The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-08-23
In Editors TrOtters.

Robert Bonnc,'s StaJles--His Latest
Purchases - Gossip -A6oM Famous
Ro0dsters.
There is widespread passion in
| America for tho ownership of trotting
| horses, and in this respect Mr.. Bonner,
| the editor of the New York Leclger, is
unusually fortunate. The perfection of
his stables is Il matter of national COM
ment, for, with beauty of architecture,
they combine every requisite fof the
health and comfort of the horses. The
ventilation and drainage are excellent.
Every stall has a false door though
which all refuse passes to scrub floor
of cement, whence it is carried into the
sewers. The floor on which the horse
stands is perfectly Lowell, thus avoiding
that straining of tho tondOns of the legs
conscqent upon standing on an inclined
surface. The sides of the boxes are Of
tsmooth wooden panels, which present
no hold for the horse to seize with his
teeth, and thus prevents his acquiring
the habit of biting and "cribbing." The
partitions are carried high enough to
prevent the horses from annoying each
other 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 possibly reduce labor and
improve the candition of the horses has
been adopted.
The first horse the visitor inquiries for
is Dexter, undoubtedly the highest type
of the American trotter. He is a brown
horse, with white legs, stands fifteen
and q half hands high. and is thirteen
years old. His head and neck are finely
formed, his eyes brilliant, his shoulders
well placed, his legs and feet firm, and
his back and loins powerful. For
horse of his size, his thighs are immense.
1t is almost unnecessary to allude to
his breeding. He can be traced to i'm.
ported Messenger on the sire's side, and
to imported Diomed (the winter of the
first English Derby on the dams side.
He was first trained by Hiram Wood
ruff and it is not little singular that in
Mr.. Bonner stable, standing in adjoin-
ing stalls, are the two horses Dexter
and Poerless) behind which Hiram
Woodruff made the best time he ever
made in his life, driving the former in
harness and the latter to wagon in 2;23i
But Woodruff died before Dexter's
speed was fully developed, though he
had premonition that even the 2:18 1.G
which he had seen him make under
the saddle on the Fashion course would
in time be surpassed. He was right In
this expectation; 10,0OOpeoplc saw Dex
ter trot heat against Ethan Allen and
his running mate in 2:1G, although by
regulation, the horse was not allowed
to claim that record. 1t is not asserted
however, that he is entitled to tht
record Of 2:1G as winning record, bu
that it isjustly his due as the time rec
ord of public performance.
Budd Doble has stated that he drove
, him in 2;l4i In private, while in pub
> lie race he drove him In 2;17}, and {
half mile in l.06. Good judges bellev
, that by far his greatest achievement
. was the day when Mr.. Bonner drov
him on the Prospect Park course, wac
, on and driver weighing 3l9i pounds, /
2:2li-a performance which, ,considerln
the weight carried and the state of tn
track, was equal to 2;li, 1t is now fou
years since Mr.. Bonner gave hischeck fC
500, 900 for Dexterand withdrew thehors
from tho turf, and there Is little dout
= that DaXter's speed is greater now tha
: 1t was when ho trotted in 2:l7l in Buffal
s. In the hands of Budd Doble. When NJ
=, Bonner purchased him II was said tn,
;, he would be valueless, as he could q,
. be driven with safety on the road. 81
), kindness and good management pr,
7 duced their legitimate results, and NJ
I Bonner drives him regularly on Il
y, road and through the Central park.