Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-09-28
The Story Of the Great Trotting Stallion
Nelson.

The Sunday Globe had the following
| While oil eyes are closely "a ching thy
papers for word of the great horses
Aiierton, Marcy Hanks and Nelson, Q sbo,,
history Of how III I'd" Nelson b, came the
po.sessor Of this wonderful horse, Ne'snr,
ard how he has risen in vslne from e2O0 T.
S125, 900, my be interesting. "H,d'
Nelson wss bora in China, Me and ba,
always dealt in horses, bu,ing from 10 t.,
100 a year and shipping them to Bosto,,
d sposing Of them t, the late Wesley p.
Baich.
In one Of these carsoes he hvd quite q
good mare, which upon arriving in Boston
seemed cut Of sorts, and Balch refused id
buy her. He wrote Nelson that be would
send him = yearling colt. sired bv Tom
Rolf, with record Of 2 334, in exchange
for the mare, and tste his chancs ~ to b.,
ing. Though Nelson did not care for toe
colt. he felt it would be preferable to have
hin in health than dying mare on h-
hauds, and be wrote Bslch to send the coll
by boat to Gardiner, where he went for
him. He found such . miserable, scraggy,
rough looking animal that he was sshAped
to take him home in the day time. and
waited for the shades Of darkness to settle
down before he weDded bis way to Chi =,
/ anything but the best frame Of mind.
with q yesriing colt which he would glad, }
have sold for SIS.
This vas none other than the famous
Young Rolf the sire Of Nelson. he In turn
sired by Tom Rolf, he BY Ar.tus son Of
Dictator. Young Rolf wss tffsIe several
times for small Gums and barely escaped
becoming . eeldipg which would have de-
prived the world of Nelson. Shortly sfte,
having swapped for the colt "Hod's' wifst
father died and his estate sold at auction /,
Vassslboro, included = number Of fsirl,
good horses. value from S75 to e175 zach,
which Hod bought at low 6sufe. Amoup
this lot was Gretchen the mother OF Ne,soO,
sired by Gideon 2lAl, he by HANDLE.
topisn. After making this purchase
Gretchen vas offered for sale to Roswell
Morse Of Vsssaiboro for $3.50 but Morse
would give only $500 and the sale fell
through. Hod considered her . fsihy
good brood mare and 20 he bred her t.
Young Rolf and produced Nelson.
When . year old he was sne Of the mot,
avkvad yearlings that ever drew breath,
srd his owner wou have sold him for
5000 but there vas no one VIM wished to
Relieve him OF the animal. When he
reached the age Of too years he had 90
improved that he made . mile in 80, 4,
three years raw him With record Of 2 26d !;
five years brought this down TO 22lI
Then With two years Of service he vas as,in
worked for the track, and on Sept 10,
1890. vas sta'ted at Bangor, Me niskiog
. mile in 2.I5i, beatirg tire tracks rcoro
Of 2 I53, beid by Jay Eve See From,
Bangor be was taken to the KsDkskee trsch
In Illinois, where he VAS started on the 27sh
Of B. tp'ember. making . nils In Q 12. a-d
and on the 29.h trotted . mile in IA.
Oct. 2 found the great stallion 1t Rusty liz,
Ind where lie broke the ua.k record OF
2 IL one qusiter second. From there he
vas .hipp-d to Terra Hauts, where h,
msde mile in 2 II
HIS next great psrfor nance was Of Cam
bridge CITY, Ind where bs 10 now waiiios
the great stallion race, which, IL trottsd,
y II be on this sane trat X oh cb AiIeftJn's
o snsrs admit to be slower than tDe one 1t
1 dependence, Ia, and yes the one ov.r
.bich Nelson made his record Of . 1O3,
Oa. 81. 1880. which held good unnl hls
as Grand Rspids, Mich vhsrr
he lowered the time 10 10 fat. This
great feat Was performed by the swAw srd
animal which "Hod" Nelson wouid have
z lsdly sold at $500 chen yeasling, but
would Lot take sl25 600 for today.