The Anaconda Standard

LOCAL HORSE FEVER

It Has Struck Missoula With Both Feet.

OLD AND YOUNG HAVE IT

But Scrubs and Has Beens Are Not Wanted—Nothing but the Longest Pedigrees Will Be Considered.

Missoula, Oct. 26.—There is every indication that next spring will witness a more general local epidemic of horse fever than that which has prevailed here during the past two years. Men who, in 1893, didn't know a hock joint from a crupper and who couldn't tell whether Tammany was a harness horse or a galloper, now talk learnedly of pedigrees and records and drive fast horses themselves. The recent sale of yearlings from the Larabie stock farm demonstrates that Missoula men are anxious to secure good horses. The prices realized for these youngsters from Willow Run were very satisfactory, much higher in fact than anybody anticipated. The average price paid for them was $110, which is considered a good figure. Most of these colts were purchased by men who desire good road horses and not for track purposes. Some of the youngsters give promise of considerable speed and may be seen on the track next year. At present they are all green and very soft and no accurate prediction can be made regarding them.

The remarkable success of the Bay Bird colts, which have been trained here and have gone out under Missoula colors, undoubtedly had much to do with the willingness of purchasers to pay fair prices for the stock which Mr. Larabie offered for sale. The purchasers all seem thoroughly satisfied with their horses and, if they are, the experiment of horse sales in Missoula must be counted as a success. There is a strong demand here for good horses and if an annual yearling sale were inaugurated here it would undoubtedly prove to be mutually beneficial to both seller and buyer.

Speaking of the success of Bay Bird's get, the performance of Dr. Puff, Tylar B. Thompson's 3-year-old colt, at Los Angeles last Monday was a surprise even to the friends of the swift gelding who had predicted that he would mark himself at 2:15 this season. He was matched against some of the swiftest animals on the coast and won in a most exciting finish. The San Francisco Call makes the following mention of the race:

The principal event of the day was the 2:17 class trot for a purse of $900, eight horses starting. Dr. Puff won the first heat in 2:16¼, Jasper Ayres the second in 2:16¾, and Dr. Puff the third and fourth in 2:17¼. In the last heat Jasper Ayres came in first, but it was awarded to Dr. Puff on a foul.

Missoula horses have demonstrated this year the unusual advantage which this valley possesses as a training place. Few stables have been more uniformly successful this year than those which trained here. Of course, the stables were made up of good horses or they could not have done so well. Not even such climate and forage as Missoula boasts can make a winner out of a scrub, but, given a good horse, the best possible results will be secured if he is trained under the conditions which prevail here.

The record of Higgins Brothers' stable for this season is as follows:

Total winnings.................$7,215

Other horses that were trained at the Missoula track and made creditable records, as well as winning something for their owners, were Chris Peterson (2:25), Herdsman (2:18) and Delbert (2:21). A statement of the winnings of Dr. Puff and Hal Corbett is not at this time obtainable. Their campaign is not yet finished and they are now in better condition than they were earlier in the season. It is estimated that the earnings of these two sons of Bay Bird will reach $7,000 this year and may possibly reach a higher mark than that.

Probably no horse ever proved a greater surprise than French Lady, the aged chestnut mare of the Higgins string. As a young horse she had won handily in local races in the Frenchtown valley, but she had not attracted much attention until the Missoula meeting of last year, when she made a good showing as a sprinter. At the close of the meeting she was added to the Higgins stable and did some good work in the Montana circuit races last year. But she was not generally considered as of much value unless it should be as a pacemaker for Bill Howard or Miss Elm. She was known to be old and rheumatic and the surprise was general when she turned out to be a winner this season. As the record printed above shows she ran first five times and second eight times out of 17 starts and won $900 for her owners. She has certainly earned the comforts of a box stall for the winter.

One of the best photographs that has been exhibited here is a large instantaneous view of the finish of the first heat in the race between Chris Peterson, Little Frank and Antrima at the Western Montana fair. Their owners, Messrs. Hanson, Sterling and Higgins were driving and the picture reveals some novel sulky positions. In the crowd along the stretch are seen numerous familiar figures, among them the form of Mayor Keith. The picture is an excellent one and has attracted considerable attention.

Dr. J. J. Buckley has purchased from Jack Sheppard of Victor a yearling gelding pacer that promises to make a great road horse. He already shows good speed and "he doesn't know a thing but pace."

John Balliou has some of the Bay Bird yearlings and 2-year-olds in training and is bringing them out in good shape.

There is a possibility of a match race between Antrima and Chris Peterson for $500 a side, if the owners can agree upon a date.

Mr. A. W. Hillard,

Representing O. K. Lewis & Co. of Butte will be at the Hotel Florence to-morrow, Monday, for a few days only, with a complete line of furs of this well-known firm's own make. Call and see them. Furs remodeled; estimates given. Prices less than in the East. Qualities no better.