The Washington herald., 1913-05-18
By L. d. SALE.


To be or not to be. that's the question.
whether II Is hest TO grab fairly gooc
thing when dangled under ones nose
or take gamblers chance OF It's blow
ing up.
The Montgomery County Fair Assocla-
ton has, through its envoy plenipotenti-
airy extraordinary, Hon. Lee Ofus, ten
dered bid. May 8, OF 500 for each OF
the 1913 colt stakes. In case only three
colts answer the call of the starter on
the day OF the race. the sum shall be $40
for each stake. IN addition TO this of
fer, II Is agreed by Mr.. 0ffut In behalf
Of his fair associates to forego entrance
fees and grant free use of stalls and
track.
This bid was 10 hold good until Satur-
day night. May On the evening Of
May 6.~the night the offer was formally
made by Mr.. Offut. il was agreed to>call
a meeting for Friday evening, May Q. at
7. w. Dunworth's and by vote decide the
question. Only four nominators in the
two-year-oId stakes were present. and
only two nominators in the three-year /:
Old stakes were present and voted. al
though the secretary announced that
every nominator had been notified. The
tie. Only two members of the three-year-
old trotting stakes were present and they
voted TO decline the proposition rendered
by Mr.. Offut- Now. II was not the faul;
of the members really present that full
membership OF those owning the colts
engaged In the stakes were absent
II they were duly notified (and the
secretary assures US he addressed a note
TO each member apprising him Of the
meeting) IL is hard to understand how
men so vitality interested should have
been absent. This particular matter
aside. we regret to state that. of late
years, IT has been a hard task to get to-
gether a meeting OF District horsemen for
any specific purpose In sufficient numbers
to warrant one in dignifying IL as an
assembly of representative horsemen. It
would require a very skillful diagnostician
to get at and treat the peculiar disease
that has afflicted the major portion of
District horsemen for four years past.
The lack of interest in hght-harness
matters cannot be attributed TO the au-
tomobile nor baseball. II does not exist
because men love the horseless. The
local horse show disproyes such theory.
Why is II, then. that light-harness horse
men of Washington enter with eagerness
into projects connected with the horse
and, after a time, cannot be got to a
meeting unless dragged TO 1t with a mule
team or a yoke OF oxen? We. for one,
do not think the meeting of Friday week
represents in the results achieved the
actual sentiments of majority of the
men interested in the stakes.
Personally we have favored the rejec-
ton Of Mr. Offut's bid. for the reason that
We believe the three stakes are worth
500 each to the fair association and will
equal in interest races for which the as
sociation has paid more money and for
races which were not genuine. And the
fair association. and the public as well.
know this part of our statement to be
the truth. Notwithstanding personal OPP
position on our part and our filed views
on the subject. We shall no longer oppose
the acceptance of Mr.. Onut's bid On
the other hand. We suggest 10 the nomi-
majors In the several stakes that they re-
quest the secretary TO call another meet
ing. to be held at T. W. Dunworth's no
later than Thursday evening next, and
as early as Wednesday evening. IL posi-
BILE Every man vitality interested in the
stakes should be notified and he should
make It a personal duty TO be present.
Failing in this, the absentees should ever
after hold their peace.
DR.. J. E. Sansbury has framed an at
tractive Decoration Day card, and. If he
confines the events 10 half-mile heats,
best three in FIVE, plenty of horses will
enter for the purses, small even though
they are. There is a general disposition
on the part of the horse public to aid the
genial physician to maintain his good
track. and put him on the right side of
the ledger. As a matter of fact. II is
the duty Of every light-harness horse
lover to do all in his power to swell the
crowd and the box receipts on Decoration
Day at Forestville- DIR. Sansbury has
and maintained his track at
great personal expense Cat an expense far
beyond his means), and the least local
horsemen can do Is TO show on Decora-
ton Day an appreciation of the sacrifice
of time and money he has made in their
interest. The doctor has recently put
his track in first-class condition; the stalls
at the track have been renovated, and
the doctor assures his patrons that there
will be ample room for horses and plenty