THE HORSE. 13]^ 



course — notwithstanding that among its managers are your friends 

 and my friends. What decent man at Presumpscot Park in 1875, 

 did not receive a shudder of disgust at the noisy bawling of the 

 pool-seller, within sight and sound of young men and boys, mothers 

 and daughters, gentlemen and ladies ! I appeal to the executive 

 officers of this great society, which is capable of uniting the peo- 

 ple of the State upon its annual fairs, to pronounce the sentence 

 of banishment beyond the limits of its control, upon the pool-box 

 and all its belongings. If this be not done, would a prediction 

 that its coming days will be crowded with evil and disaster — be 

 not in order ? 



I would not be unmindful of the fact, however, — to speak for a 

 moment of a point in breeding — that speed in horses has assumed 

 a fictitious value, and has by many been greatly over-estimated. 

 It is true that it is a quality both useful and attractive — a horse, 

 however, possessing speed alone has little to recommend him to 

 general use. But to a horse possessed of other good qualities, 

 speed gives additional value. The trouble has been with us here 

 in Maine, and to a great extent all over the country, that without 

 the requisite class of mares from which to breed, and without 

 the requisite skill in breeding — men have been infatuated over 

 the success of some one who has raised a fast colt, and they have 

 all been trying to do the same thing. I don't know what there is 

 to breeding fast horses that renders it so contagiously attractive 

 — other than the excitement and intoxication which men feel over 

 a life of bustle and push in any department of business, as com- 

 pared with one slow and moderate — but I do know it to be an 

 evil to a community to be filled up with a lot of fast horse men ; 

 and I think if any class can be spared from Maine it is those 

 young men, who with a fast colt, a second-hand sulky, an oroide 

 watch, an empty cigar case, and a wallet empty of honestly earned 

 money, spend most of their time lounging at corner saloons and 

 stable offices, talking of nothing better than races and pools, and 

 doing nothing better than playing " poker." Without wishing to 

 afflict any part of our country with the presence of these useless 

 young gentlemen, my advice to them would be the advice we see 

 printed on the great railroad posters, "Go West young man, go 

 West." But, as I just remarked, the one great mistake of horse 

 breeders among us has been, that with material unfitted to make a 

 trotter, they have been continually trying to make trotters — and 

 have failed. The standard trotter is now a 2.30 horse, and 2.30 



