Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-25
MILLIONS IN 1T.
Some Interesting Facrs About the American
TrOttinR Rusinesa

Some Interesting Facts About the American
Trotting Business.
A correspondent of the Horsenldn this week
gives the following interesting facts regarding
the afluence of the American trotting busi-
ness:
The amount of capital invested in the busi-
ness is enormous, and its rapid growth is almost
startling. 1t is impossible for Us to give accu-
rate figures concerning the capital invested.
but we can give an approximate statement Of
the investment or value of few leading farms,
and we think we violate no confidence in doing
so. We know that number of breeding es-
adjustments make yearly estimates of their
property, or as merchants term it, take account
of stock. At the disposal sale of the Glenview
estate more than 100000 was realized. Il is
impossible to estimate the value of the Wood
is devoted to varied interests, but it de-
rives its great fame and its largest in
come from the trotting-horse department.
There are three stations. Belmont, Harold
and Lord RUSSELL whose service fee is $500, and
two at a fee of $500 Mr.. Brodhead is not an
advocate of excessive stud service, and about
As mares to each horse is his limit. There are
81 brood mares on the place, which would leave
about 50 outside mares to each horse, suppose
the number to be evenly divided and the in
come from stallion fees would be about S40, 0OO,
besides the value of the IS resident mares. Sup
pose we only estimate their service worth the
same as to outsiders and the total would be
about $50 900 for stud fees alone, supposing all
the mares to be In foal. But as this is not
probable, and 20 per cent would be fair esti-
mate. we have an assured income of not less
than S35, 900 from stud fees. Fifteen thousand
dollars each was paid for King Wilkes and
Falls, but we do not suppose an offer of 1000
each would be entertained. 1t is certain Bel
mont, Harold and Lord Russell would not be
for sale, but for sake of argument suppose we
estimate the five at SIS 600 each, and we have
total of Sl25,000 for five stations.
There are 50 brood mares, which we think at
auction would bring more than an average of
$4,000, which makes total of 100000. Then
there are a large number of colts and fillies
which would certainly bring an average OF
$1,000. which would swell the estimate to at
least 500 600 more. So that in the trotting
stock alone we have an estimated total of
about $3.50, 900 in this branch of the business
alone, saying nothing of the land. 1t is only
just to say we have made this estimate from
our knowledge of the stock, and without con-
sultation with Mr. Brodhead The sales last
year were over $4,000 The Highland Farm,
the home of Red Wilkes, Wilton and Sentinel
Wilkes, is young institution, and its brood
mares are young and have not the reputation
of those at Wo odburn, but we know its valu-
alton is about S3OO,0OO Red Wilkes stands at
$500, Wilton at 500, and Sentinel Wilkes at
500, and the sales in the past Il months were
about SS0,000 At Ash Grove, where George
Wilkes lies buried, there are eight entire sons
of George Wilkes, go brood mares and
total to more than 100. There are stall
lions there which are not for SALE But
no one would doubt that at public sale the eight
would average more than $4,000 each. There
are so brood mares, some of which would sell
for enormous sums, but number of them are
young. and for the sake of argument we will
estimate that they would sell at auction for an
average of 1000. There are A colts and fllies,
and it is certain they would sell for enough to
swell the sum to $3.50, 600 for the stock, without
any valuation of land. The Forest City Farm
has six stations, which we do not believe Mr..
Emery would sell for Sl40 900. He paid at the
rate of $4,000 for Patron when his record was
only 2l91%. and we know he was recently offered
$4,000 for Brown Wilkes. We believe that he
values his establishment at more than $500, 600.
The Jewett farms have five stations by George
Wilkes. besides Jerome Eddy and other valua-
BILE stations. They paid $4,000 for Eddy, and
he paid for himself in two years, and the Wilkes
stations we should think, if they desired to
sell, they would not price them as low as
average of $4,000. Their farms, brood mares
and colts would certainly swell the estimate to
enormous figures. There are many other farms
whose value would approximate to these
figures, but we have given only few as ex-
amples, and in each case the estimate is our
own, and is not based on figures given by the
proprietors.