Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-30
SINGLETON'S SILVER HEEL,
Quaint "reminiscences IN the Life o.
an Illinois Congressman.

WASHINGTON, January 13.-Gener.
al James W. Singleton of Illinois Is a
short, stout man, with forid complex.
ion and a frosted sandy beard. He
has representative eleventh districthn
Congress- for two sessions. He wa,
anxious to stay longer, but after o
long and stubborn contest he failed of
denomination. He made an indie
pendent race thereafter and got it.
Many Of the boys who relish good
suppers will miss Singleton next win
ter. He is a high liver and q prince
of entertainers. His motto for years
has been ex optimus optimus, and 1t
has cost him many a rheumatictwinge.
He was once among the richest OF
western land owners, and Is said to
still possess a handsome fortune. He
has q team of stations in Washington,
said to be worth $40 900, and he
keeps q great number of thorough.
BREEDS at his place near Quincy. He
has raised some of the finest trotting
stock in the west.
The story of the way he came into
possession OF the famous stallion Silver
Heel, the greatest horse of his day, Il
worth recording. 1t was two or three
years before the race Singleton wa,
at his zenith. He was president oil
the st. Louis and Wabash road, and
he wanted to own the finest horse In
the world. He travelled all over the
country seeking for an equine king,
and finally, at the New York
state agricultural fair, he came
upon Silver Heel. He ascer.
tanned that the owner was Commodore
Vanderbilt. The commodore told
him that Silver Heel could not be
bought for five hundred Thousand dol.
lars. Singleton went back home dis.
appointed and disgrsted. Not long
after his return, Wabash stock took a
sudden boom. He was surprised one
day to see Vanderbilt walk in in him.
After a little chat the commodore
asked bluntly, "Sipgleton, when are
you going to let Wabash drop2"
81 don't know why you should ask
me such a question: was the reply OF
the general,
"Well, look here, now," rejoined
Vanderbilt; "you want the Silver
Heel, don't you2"
"Yss."
swell, tell me when Wabash ID
going to drop and the horse shall be
yours"
Singleton paused for q moment and
then replied, "Sell when 1t reaches
eighty fve."
The commodore departed. Wabash
went to eighty-6ve. Vanderbilt uu.
loaded, raked in his pile, and in due
course of time Silver Heel arrived al
Quincy in q special box car.
The general had now come into
possession of what he considered the
finest horse in the world. About this
time a jockey club in st. Louis bought
st. Lawrence, a well-known stallion,
for $40. 900 They got up an exhibl,
tlon for the following summer, offer,
Ing $40 600 premium for the best stall
lion. This offer coming to Slngleton'i
ears, he concluded that he would take
Silver Heel down and capture tn,
prize. There were three entries, St,
Lawrence, Msmbrino Chief, and Sill
yer Heel. Mambriuo Chief was the
property Of James Clay, Of Kentucky,
aud was noted as the sire o.
some very fleet trotters. Wher
the judges had been appointed
General Singleton inquired in whs.
pointa they desired excellence. They
responded: "In style and action
Singleton had d very light harness
made and a very lightsulky construct
cd for the occasion, and informed
Abrams, his trainer, that style anC
action, not speed, were required
When the horses came on the tract
Silver Heel was by all odds the ia
vorite with the great assemblage, blu
the award was given TO st. Lawrence
This enraged the general. He wen.
to the judges and demanded to know
In what points of "style and action.
st. Lawrence was superior to Suve
Heel. They informed him tina
the former showed create
speed. This exaspersted hir
still further. He accused Their
of having purposely misled him, an,
challenged them to trot him two day
~ r. an Nnn " nj