lb THE NEW YORK HERALD, S1UNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1922. What Are tlhe Great Racehorse Stories and Why GERALD 1 By BEAUMONT, 2; river was sighted, and immediately all the Author of "Riders Up." horses were turned loose. Too late it Was seen that a between I ASKED a celebrated sportsman the deep gully lay the riv< r and the onrushing animals. It seemed other day the same question that is impossible to save a single horse. given at the head of this article, and Mahommed ordered his chiefsNeverthelessto his reply was: "Well, 111 bite; what are call to their favorite steeds. This was done they?" Whereupon I was tempted to and five royal mares left the stampede and returned to their masters. change the wording so as to read: "Where These faithful animals, the only ones were mated are the great racehorse stories and saved, why subsequently to the wild stallions of the not?" desert, and thus the pure Arab stock was Judging by the volume of "past perpetuated. Vnlittn^. I V. 1.. as represented by the Encyclopediaperformances" .........ro ua*c uccn written on tne of the World's Best Literature, if any of the thoroughbred, and the half nistoryhas not been told. What fictional writer of racing fiction ever attained the characters can match the glory of Eclipse, Matchem classic halls of he must have immortality ;v* and Herod, the three great sires to whom sneaked in through the back door when all racehorses, worthy the name, trace the judges were not looking. Nowhere in their pedigree? What fictional characters could do more than Dr. Ehot five foot book shelf do we And has been accomplished MNWK^ by Diomed. Lexington, Longfellow, Ten a Poe of the paddock, a of Shakespeare the Broeck, Salvator, Domiro, Hamburg and saddle, a Thackeray of the thoroughbred! ii on down the line to Man o' War and the Apparently the great minds of literature present day gallant campaigner, have found" highest expression when known to the racing worldExterminator,by the affectionate sobriquet of "Old Slim?" " with human emotions and humandealingen- deavors. Man has concerned himself Surely no author, dipping his quill into the well of fancy, could picture a more largely with Man. dramatic struggle than that which However, let the lover of King Horse on the old Long Island course,transpiredMay take heart. Picking winners is a difficult 27, 1823. when 100.000 persons gathered to see the celebrated task at its best, and I make no claim to "Eclipse against the world" race. And the being an experienced Eclipse kept faith, literary "tout," but defeating the Southern Sir these horse. Henry, t things seem to me to be true: in a desperate struggle that required three First.The racetrack is a modern four-mile heats before the victor was and we must look to moderninstitution determined. writers for its best interpretation. The modern racetrack is a world to of Second.Ever since man learned the offering every «vanety comedy,itself. pathos, drama and tragedy. The writer art of ex pre .sjon he has been striving may make his own selection of theme. He inadequately to express his admiration will find plenty of evil if he looks for it; for the thoroughbred. plenty of sordidness. commercialism and Third.The greatest racehorse stories vice. But if he studies the heart of the he will room have been enacted rather than thoroughbred have in his own written. for nothing but admiration. Whatever The romance and glory of the horse be- may be said about the pernicious influence longs to fact rather *han Action. of racetrack eamblinc. the thoroinrhbred Taking up the first point, I would itself represents only the most noble ties. I hold with that quali| to those interested in the subjectrecommendthe gallant British nobleman and patron of sport who wrote: volume on racing by the Earl of Suffolk Gerald Beaumont. Soft lies the turf on those who find their and Berkshire and W G. Craven from the The fact that human genius has not an do justice to the To rest Badminton Library Then Years of thoroughbred "Fifty turned more frequently and resolutely to quote Bret Harte: Beneath our common mother's ample Racing in America.1 by W. S. Vosburg. the horse for inspiration presents a "I love my God the first of all. breast. Unstained meanness, avarice or published by the New York Jockey Club. peculiar literary phenomenon. The Then Him that perished on the cross. by pride; They never cheated and never lied. And a third volume.The Autobiography regarded the horse its of divineancientsAnd next my wife, and then I fall they and They ne'er intrigued a rival to displace; of a Racehorse." by L. B. Yates origin attempted to express kinship Down on my knees and love the (Doran)J by the creation of the Centaur. No myth horse." They ran but never bet upon the race. These three books give a Content with harmless and comprehensive was eomplete without its equine heroes. One can almost understand how the sport simple and accurate account food. of the development Neptune rode over the sea in a chariot Kmperor Caligula came to his appoint Boundless in faith and love and of the sport it kings in England and drawn by steeds with golden manes and favorite horse lncitatU9 a Roman consul. America. braxen hoofs. Pturbus drove the golden Xo doubt the horse was more intelligent gratitude. Happy the man. if there l»e any such. chariot of the sun with three white horses. than the dissipated dandles of the Roman The lover of racing Action will find Of whom his epitaph can say as much. Pegasus to this day symbolizes the spirit i-i.urt. Also one can sympathize with the and graphic pen pictures in the humorof the poet. Primitive man got his greatest gentleman from Kentucky who on being stories of the late Charles K. racetrackVan thrill when he first mounted the horse and shown the equestrian statue of George traveled faster Loan, particularly the volume concerning than human agency tould Washington said: "Ah. yes.and what was OT Man Curry, the hewhiskered patriarch carry him. the breeding of the horse?" What do YOU know about But always ahead of fable and There is a of the "bush" tracks, who mixed his chew- fancy pretty legend connected with there has moved the actual thoroughbred, the of the racehorse. It tobacco ancestry appears the discovery of America ? mg with philosophy and named his and It fs so to this day. The horse has that during the time of Mohammed his horses after chancers in the Bible. For slaved for man in peace and died for him followers while crossing the desert suffered "In fourteen hundred and in and the writer sentiment and thnlia I rffommenJ John war, doesn't live who greatly from the lack of water. Finally a ninety-two Taintor Foote'g Columbus sailed the riftng stories, particularly ocean blue!" the well known L.iok of an Eagle." There are other writers, among them Authors' Works and That's all, isn't it? W S. Praser and Jonathan Brooks, who Ways READ are delighting preaent day magazine The Brick Row Book Shoft. Inc., of New In his South American adventures Mr. readers.York, for several years dealers In rare Foster drifted along the Andes and down books, first editions, manuscripts, etc now the Amazon without a cent in his The list seema small, indeed, but I can pocket, announces its plans for entering the but was fortunate enough to find a add to it only two more choice select iona Job field this winter. Its style is publishingwhenever he needed one. In his new book, "Ben-Hur' Ben-Hur' . Si>eed FU rnp Hnr»L-ot» tk« o-i«i, bidmondhe set out for the Fast with sufficient thee. Jew' . Take the wall Rook fitnilsj Kut fho liicL- tx-Kii>K h.i,l now? On: !ax>se Shop. Inc.. this imprint having -.he Arabs! him in his Q precedent in the arrangement previous travels had deserted Give them rein and scourge! Let him underhistoric which Henry Frowde for the him A fellow traveler ran away with his not have th-» turn on thee again! published University Press, as does Oxfordmoney and his clothes, leaving Mr. Foster . Humphrey Now or never' . Milford for the same to hike overland through the jungles of There you have it' As good a body to-«lay 149 Indo-Ohina and Siam. and to ride freight MARY of the human elements involveddescriptionin By JOHNSTON cars through the Malay States to a horse race as was ever given. Lew Robert H. Dodd announces the and learn the Gen. where he found his only romance, the bravery Wallace's "Iten-Hur." if only for the on December 15. of Volume publicationFour employmentSingapore, above as pianist in Kwong Bee's waterfront and, all, the truth of the chariot ra<>- in of the of belongs the library of every "Iconography Manhattan Island." resort amazing adventure which made our sportsman by I X. Phelps Stokes. The volume, which nation possible. The other volume I would recommend consists of a chronology from the sixth York " is entitled "Songs >f Horses" A. D . to has been On November 11 last Anna Katharine The AYw Tribune soys '1492' containing' century^ 1771, twelve is the best po- ms that have t»een written in years in preparation. Green celebrated her Tilth by odds the best book Mary Johnston birthday. Since has ever written." homage of the thoroughbred. The the publication of "The Leavenworth k,.