The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-22
THE TROTTERS' PARADISE.
A Visit to Wall-Street Stockholders
Stable Of Fine Horse-FIesh.
Frank Works $4,000 Stud of Great Trotters
An Affectionate Owner-The Man Who
Never Sells His Horses.
Letter in Chicago Tribune.

/ tne name Oh MT. FRANK w rK Is Iamlllar as that
J of one of the best known road riders in the
country, while to the general public he is known
as successful Wallstreet broker and
speculator in stocks 1t is not, how
ever, matter of general knowledge that
DIR. Work, in addition to possessing one
team Of horses that has become famous by its
performances on the road and track, and other
animals of less speed and repute has constructed
for their occupancy barn which is unquestiona-
blythe mostcomplete, expensive and luxuriously
appointed building of its kind in the world. 1t
is, in feet, the only stable of any consequence
which is used exclusively for the road horses of
private gentleman, and in this respect alone
warrants more than passing notice. Messrs.
Vanderbilt, Bonner, Cohenfeldt and the Rookie
teller brothers have erected in the upper part Of
| New York city stables in the building of which
fortunes have been spent, but all these are used
alike for the trotting and carriage horses of their
owners, while that OF Mr.. Work is devoted
solely to the animals which have been purchased
for his own private driving, and over which no
other man ever pulls a line.
| Ringing a bell at one of the smaller doors
which stand on either side Of the massive bronze
ones through which the owner of Edward and
| Dick Swiveller drives his famous pair when
| starting out for an afternoon on the road the
| visitor is admitted by quiet-spoken and bust
| ness like young man into the front portion of
| the main floor of the barn. There is none of
| the trumpery and too evident attempt at display
to be seen in some other establishments of like
character, but Oh every side are evidences of
| what money can do in the way of building up
| home for horses whose owner takes an active
personal interest in their welfare. On each side
of the great room are handsome box-stalls, built
of oak, and finished in most tasteful manner
There are six of these boxes, and in addition,
four stalls of the ordinary kind. The first two
boxes the left are those occupied by Edward
and Dick Swiveller the first pair of horses to
beat 2:20 to pole and whose record of 2:l64 is
surpassed by that of only one team. Edward,
who is considered a trife the better of the two,
being more resolute fnisher at the end of a
fast mile, is a chestnut gelding, bred in Mchi-
gan, and Toalded in 1871. He is Hambletonian,
and began trotting at an early age one of his
first appearances being in q over the Dexter
Park track in this city, in 1876, when he trotted
IN large field OF horses, all being beaten by the
| famous stallion, Governor Sprague that during
the same season got record of 2:20s. which, at
that time, was the fastest ever made by five
year-old horse and within half second of the
fastest ever made by stallion of any age.
Edward was third at the finish of this race
against Governor Sprague, a gray mare called
Mambrino Kate being the only one able to beat
him, and he showed so much speed and endur
| ance, and was so level-headed and we'll behaved,
that borsemen at once predicted for him brill
liant future These predictions were fulfilled a
year later, when he won a race over the rather
slow track at Utica n Y, from an exceptionally
strong field, getting record of PIG Not long
after this he was purchased by Mr.. Work, and
his subsequent performances, since being owned
by that gentleman, have shown him to be as
good pole horse as there is in the country
Dick Swiveller, his mate, is a bay gelding, so
that in point of color the team is not a closely
matched one, but color is never taken into ac-
count when getting together g pair from which
exceptional speed is anticipated, everything else
| giving way to similarity of gait and disposition
in the horses that are to be driven together
| Swiveller is also a Hambletonian and his record
| is 218, and the fact that these two horses, one
with record of 219 and the other with record
| of 2:18, trottea mile together in 2:164 proves
conclusively what has long been maintained by
| men of experience in such matters, that with
two horses Of similar temperament and uniform
ity of gait much faster mile can be made than
either of them is capable Of showing in single
harness.
Mr.. Work has had many other horses since he
became prominent among road-riders of New
York. but Edward and Dick Swiveller are by far
the best team he ever owned, and have served
him so long and we'll that it is no wonder he val
ues them highly He drives them every pleasant
day, all the year round, and, in consequence the
other animals in his stable are not overburdened
with work Among these ara Regina, very
fast young mare that trotted a mile in 2:32 as a
was presented to Mr.. Work by Ex-Governor Stan
ford, of California; Bill Thunder, a horse that
George Brasfeld, of this city brought out and
developed before he sold to Mr.. Work. and 9TH
ers of less repute. The box-stalls are different
from those ordinarily seen in barns, not being
built up high on any side, although open
iron work prevents the horses from getting at
each other. Mr.. Works idea is that plenty of
light is as essential to the happiness of horse
as that of man, and he allows the animals to
do whatever peases them so long as it does not
result to their injury. His horses can see each
other at all times, and can witness all that is
going on in the barn. There is no shouting at and
striking of horses by brutal grooms. Every
animal is treated kindly-that is the first thing
which Mr.. Work instills into the minds of those
whom he employs in the care Of his trotters, and
the good results Of this policy are shown in the
fact that Dick Swiveller, who, when Mr. Work
first bought him. was esteemed a vicious horse,
is now gentle as a kitten, and that other
horses whose tempers were none of the best
have been so changed that anyone may, with
safety, enter their stalls.
In the front of the building the second story
has been made into suite of rooms for the use
of Mr.. Work when he visits the barn, and as a
| place to which he can invite his friends when
social game of cards or petit souper is in order
There are kitchen, dinning-room parlor, a
bed room, wineclosets. etc., these being reached
| through hallway, and the private entrance to
| this portion of the building is on Fifty sixth
street 1t was in these rooms that Tribune
representative met Mr.. Work not long ago,
| wishing to learn from him something concerning
his horses. He is large, fine looking man. with
the high complexion that comes from years of
good living, and the effect of this is intensified
| by his snowy white moustache. He talks de-
| liberatey evidently weighing his words before
uttering them and is personally a man whom it
is pleasure to meet, as he is a thorough gentle
man-which means that he is transformations
and does not imagine that his wealth separates
| him from the generality of mankind
What do you do with your horses Mr.. Work,
| after they become unfit for useg Do you sell
| themg"
81 have sold but one horse in forty years"
| was the reply. II don't believe in that sort of
thing. If buy horse and do not like him
get rid of him right away; but if he suits me
and use him for my own driving / never sell
him, no matter how soon he may break down. or
become sick, CIR otherwise uuft for use have
e al I.r