St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-27

horses belonging to Mr.. Rockefeller last year
that trotted in pairs in 2:21H, and one OF
them was three-year-old."
Adjoining the room known as the stable is
an apartment devoted to walking the horses,
it being necessary that trotters should have
certain amount of exercise every day, and as
1t is not always convenient to drive them on
the road they are given this exercise with
boy on their back. AS the neatly-dressed
grooms brought out one animal after another
Mr. Gilbert discoursed as to their merits and
value.
''Mr. Rockefeller has not as many horses as
some people," he said, 'but they are all
good ones, and represent large amount OF
money. He has refused $50, 900 for indie
pendence and 30, 900 for Cleora, which makes
that team represent $50, 900. For Day Dream
he paid 5000 for Enchantress $1,000. for
Kate Sprague SO, 600, for Kate Hall $4,000,
for Femme Sole $1,000, for Calamus $1,000,
for Magic So, 500, making over $780, 900 in
vested in driving horses"
The room in which the horses are walked is
an airy one, 50x22 in dimensions, and
skylight gives plenty of light and air.
Alter Independence and Cleora had been
shown Enchantress was brought out She is
beautiful bay mare, 1.-THE, active, and bears
striking mblance to the ex-queen
of the turf, Goldsmith Maid, although
not as fast, having a pole record OF
2:2115. She was bred near Philadel-
phia, being sired by Happy Medium, horse
that is a son of Rysdyk's Ham bletouian and
the famous old-time trotting mare Princess
that was formerly owned in Chicago, and
that trotted such good long-distance race
against Flora Temple good MANY years
ago. Enchantress was driven good deal
last season with Femme Sole, the latter be-
ing three-year-old that was purchased in
Kentucky last spring, she having been bred
by Mr.. R. s. Veech of Louisville, banker,
who is largely interested in the breeding of
trotters and on whose farm Trinket, record
2:14, was foaled. Day Dream, another Ken
lucky mare, and that made a record OF
2:21I as a four year-old, is also in the
Rockefeller stable, Magic completing the list
of those now at the New York city barn.
OTHER HIGH-PRICED ONES.
On the Connecticut farm are number of
others, some of which have seen their best
days. Kate Sprague, black mare by Gov.
Sprague, for which Mr.. Rockefeller paidS10,
900 because she had a record of 2:1S, is one
of these. Although very fast mare Kate
Sprague was always great one to lug and
pull on the bit, and this made her unfit for
use on the road. Calamus. a $1,000 mare
bred in Wisconsin, was another bad invest
ment, as she was never able to equal her
record of 2:2411S, and was not particularly
well endowed in the matter of stamina
Kate Hall cost little over $4,000; but was
hardly worth the money. She got record
OF 2:241a some years ago at Buffalo, and
after doing this her driver attempted to
throw the race by pulling her. He was
''Red Bilr' Mclaughlin, well-known
character on Western race-tracks, and man
who, in the days when Jim Rocky and
''Nosey" Brown were in their prime, was con-
sidered a first-class artist in the sulky; but
of late years he has rather fallen behind the
procession, and is not now classed with such
men as Johnston, Doble, Splan and Turner.
On the Con necticut farm Mr.. Rockefeller has
built one of >the best half-mile tracks in the
country, and his horses are prepared there
every spring for the fast work of the sum-
mer His ambition is to have the fastest
double team, but at the present time his
2:1615 pair only occupy third position.
THE MAN WHO SELECTS THE TRoTTERs.
On the second floor of MIR. Rockefeller's
barn will be found the extra carriages, three
in number, and in summer the sleighs are
kept there. In the front of the building are
sleeping rooms for the grooms, there being
six of them, and in the back part are
three Jersey COWS, each having big box
stall to herself. They are brought
down from the Connecticut farm every
fall in order that the Rockefellers
may have pure milk and plenty of it during
the months they reside in the metropolis,
and the cows seem contented and satisfied
while in their curious quarters thirty feet
above the ground Over all this establish
ment Mr.. j. B. Gilbert presides, and his
family lives in an elegant fiat which forms
the third story of the barn. He is a man of
rare good judgment regarding trotters, his
purchases of fast horses having been made
with care and discretion. He has driven Mr..
Rockefeller's teams in all their fast miles,
and forty years of experience with trotters
has enabled him to build up and maintain a
reputation for ability and honesty which
serves him well with gentlemen who are on
the lookout for fast horses as he is called
upon more frequently than any other man in
his profession to fill orders for this class of
animals, and it is proverbial in New York
that "Gilbert never buys poor horse"