The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1886-11-17

rur OPERATIONS OF Col. w. G. morrill,
On TIE TRACK.

In the last ten years no man In Maine
has stuck to horse-trotting as a business
nr taken 50 much out of it a. Col. w. G..
Merrill of Pittsfield. The colonel's hors.
ss have not made him rich. but have Civ.
ON A good dividends as almost any other
nroperty of equal value would have done
Hq has managed his business on business
principles and is one of the very few men
that have tried II who are not sick of It,
For eight years In succession he has taken
first money In the Hartland races accord
ing to an exchange.
In 1878 Col Morrill, became the owner
Of the mare, Little Nell, and got his first
taste of the track. Little Nell made a
record of 2.4lf and won one of two races
She died on his hands that winter. The
Colonel's next trottcr was a mare called
Milo Maid. She trotted few races, but
did not amount to much and SPAWN
came on her. After while the Colonel
turned her in towards AroOstook BOY,
one of the most successful campaigners
ever owned in Maine, but in the meantime
he tried two or three others. One of
them was the stallion Gen. Berry, BY
Gen. Knox, which was more of stock
horse than trotter. Then he found a
of |. II. Crowell, of Corinna, for 81 $50
In cash. Camors was great worker.
He trotted eighteen races In one wear.
won nine of them, was distanced twice
and took second money in most of the
others.
Camors made a record of 2.30 Col.
Morrill, sold him in the spring of 1880 to
Stephen Cover, of Biddeford for 81 800
camors afterwards went out of the State
and made record of 2.25t lie has been
PLAYING the part of ringer for several
wears, and the Colonel has lost all trace
of him.
Arootook Boy, the most successful
horse the Colonel has ever owned, has an
interesting history. He was raised by
Nelson Ilerrin of Topsham. When the
colt was not quite two year old, his own
er was offered 81 800 in cash for him by
Thomas McAlOon, well-known sporting
man of Bangor, and refused to accept it,
He made mistake. When Col Morrill,
bought the horse he paid only $500 for
the Boy. He bought him of Mr. II. L..
Brockway, of Dover, into who hands he
had passed. Col. Morrill, campaigned
Aroostook Boy for three years He trot-
ted forty races in that time and won 1913
90 in purses, besides what he earned in
the stud. Aroostook Boy a few years
ago went TO Aroostook county, and is
kept for service in the stud. He is now
q years old, and is owned by A. p. Bren-
man. His record Is 2.3lj, made on the
State Fair track at Lewiston. He was
sired by Old Abe, and he by the old Drew
horse. Dam unknown.
Knox Girl was an obscure mare who
won two races and was Immediately sold
for a family horse by the Colonel.
In 1881 he bought the gray mare, Sur
prise, which he owns now, of f. II.
Nealv, of Monroe, Me-, for $500. He
has campaigned her four seasons and she
has trotted 60 races in which she has won
81, 400. During the first season in which
the Colonel put Surprise on the track she
trotted the circuit with George o.
aud Frank F., at Portland, Lewiston and
Bangor They made famous trio in six
good, hot races. Surprise played for sec
ond money-neyer won a heat unless she
was obliged to and made record of on
" 2.3Sf, which she has since lowered to
2.2Si. This summer she was cut at Ban
gor and has not trotted much 1t would
not be strange if somebody should pick
up Surprise before another season and
take her out of the State. Surprise is by
Gray Dan, he by Gideon.
Plumed Knight, now owned by Col.
Morrill,. he bought three years ago last
June of J. O. Lander, of Dover, for Sl.2-
co. He has since started in twenty-eight
races and won ten of them, although for
the first year and half he did not start
to win heat, but won second money
nearly every time and was able to trot in
the three minute classes, as he had no rec
ord. He made none until the fall of 1881
when he came under the wire in 2.3St in
a three-minute race at Lewiston. In 1885
Plumed Knight won 81 100. There were
only two horses in the State that won
more money that year. Those were Jack
Spratt and McLain. Plumed Knight has
record of 2.3lt. His sire is Mike Logan,
he by Jules ferguson, he by Gen. Knox.
The Colonel tells me that according to
his figures Gilbreth Maid, owned by Mr..
II. A. Brick of Lewiston, has taken more
money than any other Maine horse this
season, and that Glenarm comes next.
When | started" says the Colonel,
there were only three horses in Maine
that could trOt in go. Now there are
thirteen. 1t is not so easy to win a race
as it used to be, but | expect to have u
good one to give green horses rattle
next DISQUALIFICATION.