Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-08-11

Read this article and then tell me il
we can afford TO ruin the man whose
brain conceived the plan, and who's
wonderful courage has carried on thu
meetings, two weeks, in the face o
poor attendance, paying each pursi
tthe richest ever offered in the histor5
of harness racing in the world over .
half mile track, as soon as it wa
over. and who proposes to race tht
third week, in this city.
More than 1000 sporting gentlemen
attended the meetings at Bangor ant
Lewiston.
More than $50 race horses are here
Each hotel in the cities mentioned has
been crowded to the limit for the
four days of the meetings, to say
nothing of hundreds that were obliges
to seek lodgings elsewhere We Wi,
be conservative and cut that item oui
entirely
Here is fair estimate of the
amount of money these meetings mean
to the railroads. the hotels and to the
State at large.
1000 men four days at $3.50
per day thotel bilD $4,000
1000 men spend $40 each r. r.
fare to go and come 10000
1000 men spend So in incident
ais. 5000
10( automobiles will certainly
cost the owners while here 500
$50 horses have paid al least
$40 freight each 5000
total of $3.50 left in each of the
three cities, and ii will come nearer
$4,000 than 100000.
If some company of men from out
side the State came to any one of the
tflee cities mentioned, showed TIL,
several Boards of Trade that the,
the town, what would they not d.
for them. Do? They would do what
they said, if they wanted a helpina
hand. in any possible way they would
get it, the promoters would be taken
to the best hotel in each city and
served with banquet that they would
be weeks recovering from. and extend
ded II vote Of thanks by the city
fathers.
What are the facts in the present
case? Eden w Hanks, the greatest
promoter of sports that the Upited
States has ever seen. one of thu
squarest of men, one of the most lib
eral of men. man whose heart Is
larger by about three times than ii
should be for his own good, has been
trimmed by all of us-his sportins
events. the equal of which was never
seen in the world, are not appreciated
No one seems to believe that he i
offering what they can see if they
would only spend halliday. and I
dollar or two at his meeting.
He is producing the goods, no suel
racing. never such Well eondnete
races, such clean-cut. honest work i.
the stand, absolutely no crooked ol
foul driving allowed, not for one mo-
ment.
The best starting judge i'll the whole
country, hired at big salary, is civ.
ing the word at these meetings
| refer to A. II. Merrill of Danvers
Mass. When | write that he has. 70
| II years. started the races Mt the grea
Broekton fair, nothing more need b.
said as to his ability.
Chester +. Pike of Windsor, VT, :
| presiding judge and does all of tn
announcing As a judge he is fair, WEI
posted, and afraid of no man Twins
AS an announcer he is in class D
| himself. He has been assisted as
judge in the two meetings just brough
to a close by |. r. Morrill, of Bruins
| all # ri
be man of the highest integrity
thoroughly posted on all points tina
| may come up in races. and likes t
look some would be crook in the ey
and tell him where he had best go.
H. III. Lee is race manager. we wi
let that stand for what the public thu
| has watched his success in that lin
for the past 10 years, for what it ma
| be worth.
| With these men at the helm, wit
| the best horses in the United State
competing for the richest purses evs
offered in the country, with races tina
| rlen who are regular race goers &
all of the big events in our broa
nation. united in the statement thu
the racing is the hardest eth
cleanest." the time is the fastest
| every heat better one than tn
preceding heat nothing like it eve
seen and will never be seen again
The horses are the stoutest bre
ones, the fastest and the handsomes
taken as a whole, that the writer. q
any other horseman ever saw at on
meeting.
The GOODNESS and skill of the rae
drivers, when trying to win-and TAX
! 1T from me no one is doing anythin
else-is a feature that is educationa
and deeply interesting to citizens Q
this state.
| After watching our drivers. who ar
inclined 10 raise IA row IL things ia
| TO go just as planned with them, it |