Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1881-01-01 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

THE LATE MR. W. PANBON.  More than sixteen years have elapsed since Blair Athol, who had never before seen a racecourse, passed the post at Epsom a winner of the Derby in the "green and gold" of Mr. William 'Anson, whose good fortune it was to have won the same race seven years before with the dam of the colt whose victory in 1864 was one of the most remarkable episodes in the history of the Turf. Mr. 'Anson—whose death will come as a surprise to many of those who did not know that he was anything butayoung man when by a lucky chance he laid the foundation of one of the best studs of modern times—loul not kept any racehorses of his own for the last ten or twelve yearn; but his name was invariably brought prominently before the public every September by the sale ef yearlings, bred at the stud farm just outside Melton, and his Poll continued his father's business as trainer with iouch success, the winners of the Oaks and the Goodwood and Doncanter Cups last season having all been prepared for their engagements overwhat remains of the famous Langton Wold gallops. The name at l'Anson is, however, more closely identified with the events of the Tnrf between 1857 and 1865, and • it is doubtful whether the son will even be no fortunate as to have under his care two such animals as Blink Bonny and Blair Athol. It was with the ' former of this pair that Mr. l'Anson, whose name was little known at the time beyond the local racemeetirgs in the North, began his successful career; for Blink Bonny, like Sir Charles Bunbury's Eleanor half-a-century before, won the Derby, and these are the only two fillies which have secured that race, Blink Bonny won the Oaks as well, but she was unaccountably defeated for the St. Leger, the way in which she succumbed to animals that she had beaten before creating no little surprise. For " surprises "of one kind and another Mr. !Anima WM ever noted, and four years afterwards Blink Bonny's failure at Doncuter was amply atoned for by the victory of Caller Ou. This was in 1861 ; and Kettledrum, who had won the Derby for Colonel Townley, was a tremendous favourite, while as for Caller On, who had been competing unsuccessfully in selling plates, no odds would tempt the great majority of speculators. What few bets were wade in her favour were accepted by lovers of " long shots," who were able to gratify their fancy without any trouble, and who had the satisfaction of seeing her beat the Derby winner by a head on the post. Foaled in 1861, Blair Athol never ran son twoyear-old, and his first appearance was in the Derby of 1864. The victory of Lord Glasgow's General Peel in the Two Thousand Guineas caused him to be made favourite, but Blair Athol beat him very easily, and repeated the performance at Doncaster. Blair Athol had, in the interval of his Epsom and Doncaster victories, been defeated in Paris, where he went to run for the Grand Prize, and at York, but these failures were capable of satisfactory explanation, and "the bald-faced chestnut' went to the stud with the deserved reputation of being one of the best racehorses of his generation. It would be too much to say that Mr. ['Anson never sent a bad yearling up for sale, but the great majority of them were so good that the beat judges bid eagerly for them, and his average was generally the highest of the week. Again and again Mr. Tattersall had to ask "say advance on a thousand ?" and often enough the bidding ran on merrily to fourteen and fifteen hundred guineas. That Beauelerc, who was one of Mr. l'Anson's breeding, and who was trained in his son's stable, would have done great things if he had not gene amiss, is probable enough, for as a two-year-old he won the Middle Park Plate, and ha.d all the at. sributes of a racehorse. Many other yearlings purchased at Mr. "'Anson's sales have earned a very good name, and should his death lead to a dispersal of his stud the Yorkshiremen will need display all their traditional tenacity if they are to keep the gems of it out of the clutches of the : dreaded foreigner.  _ A Correspondent at Larnaca states that flood/ have occurred at Lnuassol. Eight lives were lost and sixty houses entirely destroyed. Many other houses are damaged. Aleko Paella, the Governor-General of Eastern Rouinelia, has tendered his resignation to the Port, in consequence of resolutions adopted by the Assure. bly, which he considers tantamount to a vote of want of confidence in his administration. M. Anderwert, who was recently elected President of the Swiss Confederation for the forthcoming year, committed suicide at Berne upon the public prom.. ade on the evening of Christmas-day, by shooting himself with a revolver. On Christmas Day a destructive firs took place on the estate of the Duke of Hamilton at Easton park, near Ipswich. A large portion of the exte,isive stabling was burnt down, but the horses were at extricated ; they were, however, in a very frightenei condition. The Duchess of Hamilton went into thi stables and led her own favourite horse out durifi.: the conflagration, and rendered valuable aid in urgiii, the men on in saving the remainder.