Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-08-09

wood, Mass, for S14OO. One was weak |
ly and died. The other showed phenom-
enal speed from the first.
He was called Young Rolfe. When he
was yearling Mr.. Balch advised Mr..
Nelson to trade for him, which he did, if
we remember correctly, without seeing
the colt. The price we believe was some
where about S2i0. When Mr.. Nelson
went after the colt he found him thin in
flesh, having suffered from lice, and Of
fcred to sell him for $50. Fortunately
no one then wanted him at that price, and
Mr. Nelson took him to Maine, where he
improved rapidly both in form and
speed. As he grew older he showed
very fast, and Mr.. Nelson finally sold
him to Mr., John Shepard of this city for
about $500.
Some years ago there was good-sized,
resolute bobtailed mare owned in the vi
entity of Medford, Mass, which could
out-road, out-trot and out-last anything
she came in contact with. She went by
the name of Kate. Nothing was then
known of her breeding. She was finally
bought by Mr.. George Lawrence, and
taken to his home in Damariscotta, Me.
In 1866 Kate was bred to Gideon, son of
Rysdyk's Hambletonian, and the follow
ing year produced a bay filly, which be-
came the property of Mr.. c. II. Nelson
of Waterville, Me-, and known as Crotch
Ell. After producing four foals by other
horses, one of which was Susie Owen
eco, by Daniel Boone, Mr.. Nelson
mated Gretchen with Young Rolfe in
1850, and in 1881 she brought bay filly
called Daisy Rolfe. She was bred back
to Young Rolfe again, and in 1882 pro-
duced a bay colt which was named Mel
son, he whose history and performances
are well known to our readers. He has
been a sensational trotter from the first.
He was the first stallion to get record
of 2:26f as three-year-old over half
mile track. This was at Lewiston. Me-.
Sept. %, 1855. Among the vast audience
present on that occasion were J. O. Whit
ten and Cal. MunrOe of Boston. Mr.
Written had just started to leave the
grounds with gripsack in hand, to catch
the train for Boston, as Nelson came fly
ing down the track. Mr.. w. saw that
the colt was going very fast. He gave
his bag in charge of the proprietor of a
tent, hurried back to the stables, closeted
himself with Munroe and Nelson in a
stall, and bought half-nterest in the
colt with Mr.. Munroe for $1,000. each
J owning an equal share. Before the stall
lion was started at Mystic Park on the
18th inst, Mr.. Written purchased Mr.
Munroe's interest in the horse for Mr.
Nelson for $1,000. Mr.. Written retain.
one-fourth interest in the famous stallion
while his fortunate breeder now own.
the other three-fourths.
The breeding of the dam of Gretchen
was shrouded in impenetrable mystery
until something like two years ago, whel
the well-known expert pedigree tracer
Mr.. Levi ). Gould of this city, took tn,
matter in hand and followed it up unit
;, he proved that she was by the renowned
;, Vermont Black Hawk. Mr.. Gould wa;
present when the stallion Nelson acquit
ted himself so grandly at Mystic las
week. Mr.. Nelson then formally pre-
, sented Mr.. G.. with sucking colt by Mel
son (2:l64) dam by Col. West; seconC
dam by Dirigo q :29), son of old Drew
This colt was bred by Mr.. Nelson ex
, pressly for Mr.. Gould, and is pronounced
a very promising one. Nelson's engage
ments are as follows: He will start mex
for the $1,000 purse at Buffalo, y. Y.
Tuesday, Aug. 6, in the , % class. Two
weeks later he will start at Poughkeep
sic. y. Y. Sept. /, he will contend fol
the 5000 purse at Springfield, Mass, af
; ter which he will be shaped up for Mr.
Balchs great 10000 stallion race at Bea
con Park.
e 1t is probable that no special effort vii
, be made for fast record until after thes,
events are decided, when he will be pu
1 in condition to beat the the trotting stall
/ lion record, 2:l3t, which now stands t,
the credit of Make Cobb. by Happy Me
a dunn. The time and place for this su
= preme effort has not been announced, bu
n "a Mr.. Nelson is vice-president of tn
New England Association of Trottins
1 Horse Breeders, it is probable that tn
: event will take place during the fou
n days Breeders meeting at Mystic Park
|. sept. "A to ~. Good Judges predict tina
4 with favorable day and track he can tro
+ in 2l3, and it is by no means certain tina
n he may not be able to go faster. \ full
account of his great performance at Mys
tic Park last week appears in anothe
column.
- 1t will be observed that nearly all tn
ancestors of Nelson (2:l64) were ami
mails which had distinguished themselve
, upon the road or track either by fast trial
or in races. Tom Rolfe's dam, the re