The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-29
STANFORD'S FINE HORSES.
The Millionaire Senator Takes Very
Great Pride and Pleasure
in Them.
How He Became Interested in
Fast Horses and Their
Development.
His Theory Of Securing the Best Results
Thoroughbreds Versus Coldblooded
Trotting Horses.

WASHINGTON. Dec. o6.-''So you want to
Ger, Sunol, Palo Alto, my system of train
ing and what horse have selected as Elec-
TONER'S successor" said Senator Leland
Stanford inquiringly, as he sat in his Ii
brary, book in hand, last evening. The
lines of care that mark the features of the
most successful breeder of the light-harness
horse in the world were chased away by q
genial smile as he spoke. II am glad that
you have dropped H." he continued; "be
cause topic of this kind draws me away
from cares that press heavily upon me. l
am somewhat like Mr.. Lincoln, who, when
oppressed with responsibilities and sorrow,
forgot them for the moment by telling a
story. Lincoln was the saddest man ever
knew, but when he told story his rugged
features, which were so sombre and melan-
choly in repose, became fairly radiant, and
he looked like another man. My interest
in horses began at an early age, but the de-
mands Of business kept me from enjoying
my tastes in horsehesh. Finally, ono day
broke down physically, and my
physician told me that there must be a let
up if expected to recover from the cares of
business, and recommended that l should
drive for relaxation. Well. bought the
horse named Occident, which all lovers of
the trotting horse know more or less about,
and when got him the idea presented it
self to my mind that ought to develop
him. Then the great problem that pre-.
sented itself was what was there about this
hose that needed developing, and SO l was
lad IN, tho atn6u IF tho nf thu
horse and the secret of his powers. re-
called to mind that when a miner
I was in the habit of amusing
myself in my idle moments in
my Office by taking magnet
and attaching tacks to it until its powers
began to be exhausted, and then they
would begin to drop off. have no doubt
that would by persistency have complete
y destroyed its strength l recalled this
Incident, and came to the conclusion that
the one great evil to be avoided was to alb
stain from draining his powers to the full
limit. Well, I went Oh developing Occi-
dent according to my theory Of not over
working him. of always keeping him Wig
orous until he reached the farthest possible
horse and found the experiment beneficial,
] came to the conclusion that if one horse
was good thing two would be better, and
90 kept on year after year until l gath
cred about me great stable of stations
and brood mares Of trottine and thor
this point that while an best known as
the breeder Of the light-harness horse, l
am greatly interested in the breeding of the
runner as we'll.
'.The difference in my system, however,
IS that develop the former to a greater or
less extent. while with the latter leave
development to large degree except in
specific instances to the purchaser. 1t
should be mentioned in this connection
also that a number of my thorouQhbreds
run under the colors of other gentlemen
For instance, Gorge, in Senator Hearst's
stables. belongs to me. She is royalty bred,
a mare of fine symmetry, and of great bone
qualities OF great race mare by inheritance
as well as individual qualities and vet
Gorge has failed to come up to my ex-
pectations. She has been off for twelve
months, and have determined to send for
her and put her in the stud. had deter
mined to breed her to Electioneer, but his
recent death has left me somewhat in doubt
as to what horse shall mate her to.
speaking of Gorge reminds me to make
known to the public what believe ia the
trhe source of the trotter. While cannot
prove to an absolute certainty that my
PAVpOoAeAOA 40 COAiOCVs Ucl10S0 LUdG JuS
trotter inherits the propensity to trot from
the thoroughbred. No one can make me
believe that the fast trotting horses of TO-
day or of any other day derive their instinct
to trot from the Conestoga. the Clydesdale,
the Percheron or from any Of the cold
there ever was u thoroughbred but
could be made to trot faster than any cold
blooded horse. Further than this, hold
that 1t Is better economy and more profita-
BILE to breed the blooded than the cold
blooded horse. was for many years con-
nected with the street car system OF San
FRANCISCO. noticed that the average life of
usefulness of common horses ON that line
was three years. In tho large number OF
horses in the stables of the COMPANY there
was one blooded horse, and to my certain
knowledge that horse performed daily SER
yics.the most arduous service the horse 10
called upon to perform in this world
for twelve long years. Now, what
better demonstration ia needed than this OF
the superiority of the blooded over the
cold.blooded horse and the economy of his
purchase for all service known to man.
"Now. about Eleotioneer. whose get
have earned such worldwide fame, the
horse that was the superst,ucture OF nv
breeding establishment, Palo Alto, and the
most prepotent sire that the world has
known, far ontstripping his great sire, the
immortal hero of Chester, in speed, men
"a quaLltleS ana symmetry OF his get.
was in Philadelphia few years since. look
ing for brood mares. It was about the time
had decided to increase my establishment
at Palo Alto. was induced to 60 over to
Stony Fork stud farm. at Orange, N. Y,
and look over some Hambletonian brood
mares owned by Mr.. Bachman. 1spent
three Of four days making my selections
and on every occasion that presented
scanned Electioneer. The more l
saw OF HIM the better l liked
him; but expressed no public
wish to buy him. party of
gentlemen were with me, and / would cas-
ually call their attention to him to draw
ont their criticisms. They were gwen free
II. and we're generally unfavorable to the
horse. l kept my counsel, and ON the
morning of tho day was to leave handed
Mr.. Rachman tho list of horses / wanted,
and In the list was Electioneer. Ny friends
we're astonished. They could not see what
wanted of that horse, with heavy shout.
ders like cart horse and with high hind
quartere like steer. There was his stable
companion. Messenger Duroc, who had
aehieved national fame by string Prospero,
2 very fast and game animal, and he had
also got other good ones. of which there
was no question. II did look little risky,
but paid my e12 600 just the same. and In
due time he reached his future home.
For the drst two or three years Elec.
tlo0oef did not have much of a show in
tho stud. You see my ranch was largely
Stocked with Hambletonian mares, and
did mot think it GOOD policy to cross him
With his own blood. Ihad already in the
stnd Piedmont and General Benton, both
~ - & A. TIA