The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-02-25
TRoTTIHa HORSES

We find, in the Vermont .THdard .
printed OF Woodstock in Windsor Co .
VT AN essay read before the Farmers
Meeting at Bethel Jan. ~ 1873, by VIM, .
G.. Danforth, of Barnard Mr. Danforth .
is a brother Of one of the editors Of this /
paper and ha, had some experience and
success in breeding stock Much of the (
essay is only Of local interest. and that We
ouit,--but some portion Of it may be Of
general interest to stock breeders in this .
region We make the following extracts
The trotting horse Is study oi which f.
M man need be ashamed, or feel as was 7
IL b. low calling When We find that
there are millions Of dollars expended in
stock FARMS and ~ many men of culture
and means spending their time and money
~ breed trottprs and SOME of them 50
successfully that fortunes aud regulations
are sometimes made from the breeding Of
single colt then we might feel assured
that it is a business which requires careful
study and close confinement Of mind as
well as expenditure Of money. and becomes
lll llNllIIl Ablt iAlulAka I uF Ndl hEllullA
Of late years for tr0tting horses for
private drivers has increased the price Of
first class trotters % such enormous pro-
portions that It has become a matter ofex.
IRENE interest IN horse breeders ~ find
the hest blood The public are always
ready and eager to pay literally for an cx-
hihitiOn Of speed and IL the owner of q
hrst-class trotter wishes 10 sell, he has no
more trouble % find buyer than man
would have a. dispose of United States
bonds II is therefore for the interest OF
an who would make the trOtting horse a
study, whether with the view to buying for
his own use, or TO train aud sell again, or
breeding for the market IN study well the
hrst-class horses OF the present time. and
their different pedigree> and blood Ther
he will be IN better condition To judg,
which is the best blood To breed from
There are many families Of trotting horses
and nearly all contain virtues enough, $,
that any one might occupy our time the
whole evening but rs my time mus
necessarily be short i can speak of only
few.
We have now living eighteen horse,
that have public record of 2:23 or bet
ter seven that have beaten 2.2U five thai
have beaten 2:l9 three that have heater
lis, and one that has beaten 2:l7. Thes,
records are all procured by public trials il
races, while the horses have been score,
and started by chosen judges, and time,
by the proper authorities. As no relianc
can be placed upon private time, therefor
10 would be useless 10 attempt 10 nam
any. And of all these horses nearly one
half are Hambletonian; either children O
grandchildren of the celebrated Rysdy
HambletOnian. Now when we look q
these facts we readily come TO the cOnclu
sion that the Hamblet0nian must stan
hrst But we must bear in mind that tn
Hambet0nians have generally been bre
by wealthy breeders who have used
great deal of sagacity in the crosses. witt
out much regard 70 expense MUG
might be said Of other breeds. a. for il
stance, Ethan Allen who comes in with
family Of fourteen that have beaten 80
Young Columbus with a family of six tina
have made their mark below 23O Tn
MOrrills also have produced some of tn
best trUtters on the turf Also the Claws
two OF whom, American Girl and Iucv
have beaten 2;lg. But in NO instanc
have we a record in which first class tro
ting horse has shown himself 10 be such i
public races, lasting out through the rae
with stamina enough 10 do himself an
owner credit, without we find him 70 Tbe
well bred horse, springing from goo
blood, unless we except the Californi
Wonder, Governor Stanford's Occiden
This horse makes no claim TO blood, b.
calls himself n cold blOOded sprout, or
dunghill, and his public performance r
Gently must have convinced his friends
the truth Of this claim. Now, when v
have seen, within few years, sthe trottir
time brought down from go 10 2.163, an
then when we have found one horse, O
Lady Suffolk, trotting under saddle
30. We now find about twenty horses q
ing 70 harness in 2:23 or better, and 20
beaten 40 times. And where we fin
prices OF three years old gelding colts o,
ing up from $500 to S2u,OOO. then y
might well begin to ask the question
Shall we breed trotters? When we kno
that one man in Orange County n. Y
has raised and sold from his farm 500
600 worth Of colts in three years, and ne
haps many others a. large, or larger ;
amount-all trotting colts then we W
inquire again: Shall Vermont raj
trotting cOltsP
When we every day see capitalists al
mOnied men Of our country securing d
State 10 find a trotting horse witho
much clubbing about price, shall we st
TO our farmers give your attention
sheep; when every horse buyer in Il
country wants speed and is willing to p;
for IT, shall we offer him horse only
for cart2 While our neighbors a
Vrowing rich in money and reputatio
breeding the fine and noble animal-tl
h4orse-shall we with our rich pasture
ueyote them TO the culture Of cattle al
sneep, which with our long and rigoro
W .aLI1 rs viii hardly afford man comic
y
some people will say that it takes d
right KIND OF q man to sell a horse for
great price, but tell Won ,o mysr an
you only have the speed Vo, s anl um =
If you only have the right co arS an MI rign
play your hand well And soms you 6, q
think the farmer stands the best e, ohle.
for then the purchaser depends ,na anc
deal upon what the colt is GOING t -
when he changes hands, and he viii oF,
pay for speed that he doesn't get NJ NJ
when we sit down and see what our neiS