338 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



attain to their early ideals, and I applied for this berth, 

 feeling sure that I should get it, but I sent in a recent 

 letter from Mathew Dawson which doubtless contributed 

 to that end. Here is a copy of his letter : 



MELTON HOUSE, 



EXNING. 



3 ist May, 1891. 

 DEAR MR^ALLISON, 



In case you may ever wish to take charge of a Stud Farm 

 of thoroughbred stock, I should like to say that, in my opinion, no 

 one is more capable of holding such a position with credit and profit 

 to those concerned. It is within my knowledge that you were the 

 principal Acting Director of the Cobham Stud Company when, at a 

 comparatively early age, you gained great experience in the practical 

 details of the work, and I also believe that owing to the system 

 you originated, ^2500 was saved in provender alone, during the 

 last year of that Company. As to your knowledge of bloodstock 

 and everything that relates to the various families and branches 

 of it, and the most advisable methods of crossing mares, I can 

 only say, after numerous conversations with you, that those are 

 matters with which you are conversant in a degree which cannot 

 be surpassed, and if you managed the Royal Stud, you would be 

 the right man in the right place, always, of course, saving that no 

 one can do better than Sir George Maude. 

 I am, dear Mr Allison, very faithfully yours, 



M. DAWSON. 



And so it happened that I became " The Special Com- 

 missioner " of The Sportsman, then owned by Messrs Ashley 

 & Smith, and I must say, right here, that from both 

 partners I received the greatest courtesy and kindness as 

 long as they lived. This is all the more appreciable in 

 retrospect, because I came from an eight years' period 

 of fierce political writing, and did not for long after joining 

 The Sportsman assimilate my style to the milder conditions 

 which apply to racing authorities. Mr Ashley was, I 

 believe, before the Stewards three times before I had been 

 on the paper six months, and all on account of what I 

 had written ; but he stood to his guns well, and only got 

 me to modify my agreement, which originally required a 

 notice of three years to terminate. This was altered to 



