Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-12-27

Robert BOnner's StaEIes-His Latest
Purchases-GOssip About Famous



Robert BOnner's StabIes-His Latest
Purchases-GOssip About Famous
TrOtters.
There is a widespread passion in America
for the ownership Of trotting horses, and in
this respect, Mr.. Bonner, of the NeC York
Ledger, is unusually fortunate. The per-
fiction of his stables is matter of national
comment, for, with beauty Of architecture,
they combine every requisite for tie health
and comfort Of the horses. The ventilation
and drainage are excellent. Every stall
has a false floor, through which all refuse
passes to sub-floor of cement, whence it is
carried into the sewers. The floor on which
! the horse stands is perfectly level, thus
avoiding the straining of the tendons of the
legs consequent upon standing on an inclin-
ed surface. The sides of the boxes are of
smooth wooden panels, which present no
hold for the horse to seize with his teeth,
| and thus prevents his acquiring. the habits
of biting and ser bling" The
partitions are carried high enough to
prevent the horses from annoying each 9TH
er;the doors are of ornamental iron work,
| and around the building, outside, is tan
bark walk for exercising the horses in bad
weather. Every appliance that could pos
sibly reduce labor and improve the con-
dition of the horses has been adopted.
The first horse the visitor enquiries for is
Dexter, undoubtedly the highest type of the
American trotter. He is a brown horse,
with white legs, stands 154t hands high, and
is 10 years old. His head and neck are
finely formed, his eyes brilliant, his Shout
ders well placed, mis- legs and feet firm, and
his back and lons powerful For horse
of his size, his thighs are immense. 1t is
| almost unnecessary to allude to his breed
! ing. He can be traced to imported Mes
senger on the sire's side, and to imported
| Diomed (the winner of the first English
| Derby on the dams side. lie was first
| trained by Hiram Woodruff, and it is not
! little singular that in Mr.. Bonner's stable,
| standing in adjoining stalls, are the two
| horses Dexter and Peerless) behind
which Hiram Woodruff made the
| best time be ever made in his life, driving
| the former in harness and the latter to wa
gon, in 2:23I. But Woodruff died before
| Dexter's speed was fully developed, though
he had a premonition that even the 2:1S Is
| which he had seen him make under the
| saddle on the Fashion Course would in time
| be surpassed. He was right in this eXpecta-
ton, for 10000 people saw Dexter trot a
heat against Ethan Allen and his running
mate in 2:16, although, by an unjust regula-
! ton, the horse was not allowed to claim
| that record. 1t is not asserted, however,
that he is entitled 10 the record of PIG as a
winning record, but that it is justly his due
as the time record of a public performance.
| Budd Doble has stated that he drove him
| in 2:145 in private, while iii public race he
drove him in 2:l7.., and half mile in LOG.
! Good Judges believe that by far his greatest
| achievement was the day when Mr.. Bonner
! drove him on the l respect Park Course,
wagon and driver weighing 319a pounds, in
2:213-a performance which, considering
! the weight carried and the state of the track,
| was equal to 2:14. 1t is now
! four years since Mr. Bonner gave
his check for $4,000, fer Dexter, and
| withdrew the horse from the turf, and
! there is little doubt that DeXter's speed is
greater now than it was when he trOtted in
| PHI in Buffalo in the hands Of Budd Do
| BILE. When Mr.. Bonner purchased him it
was said that he would be valueless, as be
| could not be driven with safety on the road.
! But kindness and good management pro-
! dueed their legitimate results, and ME-, Bon
ner drives him regularly on the road and
through Central Park. t s
! In the neXt sian STANDS the gray mare
| Peerless, daughter of American star and a
Messenger mare. Like Dexter, she was
bred in that nursery for fast horses, Orange
county, and like him, also, was educated by
Hiram Woodruff, who drove her in public a
mile to wagon in 2.z3tt-a performance
which only Dexter has surpassed. Peerless
has proved failure as brood mare, but is
q fayorite roadster with Mr. Bonner, who
eften drives her double with the veteran
/ Lantern; the two making fine and fast
team.
Lantern comes next, and ii is only the