Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 August 1890 — TOPICS OF THE TIMES. [ARTICLE]

TOPICS OF THE TIMES.

A well-known New York racing man said, last night in Delmonico’s: “If Monmoth Park has a fault, it is too big. I confess to a fondness for the oldfashioned race courses, where the start was in full view of everybody and where the horses could be watched all the way around the track. The oval courses gave the spectators a chance not only to watch the changing positions of the horses and the form of each animal as the race progressed, but it „also some wonderful opportunities for skillful in-and-out riding. Undoubtedly clever jockeys indulge in nasty tricks at the corners, and many a good horse has been pocketed at a turn of of the track by design or accident, but these little incidents developed the brain power of the jockeys and fcdded a lot of interest: and fun to every race. The start of a good field of horses is almost as interesting as the finish, if they happen

to be young and full of g<s. A mile-' and-three-furlongs race like that of the handicap at Mommoth meant a lot of excitement, interest, and doubt for at least two minutes on the old tracks; at Monmoth it means a sort of baffled expectancy, followed by a swift rush of the name of the winner. That was all there was in the race. The horses were started a mile and three furlongs from the grand stand, and at that distance, even with strong field glasses, it was utterly impossible to get any notion of the beginning of the race. The field swept down the track in a compact fashion, and for the first half mile nothing could bo seen but a body of horses apparently ambling gently toward* home. After a time they got out of the distance, before theindenity of the horses could be fixed there was a wild scatter and rush under the wire and, the race was finished.”—New York Sun.

Mr. Edward Crouse has started gossip afresh by haring a grand piano built specially to fit a niche of his famous stable. The marvelous apartments of this half-million-dollar establishment have already been described in the Sun, but at that time the two-thousand dollar piano, made of woods which harmonize in color and design with the fittings of the room, had not been finished. Mr. Crouse is the processor of the handsomest stable in the world; but he is not happy. His heart is affected by bis tremendous girth. He is so fat as to be almost shapeless, and his weight Increases with inexorable persistency despite constant treatment. He is restricted both in diet and drink, and he finds it impossible to take hearty exerjise. A physician to whom he appealed in New York for treatment gave him a piece of advioe that would probably be of great benefit to him if fie carried it out. Mr. Crouse explained that his weakened condition was due to his great weight. The old doctor looked at him carefully for a minute and then said: • ‘By the way how many horses have you at present in that famous stable of pour 9?” “I have sixteen just now,” said the millionaire. “Ride each one of them a mile a lay,” said the doctor, tersely. “But they are driving horses” said Sir. Crouse, “Trotters, you know.” “I know said the old doctor, with a nod; “never mind that part of it. Let the stable boys drive them. You get on their backs and let them Bhake up your liver. You won’t need a doctor if ter that”

A co-operative banlr wasrecently itarted in New York with an “author.-, -‘zed capital of $100,000,000.” A bank with such a capital as that ought to do i large business, and perhaps this one would after it got well started, but it was embarraßssed at the outset in a way that makes its future success jomewhat doubtful. Before its capital was all paid in a grasping furniture dealer brought suit for the price of a desk which the directors had purshased as the beginning of a plant. The fact that they had nailed it to the floor of the co-operative banking-house ought to have satisfied the furniture dealer that they intended to do a permanent business, but he was so unreasonable as to demand his money and the court gave him judgment for SBS. As the bank had only S4O in its possession the judgment absorbed all its assets and left it deeply in debt. However, the directors acted very honorably and, with the aid of the sheriff, closed their doors. Co-opera-tive banking may be correct in principle, but this particular institution was not a success,—lndianapolis Journal.