Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-07-31

A History Of the Fastest. PAGER Ever
Known, with q short Account of
His Races.

EAGTeEEr PAGER
Known. with a short Account Of
His Races.
The horsemen in this city were very
enthusiastic over the great race and fast
time of Sleepy Tom at the meeting of
the Columbus Driving Park Association,
week before last. At that time he made
the remarkable time of 2:1415, the fastest
on record. He beat even this at Chicago
by two seconds, and is now considered the
prodigy of the turf. The news of the
race at Chicago was most enthusiastic
ally received in this city, and the great
PAGER is still the subject of comment
among horsemen. They do not know
what to expect next.
The Xenia Torchlight, in its pride for
a Green county horse. has gathered some
valuable facts in regard. to Sleepy Tom.
He was foaled on the 22d day of June,
1868, in the village of Bellbrook, Green
county. His dam was Sam Hazard
mare, and at the birth of Tom was twenty
years of age, being then only used for
breeding purposes. She was formerly
owned by VIM. Simmerson, who used her
for saddle mare, and was a very fine
PAGER. TOMS G. d. was old Poeahontas,
and carried Toms sire, old Tom Rolf,
| when she made her best time which was
2:1715. Mr.. Isaac Dingler, of Bellbrook.
paid $50 cash for the chance of Tom, and
! at the age of three years had him trim
! med, and put his son Charley to training
/ him on the river bottom track much to the
| injury of the horse. His first race was
OH the Dayton Fair Grounds, and against
a brown Gypsy mare: time, 1855. The
! best time that Tom ever made while
| owned by Mr.. Dingler was at the Piqua
races, his opponents being Sleepy George,
] Nellie Granger, Tom Hendricks and Bav
| Sally; time, 2:2215. Tom commenced
/ going blind while Mr.. Dingler was train
! ing him on the Dayton track, in 1874,
| him a severe cold which settled in his
] eye. In the fall of 1875 Glenn Beachie, of
/ Lebanon, took him and had him 'tshut
| out'' on 2 :4S time. His eyesight at this
| time was almost entirely gone, and Mr..
| Dingler concluded that his speed days
were over and drew him off the track.
/ Soon after this he sold him to a carriage
painter by the name of Milliard for $I25
| note, approved by Ephraim Bumgardner.
| But this man Mjlliard used him brutally,
| driving him to sleigh, and on one oeca-
| sion made him go seventeen miles in sew
| enty minutes, and would have driven
him farther had not the civil authorities
of Spring Valley stopped and arrested
him for fast driving. At the latter part
of the sleighing season Milliard drove
him to Xenia and traded him to VIM. III.
Cory, getting in return a crippled three
year old colt known as F'Gumalastic
Bill, - a shyster watch, and quart of
shotgun whisky, amounting in all to about
thirty dollars. Mr.. Cory owned the
horse for some time, but did not do much
with him. All this time, though, the
eve of Mr.. Stephen c.. Phillips, his pres
ent owner, was upon the horse, and Phil
lips was often known to declare that he
would yet possess Sleepy Tom if it took
every cent he could rake and scrape, and
he finally drove soma kind of a bargain
with Cory and came into full possession
of the horse. Phillips set about immed-
| iofa IVyi friTr hi frai
and though during last years racing he
was not very successful, has produced
horse that is wonder.
The first race in which Tom partieipat-
ed this season was atJackson, Michigan,
where he entered the track with Sleepy
George, Matte Hunter, Switzer, Rowdy
Boy, Lucy and Sally as competitors, and
carried away the stakes. From Jackson
he next went to East Saginaw, where he
paced six of the fastest heats ever known,
competing against the same horses, and
distancing Sleepy George and SwItzer.
He won this race by taking the third fifth
, and sixth heats-Rowdy Boy taking the
two first in 2 is and 2:161z and Matte
Hunter the fourth. This is said to be
the greatest race on record Tor SIX stralghb
heats the slowest time in any heat being
1917. From thence he went to Toledo.
| At Toledo he won the two first heats, and
l ! ! was in fair way to F'scoop'' in the third :,
! when Rowdy Boy cOllided with him, and
I Tom got his leg fast in the wheel of the
suIky drawn by Rowdy Boy, and was
thrown to the ground, and lost the heat,
I | allowing Sally to come up and take it in
: 2 :2S. By this accident Phillips was thrown
from his sulky and had his hand badly
, injured, and the race was postponed until
: the next day, when John Splan, driver OF
Z Rarus. put Tom through in 2334, win
t ming the heat and race. He was nexi
: taken to Cincinnati, and won in three
: straight heats, competing against Rowdy
q Boy, Matte Hunter and SwitZer. He
i next appeared at Louisville, and won il
i three straight heats on the Louisville
= track, his time being 161a and l714.
e After this hard service he returned tC
Xenia and rested few days before com
y ing to the Columbus races, and his WOrl
!, at the Fair grounds in this city is known
u to all the readers OF this paper. Witt
= the close of the races in this city he had
= taken 81, ,400in premiums this season. Mr..
Phillips took Sleepy Tom from this city
! to Chicago, and there he has Won still
greater laurels. He goes next to Cleve
!, land, and the news from that city will bC
watched with interest this week. Tht
races of the Forest City Club begin to
Z morrow and continue till Friday. Many
of the hOrsemen of this city, who have
: become so much interested in Sleepy
= Tom, expect to go to Cleveland to SET
him again on the track. From Cleve
land Mr.. Phillips goes to Buffalo, wher
{ he will enter Sleepy Tom in the "free fo
T. alp race-$500 entrance fee, Robert Bon
d d ner Offering $4,000 for the winning
% horse.