Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-10-07
THE AMERICAN TRoTTER.

county,
special Correspondence of State Journal.
SPEEDwELL, LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa,
Sept. 29.-Lancaster county is known
throughout the State of Pennsylvania as
the richest agricultural region in it. 1t
is also known throughout the country as
one of the most important tobacco-Rrow-
ing regions of the Union, to which proud
position she attained by gradual but
steady advances. 1t is within the memory
of young men when Lancaster tobacco
was not considered as nearly on par with
Connecticut, and was used only for fi'lers,
or wrappers for inferior cigars. Slowly,
but surely, this has changed aud the
farmers of Lancaster, with Increased
experience, have grown from yenr
to year better grade of ieat,
until at the present time their
product not only equals, but is recoguiz d
by manufacturers AZ superior to Oonnectl-
cut, and, their wrappers envelop some of
the finest cigars consumed in this country.
One of the advantages of Lancaster over
Connecticut is that the leaf has darker
hue, and, therefore, conforms more closely
to the taste of the smoker of the period.
The writer was recently told by Cuban
manufacturer in your city, that soue
brands of lancaster were nearly on y par
with Havana. So much for the tobacco
industry of this region, which is only al
luded to to show that Lancaster holds "a
high rank as cultivating county, and
deservedly 30.
THE HORSE
But this is not the subject which led me
to write, for all this was known by the
| public long before it was learned by the
writer himself. The object of this epistle
is to inform the people, and more especially
the people of Delaware, 30 close to Lam
caster county in location and interest, of
an enterprise concerning which compare
lively little is known by the outside world.
| Nearly every one has heard of the large
stock farms of Kentucky, where most of
the thoroughbred running and
much of the noblest-strained trotting
stock is raised. Orange county, New
York, is also known throughout the
United States as a nursery of trotters,
many of which in the past have won
honor and reputation for their ancestry
and place of nativity, and many more of
which give promise of equalling, perhaps
exceling their fore-runners' performances
but few know what it may be well for
your people to know-that here in Lam
caster county, among the rugged hills and
fertile valleys of Elizabeth township, il a
s,ock-farm of large and constantly iLcreas-
ing proportions, which it would be feast
for ANY lover of the American trotter to
visit aud inspect.
THE COLEMAN POSSES lions
Situated in almost the extreme north of
the county, - miles from the city of
l. ,ncaster and five miles north of the
town of Litiz on the Reading Il Columbia
railroad, where the Hammer creek reaches
point very few miles from the line of
Lebanon county, lies the farm bearing the
name which appears in the date line OF
this letter-rhe Speedwell Stock Farm. II
is one of II series owned by the Coleman
heirs, a family whose wealth has made il
known in metropolitan circles OF Robert
Coleman, one of these heirs, the following
facts, which appeared at the time
III the newspapers all over the
country, may be remembered MOI
more than two years ago MIR. Coleman, &
young man, was married to lady who,
with regard to financial wealth, was in
humble circunstances-the daughter of
clergy man. Mo. Coleman had resolved
that upon his marriage he would build tn,
L
vania. Accordingly he set the artisans tt
, work in an open field and had expended
$50 600 on the work when unfortunatel,
his wife died, and the husband imme
dlately had the walls Of the structure tori
down, the exc .yations filed up and th
, field plowed over.
3 These heirs, who are more general,
i known as "the Coleman heirs, ;" are tn,
: nf &c
4 ing some "a 600 acres in Lancaster ant
a Lebanon counties, and contain ng within
a the limits Of the latter a number of valua
. bic ore banks which in themselves are
3 continual source of wealth. This land i
A divided OF into farms under the manage
g ment of Oyerseers, and the one under con
[ slderation is at the southern extremity o
T. the Coleman possessions. The farm whicl
/, adjoins it on the north is partly devoted t.
4 ra sing fin, breeds of cattle.
& sPEEDwELL.
g But to return to the Speedwell farm
Z which is cultivated and shorn each seaso
. of tue crops of such staples as whea,
t corn and tobacco, but whose chief au
i most attractive feature is the trottin
II stock. This farm is under the direc
{ management of George f. Youtz, VIII,
t has subordinates ia charge of every dc
+. partment Of farm work. Upon the farr
u are PIP head Of horsetiash, exclusive O
draught horses. In the fields are sma
!, drOves of brood mares with sucking colt
II by their SIDES, while IN other parts ar
- cavasoades Of two yearoid colts Tn
e three year olta are all stabbed an
y made used to the halter an
ie curry-comb. Here aud there you see
y youdgsteE stroiling about with rein had
II fast to surcinRle and looking uncomfor
t. able; these hOpefuls are taking their lirs
u lessons with the bit more particularly ge
+ ting use to the feeling of that article i
tc the mouth, At this age, also, they al
l. broken to harness. first being hitche
y double and driven thus until they Al
10 10 ready for single exercise 1t is no unusu
ie sight to the people within five miles aroun
" to see team after team OF hign-steppin
u Young noblemen OF maidens of the Han
oletnnlan geneaiogy passing along the fiji
~ country roads.
"a THE RIPENING STOCK
he The four-year. olds are found in fiji
ut stalls mostly box stalls carefully groome
TO and as smooth as lookng-glass The
er mettle is being tested day after day an
nx great care is necessary to keep them
- proper trim. The three and four-yea
tie olds seem to be the most numerous,
ny they are sod of rapidly when they emit
~ their fifth year Ia fact there are scarce
rs huff u dozen five yenr-old4 on the plat
T. awaiting sale, and Sky ear. old would |
W curiosity The breaking, exercising al
he speeding are done 10y II. X. Bechtel,
Ia gentleman well knOwu in Wilmington,
hg or psat