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GOING TO EUROPE FOR POINTERS. Robert Leighton, presiding judge and racing secretary at various tracks in the Pacific Northwest, "passed through Chicago yesterday on his .way to Europe. He is accompanied by Mrs. Leighton an4 will first make a visit to his old home In Eugland. after which he plans to devote considerable time to an inspection of English and French race courses and methods of conducting racing. Judge Leighton is in executive charge of the racing on all the British Columbia tracks and it is with a view of there making use of such innovations as may seem desirable that he has undertaken to look over the foreign courses. He reports that the British Columbia racing associations had a prosperous and successful season this year and that it is the ambition of those most concerned to so increase the importance of their meetings that the best horses in the country will in time be attracted. The plans for next years racing in that province contemplate the opening of several valuable stakes. The breeding of thoroughbreds in British Columbia will also be encouraged by the opening of stakes for province-breds. A conference was recently held at Coeur dAleno having for its object an amicable arrangement of racing dates for next year so as to avoid conflict between the Coeur dAlene meeting and those in British Columbia. It is probable that a spring meetiug will be given at Coeur dAlene and that the British Columbia schedules will be arranged to fit in with such an arrangement. The mutuel system of betting will continue to be employed at the British Columbia tracks, and Judge Leighton. while abroad, will pay particular attention to the French method of conducting the mutuels.
