CROMWELL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 54, 20 February 1869, Page 3

CROMWELL.

16th Fehrunry, 1869.

"Well sir, I did not report and telegraph the Dunstan Ences as you desired me, and now I feel duty bound to give you my reasons for not doing so. Imprimis ; there waa so much dodging on tho part of the sporting aristocrats, that I felt disinclined during the meet to say a word bearing upon their doings. Some people are of opinion that dishonesty of every kind may be justly cherished, if such cherishing be not calculated to bring them within the iron grasp of the criminal law. However, every man possessed of a shadow of a notion as to his moral obligation to act honestly towards his fellow men, under all circumstances, will never look up. to the law of the land as his guide in his actions, but to the dictatorship of a jolly unselfish conscience. The miners, and the rest of the " Commons" of the Clyde, Alexandra, Cromwell, and the Lake districts, have for years past, done their best to keep good animals for the course ; but the lords of squatterdom have at all times made it their study to secure amongst themselves the public money offered for competition at our race meetings. At the Clyde Eaees on the sth inst. "Tho Miner's Purse" was run for, and the suggestions of old common sense seemed to say, that only Packers and miners should try the mettle of their nags in the race. Squatter Eraser qf Clyde was allowed to run his roan mare Kate, against the legitimate gallopers. This animal has won public money, and is considered the best seconj^ rater in the up-coun-try districts. Mr. Eraser may be the owner of a Miners Eight, but he is no miner, and therefore it was wrong to I allow the mare to run. But she was allowed -to run, .and she carried the right to the sfftkea . with her to the home station.

A miner, the owner ot &■ *i>B::L-_ torious horse from the Nevis, a long distance from Clyde, was not allowed to enter his private hack in this race because the plucky animal had won an advertised prize. The name of the horse was Tonic, and why a difference should be made between him and the celebrated Kate is best known to the squatters amongst the raco committee and the members of the said committee, who endeavoured to ape " big men" by following in their wake. The starter was the most extraordinary person I ever saw, and many have I seen in the mother country and in the southern hemisphere. He seemed to be a subject of "Blue Devils Illusions." He had no notion whatever as to how to coax the riders to bring up their horses on equal terms up to his flag, bnt on seeing the competitors approaching and impatient to start he could not tell whether the horses were within fifty yards of each other or not, and so they seemed like so many cerulean devils dancing before his optics, and down went the flag and the word " off " was loudly uttered. I am not disposed to name the gentleman, but am disposed to thank the fates that he does not belong to Queenstown, Cromwell, Clyde, or Alexandra. During the meeting, a magnificent horse named Mainsail while running broke his, foreleg, and had to be shot the same evening. His owner paid £200 for him about six weeks since. "Whilst running for the Dunstan Jockey Club Handicap, Cromwell fell topsy turvy, and the youthful rider, — a son of Mr. Barry, Mayor of this town, — had a most narrow escape for his life, as several horses galloped over him before he recovered himself. A cunning old scoundrel of a horse, coming from some part between the Teviot and Tuapeka, very nearly beat the best horse of the meeting — Croydon, of Canterbury. The quadruped Methusalah only lost the race by the length of his oats-bruiser. His name is Skyonian. (To be contiwued.)