The Washington herald., 1911-07-30
By l.. ID. SALE.

Inc ears OF nSnI ndTHSSS hoiS
have, during the past week, been in
clined toward Grand Rapids, where the
creme de Ia creme of the light harness
world have been performing before ad-
miring thousands.
For the first time In it's long existence
the Furniture City, with its upward OF
175OoO inhabitants, was a link in the
Grand Circuit season. The attendance,
the high class of performances, the pub
lie interest displayed in the results
would indicate that the Michigan town
is capable of supporting Grand Circuit
racing which, on account of the rlch
purses given for the several events. al
ways presents a dangerous proposition
TO the association that grapples with It
The association at Indianapolis has al
ready dropped out of line, giving as an
excuse that it cannot do business with
out the privilege of selling pools. II
has already declared that 1t can only
pay 50 per cent of the purses offered.
and the chances are now that even II
tho association should attempt to regain
the confidence lost in its recent manage
ment, horse owners in the future would
sidetrack the town, rather than run any
risks that their money would be hung
I'D. community that will not support
racing without gambling is permitted
deserved to be wiped of the racing map
Long before Grand Rapids aspired to
be a member of the Grand Circuit she
was known as one of the best light har-
ness towns in the horse atlas. The sec
ton in which Grand Rapids is the COM
mercial center is a rich agricultural re-
gion, the original settlers being from
Western New York, who, early in the
settlement of Michigan, carried with
them Westward the best of their horse
kind and engrafted upon it from time to
time the best blood extant. 1t has long
been the pride OF the farmers of West
ern Michigan 10 breed good horses, the
consequences being that the region
named is famous for its horses, which
are snapped up by buyers from all OF
the great cities East and West just as
fast as they are fit for the market. Gen.
Sheridan's famous war charger, Rienza.
which carried him from Winchester to
his stricken army, was foaled in Kent
County of which Grand Rapids is the
county seat. All of this inbreediDS has
greatly added to the aggregate wealth
of the county. and OF the State. The
rich forests which once covered that re-
gion, of curly maple. beech. and oak,
have long since disappeared; but the
wealth of the people has not decreased,
but, on the contrary. has increased. for
the thrifty Wolverine. true to the in
stincts of his New England ancestors,
never carries all Of his eggs in one
basket.
With this brief preface to the events
of the week, the reader of The Sun
day Herald will readily understand how
it is, that, while Indianapolis has passed
into the discard list Grand Rapids has
been able to make good and to maintain
her standing in the Grand Circuit AL
though there is statute against gam
bling in Michigan. pool selling is per-
mitted, provided that it Is carried on in
such a way that it does not offend pub
lie taste. Running meetings in the State
have been barred because the dominant
feature of these events was the book
maker, while the sport was made 10
look as of lesser value. The intense
commerCialism of tie men who have
dominated the running game for the past
fifteen years has proved its ruin.
1t has made itself offensive to church
and school: it has demoralized business
at every point where running racing has
neglect the business of the hour. 1t has
robbed families of what belonged to
thcm-not to the boOkmaker; it has
created a passion for gambling that was
proving dangerous to the moral welfare
of the State: it has depleted the wealth
of cities by diverting it into foreign
channels. and has sent scores of young
men ever season 10 the penitentiary
for committing breaches of trust. A halt
has been called in nearly every State
in the Union. under these conditions, and
none too soon. If the pendulum of popu-
lar disapproval has swung farther back
than it should have done, who are to be
blamed but the men who have stood
silent year after year without making
an effort to remedy the evil. No wonder
public indignation became so strong that
nothing could stay it.
1t is a turf axiom that good purses bring
good horses into acton-an axiom that
some turf managers are prone to for
get until after the gate receipts are
counted. The three great stakes of the
week at Grand Rapids We're the Grand
Rapids Railway Stakes of S2.OOO on Tues
day, won by Argot Hal; the Furniture
Manufacturers Stakes of $1,000 on
Wednesday, won by r. T. c., and the
Comstock Stakes of 5000 on Thursday
won by Brauham Baughman. All of
the other purses of the week were of
an even $1,000 in size. The sensation
OF the Grand Circuit season, now only
three weeks old, is the chestnut gelding
Z. t. T.. winner OF the rlCn urIllIuTe
Manufacturers Stakes on Wednesday
last.
One story that goes with this phenome-
nal performer at the trot is that he was,
before making his debut on the Grand
Circuit, used in a delivery wagon. An
other story is to the effect that he was
used as a farm horse, and Murphy
points with pride to the fact that he
still shows marks on his body of his
hard usage at the plow. Murphy. a
few days since, said of him: Last
year trained him for a time. after his
owner had used him as a pair to put
in corn, and when / sent him home. he
arrived just in time to help draw hay
from the fields to the great barn. He's
q sure enough farm nag" AS n mat
ter of fact r. T c. was raced some in
1909 and made n record of 2:14 IA at
Baltimore, in the fourth heat of a six
heat race that he won at Baltimore,
October 70. He was never used as a
livery horse.
The blood lines of such a phenomenal
performer as r. T c. are always in
teresting to the intelligent and progress
sive breeder and horse owner. Men who
are not interested in blood lines always
get theirs" sooner or later. r. T. c.
IS a 1873 sorrel geldings foaled in 1902. and
Is, therefore, nine years old He was
bred by David NJ. Cochran, of Middle
town, Del His sire is Prince March,
2:131-4, at the pace. His dam is Misses
Nelly, no record, by Nutwood Prince.
2:es "a; second dam, The Banshee. no
recorl by Bronson 1910, son of Guy
Ter Clay, 27s6 by Cuyler 100, by Ham.