The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1879-08-07
SLEEPY TON.
The Biography 0f the Fast PAGER
Lower Down Even than Goldsmith
MaId Col.

Maid Col.
lAenia special TO Cincinnati Commcrcial.l
Green county as justly proud OF
her wonderful PAGER, Sleepy Tom,
whose recent achievements upon The
track have excited the admiration oi
amazed thousands at the leading
races of the season. His history is
no less interesting than his un.
-aquaied going" and I gave il as it
has been gathered, from such sources
as warrant its truth in every Iaitlcu-
lar. He was foalded in the village II
Bel,brook. this county, June %, 1868.
His dam, Sam, Hazard mare, then
kept for breeding purposes alone, was
twentp years old at the time OF his
birth. She WAS a line PAGER, and Was
formerly owned by Wm. Simmerson,
who used hei as a saddle mare Old
Pocahontas was Toms graDdam, and
made her best time, 2.l7. while car
rying Toms sire. old Tom Rolf
Mr.. Isanc Dineler, Of BellbrCok.
paid $50 for the cbauce OF the colt,
and when he Was three years old had
him trimmed. aud then put him in
charge OF his son Charley, who began
training him upon the liver bottom
track. near the village and greatly
injured the young horse instead OF
improving him. His first lace was
paced on the Dayton fair grounds.
against brown Gipsey mare; time
B :55. The best time ever made by
Tom while owned by Mr.. DiuSler was
2:224, which he mado while pacing
against Sleepy George, Nellie Gran
ger, Tom Hendricks and Bay Sally,
at the Piqne races. While being
trained by Mr.. Dingler. on ihe Day
ton track, in 1874. from too much
hard driving he took severe cold,
which settled in bis eyes, causing f.
nally the total loss of his sight.
Under the management Clem.
Beachie, OF Lebanon. Ohio, he was
shut out" on 2:4S time. La the fall
Of 1875. Mr.. Diugler then Withdrew
him from the track as his eyesight
was almost gone, aud his pacing con-
sidered at an end. and soon after sold
him to carriage painter by the name
Of Millard, for note 1922, approved
by Ephra M Bumgardner, of Bell
brook. Miilard abused the horse
shamefully. AT one time be hitched
him 10 a sleigh and drovs him seven
teen miles in seventy minutes, and
had qe not been stopped and arrest
ed for fast driving by the civil au-
rhorities o. Spring Valley, he would
have driven him still farther. When
ihe sleighiDg season was al out pass
ed that winter, Millard drove him TO
this city and succeeded in making "a
trade with VIM. Ii. Cory, who kept a
lNciy duu ictu otdDic Hcic. ne
though he bad driven good bargin
when he accepted in lieu Of the blind
horse u crippled three-year old colt,
known as "Gum- elastic Bill" a
a schyster watch, and a quart OF
shotgun whisky, all valued at about
$32. Cory held possession Of The
hotse for some time, but put him 10
little more u nn ordinary use. His
late owner and successful driver still,
Stephen G. Phillips, OF this city, kept
a close watch over the horse during
this time, aud was not known 10 de
clare more than ouce that he would
yet own Sleepy Tom il il took every
cent he could rake and scrape up to
buy him, and be finally succeeded in
driving a bargin with Cory and Sc
curing the horse at small cost, not
TO exceed hundred dollars il i said.
He began Immediately to give him "A
careful and thorough training, and
after last years rather unsuccessful
course upon the track at the races,
has at last produced the wonder OF
the day, Sleepy Tom, the hero OF the
unequaled pacing time 2:l2l, at the
Chicago races last week, and the win
ner Of the races this year at Jackson,
Mich, East Saginaw. Mich, Toledo,
Cincinnati. Louisville, Columbus and
Chicago, against the best competi.
ton the county has yet produced /:
and the horse which sold at Colum
bus for $4,000, and will no doubt
take in the $50 900 at Buffalo.