
earth IS our mother-our nourishlDg
mOther-and when we are called upon 10
solve the great mystery (Which is the
common lot OF NAM. she fondly receives
US into her bosom. playing no favorities
whether we be king or peasant
They stin continue TO go some on the
Eastern Shore OF Maryland. It IS doubt
ful whether as fast class Of horses ever
performed over the tracks Of that historic
section OF country as are going over them
this year. Time was when horse owners
sought country tracks for easy money
Speed nowadays is becoming so common
that what is called easy money" Is no
longer TO be found. Ordinarily. when a
man these days gets money on a country
track he earns II, and when. he wins II
very frequently finds himself on the
wrong side OF the ledger During the past
week District owned horses performed
over the track at Salisbury Wednesday
Austin Lotus Black Patchin, with J. c.
Mott. started in the 2:1S class pace, fin
ishing in a field OF nine. 5. ;, 3; time
2:l61k, 215ll, and 2;l6 Hannis Boy won
the race and the time shows he had to
step some 70 get first money.
On the same day In the 2:22 class pace,
Z. f. Halls good mare Sweetheart paced
a seven-heat race in field OF eight, win.
ming the second heat and getting a mark
OF 2I1h. The bay daughter OF Austral
seems to be OF the improving kind, and
II Is not improbable that she will finish
the season with a mark around 215. Up
20 the date Of this writing Manuena and
Miss Hobson have been conspicuous by
their absence In the summaries.
In the free rfor ell at Salisbury on
Thursday George l. Goodacre's Ed. BALI
found Wheeler Wilkes too swift for him.
Bali finishing in the summary in a Geld
Of eight in 4:46. BY the same token
Charley Hall. OF the Hall-Crovo corabina-
ton, finished 2;57. The time Of each heat
was PIN, 2:12iz, 21OA. time so low as not
to be discredit in comparison 70 that
made on the grand circuit for the same
class Of horses. Russells, on the same
dsy' nnished outside the money. In fact.
there are horses to-day racing over East