MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1889. HORSE RACING.

Manawatu Herald, 21 January 1889, Page 2

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1889. HORSE RACING.

■»- Tomorrow, we celebrate the Anniversary of this Province, with the Foxton Racing Club's annual meeting. A great deal has been said at various times, upon the evil effects such gatherings have on the young and old, yet nevertheless the pastime, if anything, is on the increase. It is, no doubt, much to be regretted, that a great deal of the work upon a race course is very unsatisfactory, bnt that the mere fact of good horses testing their speed and powers of endurance, should be harmful, is absolutely absurd. The sport is one, which has been in practice previous to the year 1450 B.C; chariot and horseracing having constituted a prominent feature in the Olympian games of the Greeks. In England the sport dates back to 1154, A.D., and was held in high estimation by King John. Coming to later periods, we find that Queen Anne owned race horses, and in 1714 she won a stake of ten guineas and a piece of plate of the value of £40, with her horse " Star," at York. A horse owned by the Duke of Devonshire, called the "Flying Childers" was long considered the fleetest horse known, having in 1715, carried nine stone at Newmarket and ran the three and a half miles in six minutes and forty seconds. The whole purpose of racing, and why it has been so much encouraged by Royalty, has been to improve the type of one of the most useful animals placed at the command of man, and the justification of it is apparent today, by Kngland holding the proud position of having the very best horses on the face of the earth. That she has obtained this by simply racing, is not contended, it has been achieved by judicious crossing and early high feeding, but to test the effect of breeding aud feeding, it became necessary to institute races, and by offering valuable money prizes, make the win-

ning 6f the satne an inducement Vo ' breeders to giVe up their time and to expend money, in experimenting on the most judicious cross. There are questions to be considered, whether at the present date t too much has not been sacrificed by the breeder of thoroughbreds to sBOUrd speed, in place of carrying weight, but that is not a point we need discuss today, as we" are sinlply snow ing that a nianly, healthy and useful accomplishment and amusement, should receive the support of all. In no part of the world is a horse moro looked upon as a necessary property of every man, as im a colony, and yet numbers, who use a horse in every conceivable manner, declaim very strongly against the holding of race meetings. Unfortunately, at suck gatherings, a great deal of gambling is carried on, which would be better if checked, but we have the satis^faction, by the employment of the totalisator to know that what gambling there is, is open and above board, and the participators in it, are aware of what their percentage of loss and gain will be, which is every way preferable to the old fashion of booking bets. But what we have always contended is this, that every pnbllc gathering is a true reflex of the public feeling of those present, and therfore if the lovers of horses but objectors to gambling, would only attend, they would do a great deal of good by their example, of inducing others, with an inclination to put money on the favourite, to enjoy the sport and eschew the gambling, and by taking part iu the organisation of such meetings, make their opinions more substantially felt.

In our condensed cablegrams will be seeu most interesting developments of the Times-Par nell Commission enquiry. Sir Richard Web9ter ia quietly coming up to the proof, and the evidence of the witness Delaney is of a most damaging character to the Parnell side. Of course, the evidence will have to be substantiated by others, as the testimony of a convict is always doubtful, but the assertion that he j was unaware until in the witness box, of any enquiry being held, and his cross examination by Sir Charles Russell failing to shake his evidence, tends to show that j there must have been a large amount of I truth in what he said. The proceedings of the Land Leaguers and Fenaiu organisations aa detailed by Delaney, are a horrible revelation. " I laid him gently down to rest " can now be sung by the Messrs Robinson so far as the greyhound, the canine follower of "Jack the Ripper "is concerned. By the offer of a money reward the dog was brought up from the house near the beach, which she usually made her home, when not picnicing, and a well directed shot furnished her funeral note. One more, a red retriever dog, still remains to be accounted for. Generals in the field, i°sue orders of the day, but so do storekeepers. The last manifesto is that inserted by the proprietor of Manchester House, who proclaims that he has commenced a stocktaking sale, during which wouderful bargains will be offered. Mr M'Millan loses no opportunity of letting the public know what he is doing, or where his place of business is, being well ware of the value of the same. Hi9 last diplotnatio stroke has been to get the purchasers of the gates, to allow him to place a notification on the tickets thi'y issue, thus bringing his address, and business, before the thousands who will attend the race meeting. No business man can afford to sleep, at any rate for a length of time, but the Manchester House proprietor has always one eye open, Make hay while tb.9 sun shines is the proverb of farmers, but the hamp millers are going to make hay whilst the sun aud moon do both shine, working night and day to secure the large prices that are now to be obtained. The latest mill to adopt this programme is, we hear, that of Messrs Spelman & Co. Last Thursday afcernoon whilst around the town we only heard the sound of distant peals of thunder, around Carnarvon they had a very severe thunder storm accompanied with heavy rain. Next Saturday a Christy Minstrel entertainment will he given by our neighbours in Bulls, at the Town Hall here, in aid of the English Church Fund of Parewenui, and there is little doubt but that they will secure a grand attendance. .'he State School will re-open on Wed nesday morning. To-night and race night the public will be able to visit the panorama at the Town Hall of the Egyptian war. The views will comprise all the principal buildings in Paris, Mount Vesuvius in eruption, the battle of Straaburg, and the bombardmenl of Alexandria, besides a great number of others, winch we have not space to enumerate. The show should nob be missed. Twenty-two years ago advertisers were as keen as they are at this day. In an old uaper it is reported that the proprietor of firiuaceous food exhibited in London, a monster pig alive, whioh measured twelve feet long, stood four and a half feet high, :<nd weighed two hundred stone. This pig was reckoned to have been the largest known. We are in receipt of the January number of the Illustrated Austialian News. The paper is rather a sad one, such a large number of the engravings being represents tions of episodes of the terrible drought. '• An every day ocourreuoe " being a view of station hands hauling dead sheep out of one of the water holes still retaining some liquid. "' A mirage on the plains " depicts four solitary hovses, with the bones and carcases of sheep lying around ; whilst " A cruel death " shows hawks seated on a sheep, picking its eyes out whilst alive, The other pictures are views of the country and incidents at a crioket match, and balloon ascent. We notice that Mr Ames, the Wellington City valuer, has finished his valuation, and makes the rental for the general rate to be £313,154, an against £290,834 for the current year* Four-hunolrei and thirtyone new buildings have been erected in Wellington during the past twelve months. The Moaleft on Saturday with forty six bead of beef and one hundred sheep from Mr Manson's farm, for the W^t Coast. Mr Phil Robinson rjjjpd a laugh at Wanganui at tfie e Jp|fH& of some un* punctual people (brother night. He stopped till they got into their seats and then remarked that he seemed to have been too punctual I

A flea is not an Unknown insect., but we fancy the art of training them is not so well ktt6wn. The following account 6f the course of discipline to which they are subjected may lie interesting. The flea is taken up gently, and a noose of the finest " glass Bilk " is passed round his neck, and there tied with u peculiar kuot. The flea, unfortunately for hittiseif, has a, groove or depression between his n>6k and hit) body, which serves as a capital bold-fast for the tiit of silk J it can slip neither up nor down, &ud he canuot push it off with hia legs * he h a prisoner, and is tied to his work. This delicate operation is penofoilly performed under a magnifying g'ass, but after a time the eye gets so accus'omed o the work that the glass is not always used. la no Way is the future performing flea mutilated; his kangaioo-!ike springing legs are not cut off, no; 1 are his lobster-like walking legs interfered with— a flea must be in perfect health to pei form well. The first lesson given to the novide is the same given to a chiid, namely, to walk. To effect this, he is fastened to the end of a slip of dardhoard, whioh Works <>n a pin as a pivot.. The moment ha feels himself free from the hands, or rather forceps, of the harnesser, he gives a tramendoun spring forward. What is th consequence? He advances in a circle, and the weight of the cardboard keeps him down at the same time. He tries it a Jain with the same result ; finally he finds the progress he makes in no way equal to his exertions ; he therefore, like a wise flea, gives it up, and walks round and round with his card board as quietly as an old blind horse does in a mill*. To arrive at this state of train* ing requires about a fortnight ; some fleas have more genius for learning than others, but a fortnight, is the average time. More changes have taken place in the proprietorship of hemp mills in this district. Last Friday Mr Oliver purchased all Mr Sutton's interest in the Okana mill, and thus becomes the sole owner of it. The actual sum has not transpired, but the vendor and purchaser must have been satisfied with the terms; Mr Osborne has assured us that some customer has really overpaid an accouut, but he cannot tell whom, therefore he is in hopes the advertisement he has inserted, ca ling attention to the fact, will eaable him to make restitution. We are sorry to part with any one from the district, but more so v/hen they are so popular and genial as Mr James Oliver. As it is, however, only for a time that he has left us, we ought not to grudge him a holiday, aud especially as it is hinted that be will probable return with a partner for life. Mr Oliver left on Friday night for Wellington, intending to run down to Lyttelton in the Wunaka, and there hoarding the Ruapehu, in whioh vessel he will sail for London. Duiing his absence Mr Davidson will look after his interests, and his position will be one of great responsibility, having both the run and the hemp mill to look after. We hope to hear at times from Mr Oliver, when any event of interest to his many friends will be mentioned. We wiah him a bon voyage, and a safe and speedy return. Mr H. W. Kobinson this morning again gave judgment in the Otaki native survey obstruction case — Climie v. Wi Parata. The judgment, it will be remembered, was reserved on a point raisod by the defence that the surveyor did not show his authority to make the survey when requested. His Worship had carefully considered the case and come to the conclusion that it would make no material dif ference whether the authority was exhibited before or after the survey was commenced. His judgment would therefore go for the plainiff as delivered last week. Mr Chapman for plaintiff asked that judgment should be held over till the 24ch /or the convenience of Mr Jellicoe, who was engaged in the Supreme Court. His Worship agreed to this. The amount of penalty was not fixed. — Evening Press.