Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1950-12-05
Last Rites Saturday For Doc
ParshaI|, 0hio's Race Driver

DIR. III. M. ParShall, 5I, whose
funeral rites were conducted at
Urbana Saturday, was noted
throughout the harness racing
world as the most celebrated driv-
er of them all. His death resulting
from a heart attack, occurred last
Wednesday night at his home.
Well known to Madison County
race fans and horsemen, he was
the No. l driver on the harness
tracks IA years and climaxed his
brilliant career by winning the
famed Hambletonian twice, in
1884 and again in 1889.
He came out of retirement
briefly this year to drive Scotch
Pal to victory at the Union Coun-
ty Fair at Marysville. A native OF
Fayette County, he would have
been So next Dec. 21.
Parshall gave up racing after
passing the Ohio examination for
veterinary surgeons. Then he of
ficiated as starter at races until
1947 when he went to Hayes
stables.
Legend Of Sport
He was a legend in the harness
racing world, according to Mad
iSon County fans, and one of the
sports immortals.
Schooled at Hillsboro, he at
tended the Cincinnati Veterinary
College, after which he entered
the u. S. Army In World War
1. Following the war he resumed
his training at Indianapolis.
A horsepower as well as a
driver, he at one time had 40
trotters and PAGERS, some OF
which he maintained at Pinehurst,
N. c. He disposed of them in 1910.
DR.. Parshall won the title of
world champion driver in 1927 and
headed the winners from 1929
through 1888. In all he won 401
races. averaging 81 a year.
Back in 1929 he accomplished the
miracle Of horsemanship.
He bought a crippled outlaw
PAGER, which had been out of the
races two years, and was so vic
ious that Eo one dared enter his
stall. He cured and tanned him
and then drove him to straight
heat victory in the SIS, 900 Kala-
rlazoo Derby.
He had owned and driven hun
dreds of great horses, but never
had he shown the affection, he
did for this outlaw. Counterpart.
Among his outstanding feats
was the one performed in his
small home town of Hilisboro,
Ohio. He went back to the High
land County Fair and won every
race and every heat of the fair
speed program for full week.
No other driver has ever match
ed the feat there.
He shared Hambletonian hon
ors won in 1887 and again in
1898.
Parshall wiped out all standing
race records for three-year-old
PAGERS by winning with Mac-I-
Win over a mile track Il Nash.
vile, Tenn, in 1:59%, and again
over a half-mile track at Raleigh,
N. c., in the ord-breaking time
of 2:01A.
Americas champion reinsman
in 1880 established what is declar-
ed an international all-time re-
cord by winning 76 races-202
heats. The veteran Counterpart,
2:02A, together with Lagality,
3, 2:02; General Walker, 2:041s;
Chancellor Cigar, 2:02A; Widow
Brooke, 2:o4A and Miss Marian
fodder, 2:03A, were leading
members of the championship
stable that season.
Handicapped during the 1882 sea-
son, which he opened late in May
and extended into October, in a
swing from Canada to the Caro-
linas and from Illinois to New
Hampshire, because he had no
horses eligible for the rich futur-
tiles, Parshall was surpassed in
money won by only one Ameri-
can driver, Will Cation, of SYRIA
Continued on Page 1'tool