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RACING GOSSIP There isnt much question about the racing situation in and about Chicago Factional fights folly and foolish legal legislation not only of 1896 but before has nearly killed racing The same amalgamated idiocy maimed the gen ¬ eral breeding interest of Ilinois a noble one At present there is no law which makes racing with its concomitant betting legitimate in Illinois The Illinois legislature now in ses ¬ sion is dabbling at racing via the news which reflects legislative humanity In the past racing bills have meant boodle to which legislative creation is keenly amenable There is necessity for a racing law and no boodle nowadays There are seven race tracks in or near Chicago Tinea are in the city Washing ¬ ton Park Hawthrrne and Harlem Th y repre sent some 1000000 in investment Three are on the Indiana edge of Chicago They have a legislative right One other in Wisconsin is also in line with the law and is not likely to be put outside that line The racing season is nearly 200 days long The racing folks if given the legal badge they deserve will be likely to agree on dates which will permit each track to supply Chicago folks with the racing they want wantThe The cloture against racing has cost Chicago merchants many millioLS of dollars The legis ¬ lative wisdom or judgment is not likely to make this charge larger Then too there are some 150 tracks mostly those for the harness brigade within the state They have suffered as heavily as Chicago So have the Illinois breeders of horses horsesSecretary Secretary Jas Howard in a recent letter as to the attitude of the Washington Park Club says saysOur Our attitude toward legislation at Spring ¬ field is simply this We think it is the duty of the legislature to enact a good racing law and therefore we do not feel that we are called upon to make a crusade for such a measure If the lawmakers desire our opinions on ther subject we will readily give our views to them if called upon When we abandoned racing we did so because we felt we could no longer afford to be made a target of by those whose only inter ¬ est in the sport was mercenary and whose vicious tendencies prompted them to attack us and thereby destroy racing altogether in this state This could not have been done but for defective laws upon the subject and until the amusement is legalized we shall not consider resuming racing racingFurther Further 1 wHl say that whilp we shall not take any aggressive stand in support of any measure we will oppose any attempt to make a bad turf law Our present interest is this much that rather than see a vicious racing law go on the statute books we will take up the cudgel against it And I think wo could win that kind of a fight fightThus Thus we are awaiting with comparative in ¬ difference any action on this line that may be taken by the Illinois assembly The majority of the members of the club are fond of a good horse race and would be glad to see a short high class meeting each year but their enthusi ¬ asm for the sport is not sufficient to induce them to engage in the pastime without it is fully sanctioned by the law The fact that the membership is composed of the representative men of Chicago is sufficient guaranty of and explanation for this fact as well as that the recreation when properly conducted has the endorsement of an intelligent public opinion opinionClem Clem Creveling writing from Memphis under date of last Tuesday says Mr Charles S Cougles horses arrived safely They have wintered well The band will be hard to beat in its class The Couglo horses are in the hands of a capable trainer and I secured him tLe very best stablemen and exorcise boys Every one employed is firstclass in his line lineMemphis Memphis is an ideal track for early training At it horses get every accommodation The stables and kitchens are good the water fine and the grounds in excellent condition The track is grateful and perfect The force in charge will not lot it get soft and deep as it was last spring and it cannot got too hard hardThe The horses all look well especially Algol Typhoon II Ornament and Meadowthorpe It is hard to tell which one of the group of good threeyearolds looks the best None of the horses hero have had any but slow work but they are in condition now and the weather being just right they will commence this week to go along alongThe The trouble with Dorian has at last been dis covered After the horse came to St Louis Dr Crowley gave him a careful examination and found that the horse had dropsv of the kidneys Under Dr Crowleys skillful treatment Dorian has entirely recovered Ho feels well and is getting into fine condition I think that from the way Dorian is now working he will be the best horse in the Fosters string of 1S97
