The Washington herald., 1912-01-21
.TROTTER AND PAGER
Hot-air Cfrcuf Now in Full Swiug-Commenl
and Gossip of Interest to Local Horse Lovers.
By L. d. SALE.

By L. ID. SALE.
The Hot Air Circuit, next in importanc
60 the Grand Circuit, when icy wind
blow down from the frozen north, Is i
full blast these winter nights in little oil
Washington.
AS the Grand Circuit is comprised o.
numerous tracks, so is the Hot Air Cir
cult OF the District of Columbia II
carry out the comparison to its logica
conclusion, one may imagine, II he VIII
that Tim Dunworth's is Detroit wher'
The NJ. & NJ, and the c. of c. are pulled
off; J. r. Jones' place of business, Cleve
land, where the horses are just begin
ming to get well on their stride; Weaver
Bros Office, Readville, where the fu'
turity candidates make their first show
ing for the season, and Columbus, where
records are annually smashed, the WARM
and cosy spot over. which John Morris
presides.
The Official starter at Dunworth's is
Capt. Louis C. Shuckers, exploit on the
Mississippi River, who is far famed for
starting anything from a heated argu-
ment to fast horses. Capt Shuckers' ex-
perience on the Mississippi and the Hot
Air Circuit gives MIN prestige that is
few in his line can hope to attain. While
It is true that protests are frequently
made by those who have entered in the
race, such, for instance, as Harry Hes
ser, Maurice Joyce, and even Dunworth
himself, against the captains rulings, he
usually succeeds in talking them down
and, IL they persist, rules them of with
a wave of the arm and with a nerve
that in concrete toughness can only be
ftIy compared with a bar of Bessemer
steel
At Jones', things are different. Here
Clayton Farhney, the veteran trainer and
driver. usually presides. The late orrin
Hickok was, when in the flesh. called
the TaIleyrand of the turf; the late
William Crawford, the diplomat. and
John Turner. who still survives the gen
eraL Farhney is Hickok. Crawford, and
Turner all in cne, and thus far has es-
caped from being hit with a brick. Only
once in his long career did his head ever
collide with a fist, but IL was not his
fault, rather his misfortune, and the man
who owned the fist ultimately paid fine
of So and got off cheap at that. High
class sport can always be had on the
Jones circuit and some of the heats
trotted and paced, when Farhney relat-
ed what he did to the other fellows with
dozen years ago to win a heat, is worth
travelling blocks TO hear.
At Weaver Brothers, in Georgetown,
when the wintry blasts dance a two-step
around the corners of the ancient suburb
and a roaring fire draws the derelicts
from the streets TO the inviting quarters
Of the Arlington stables. may be found
NJ B. Inscoe, who tells to interested
auditors why Red Rock didn't do so well
in 1911, and proceeds to salve his disap-
pointment by remarking, He viii be a
great horse next year" A great horse
next yeari How many disa ppointed horse
owners have found surcease from their
sorrows in that optimistic prophecyi The
racing game would long since have be-
come junk-worse than Junk-but for the
optimism Of the men VINO are interested
in it. II was not the fault of Red Rock
that he did not make as brilliant a show
ing in 1911 as in the year previous, but
rather because his new owner has much
TO learn yet of race horse management
Every one who knows Mr. InscOe hopes
he will have better luck in 1872
But the sorrows of Inscoe are paeans OF
joy, compared with the lamentations Of
Charley Weaver, which are only sur
passed by those of jeremiah. Mr.. Weaver
hoped to have a worthy candidate for the
Hot Air Circuit this very winter; but
his hopes went glimmering when, last
spring, his Don Cozine colt was seized
with lockjaw and died. Charley patiently
waited four long years for the coming
of that colt, and when he saw him in his
stall dead, he threw up his hands, sold
everything that belongs to a coming race
horse and declared himself out of the
game forever. 1t was mighty tough luck
hut it is hoped Charley will recover from
his dependency, and that 1872 will find
him, although slightly disfgured, still in
the ring and looking about for a prospect
to have some fun with, and, perhaps. to
race. A constant attendant at the
Georgetown Hot Air Circuit is John
Garrett, who is always saying that he
wants n trOtter and never buys one. N
A. Turner, who is booming Guyman as a
coming great sire of trotters. some times
drops in and adds zest to the occasion.
In the back parlor of John Morris
place NJ business, where the electric
lights vie in brilliancy with the flow Of
conversation and the popping of corks
pURctuates every sentence uttered, may
frequently be seen the jolliest crowd in
Washington on winter evenings Here
congregate Peter LOTUS, Michael Morris,
tin LOTUS, on occasions. Here one may
listen, if he will. to the richest brogue
ever imported from Ireland and hear Aus
tin tell how Black Patchin caught a boot
and threw him down at York, when his
last cent was on him. When Austin
chokes with Indignation at the thought
of It, his eloquent green necktie speaks
for him Here, TOO, one may hear Peter
LOTUS with infinite detail, tell the story
of how Miss Avela did not foul ManueIIa
in the matinee for a cup in the fan of
1910, and why the black mare did not
show up in any of the racing events of
1911, after four months Of diligent train
ing by Alonzo Corbin. Michael Morris
enlivens the proceedings by pulling out
his excuse book for Koroni's lack Of |
speed last season, and heaves a long sigh |
for the long price he paid for that rank |
counterfeit Red and Black at the Chi |
cago sale.
Probably as fast time is made around |
the stove in the back Office of Brown |
these winter days as in |
any other place in the District. While |
horses are being shod. great gobs of |
equine lore fairly exude from the prop |
rietors of the shop, D. j. MCCARTHY. the |
junior member Of the firm, is one of the /
best, If not the best, amateur reinsman in |
the District. He is thoroughly up to |
date in light harness subjects, and no /
horse lover reads the turf papers with /
greater thoroughness and interest He /
breeds in a small way, and, no matter /
what the cost, the best sires are none too
good for him. Mr.. Mccarthy races some
for recreation, when he can be spared
from the forge, and is a man who Is
fnd fyT a rrsIao