Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-20
STANF0RDiS TRAINER
Submits for the First Time to an In
terview About Horses.
HIS PETS AT PROSPECT HILL.
The Franklin Fanciers Have Material to
Produce a World-Beater.
HE SAYS SUNOL HAS A GREAT FUTURE

After IA years of work at Senator Leland
Stanford's ranch in California, Charles Mar
vim, the celebrated trainer of trotting horses,
has started in a new field, and is now To-
Gated at Prospect Hill Stock Farm, the
breeding establishment of Miller & Sibley,
the oil operators of Franklin, Pa.
He came East last week with Sunol, the
new queen of the turf, and after placing her
safely in the hands of Robert Bonner in
New York, he started for his new home.
Marvin arrived in franklin last Saturday,
but he had slight touch of pneumonia, and
did not make his appearance in the streets
until Friday. A representative of The
DISPATCH found the usually quiet village
all excitement yesterday over the presence
of Marvin. His name was on everybodys
tongue. The wonders he viii accomplish in
that town are all but carried out. His sal
ary there also creates no end of comment,
and it is fixed all the way from S., 900 to
SIS, 900 annually. People who don't know
racehorse from camel trudge through ths
mud to the stock farm for the sole purpose
of meeting him.
A Picturesque Place for q Farm.
THE DISPATCH representative accomps-
MED Mr.. Sibley and Mr.. Marvin to the
farm. 1t is q magnifcently appointed place
located in q valley between mountains,
and Marvin never saw more picturesque
place on the sunny slope-not excepting far
famed Menlo Park. 1t is known as the
'fPalo Alto of the East" and well it may
be, for it resembles the Palo Alto ranch as
near as it possibly can, the animals consist
largely of the production of Electioneer and
his sons
Strangely enough the most marked pecu-
liarity of the great driver made itself evil
dent the very moment he passed into the
large barn, for his eye Immediately rested
upon the feet of an unevenly balanced SON
of st. Bel. He promptly called the farm
blacksmith. and in his squeaky voice saidi
''Tom, get your rasp and cut down that hoof.
Don't you see the horse don't stand right.
Then for Is minutes he stood directly
over the blacksmith, Robert Bonner style,
and directed the work. At its completion
the barefooted colt moved off, naturally,
and pleasant smile appeared on Marvin's
face. The trait is one Marvin developed
during his long association with Senator
Stanford, and forms part of his most ardu-
Gus work in developing younsters.
How the Great Trainer Looks.
Marvin does not look day older than
when he made his celebrated campaign in
1876, and those who saw him win his racs
from Goldsmith Maid with Smuggler at
Cleveland that year, and who also saw his
ignominious defeat in Buffalo the following
week, when Smuggler won two heats and
then lost to the Maid through bad behavior
would recognize him instantly. That limp
in his walk is still with him, as is the sharp,
shrill voice. He was once in the cavalry
service for Uncle Sam.
Marvin was at Palo Alto less than two
years when he brought out Fred Crocker
and lowered the 2-year-old record to 2:25I.
Fred Crocker was the forerunner of the IA
nous trotters from Palo Alto that from
time to time have startled the world with
thebrilliancy of their achievements. When
he left Palo Alto that farm held the year.
ling, and 8, 4 and 5-year-old records, the
that Of Sunol, 2:0SN. Why Marvin left
Palo Alto is mystery, and probably will
so remain so far as he is concerned, for he is
very reticent on the subject, but it is gen.
orally believed that he left through mis-
understanding with Ariel Lathrop, Senator
Stanford's brother-in-law. But Marvin's
face Friday bore evidence of being satisfied
with Prospect Hill, and he is as happy over
his place as can be imagined.
Pleased With His Material.
He spent good portion Of Friday look
ing over the colts at the farm that viii be
good timber for training, and he found
many that pleased him. According to Mr.
Sibley, it will be year before Marvin's
presence at the farm will be felt on the race
track. His plans will be to take all the
youngsters on the farm sired by the dead
st. Bel and develop them. His stable will
be made up this week and will consist OF
10 yearlings, 10 2-year-olds and 10 3-year-
Great faith is placed in the
future of the youngsters. Marvin says
their sire, St. Bel, was the most perfected
gated horse he ever saw, and one of the
fastest. His get resembles him closely in
conformation and gait and he said, with
twinkle in his eye, as he glanced over themi
81 guess can find phenomenal here once
in a while"
The yearlings that show most promise are
one BY st. Bel out of Alicia Wilkes, one
out of daughter of Lord Russell, brother
of Maud S, and one out OF Minona, by
Mambrino King. The last named is said to
be very fast, and Marvin likes him, though
his favorite on the farm is the yearling flly
Antella, by Ansel, 2:20, son of Electioneer
and Annette by Lexington, dam Garaphilia
by General Benton, sire of the dam of Sunol.
He also likes the yearling colt Temptation,
q full brother to Tempter, 2-year-old, st.
Bel that was sold last week for S12, 900.
'The material here" said he, sis fully as
good as that at Palo Alto, and why shouldn's
) phenomenal horse spring out once in
while? In fact the brood mares are higher
bred than were Senator Stanford's when 7
started out with Fred Crocker. They are
hard lot to beat and am perfectly satisfied.
The young horses are high-class with
world of natural speed, without excessive
,ction, have great power, and there is no
reason why Prospect Hill Farm cannot pro-
luce trotters as fast as any in California"
Opinion of Sunol and Palo Alto.
Regarding Sunol, he was all praise for the
lew queen. 81 shall have her again in the
pring, Mr. Bonner says, and if nothing
happens she will break her record on the
egulation track. Those stories about her
laving broken down are all nonsense. She
vas tride lame, but she has fully recov-
red, and acted admirably when Mr.. Bonner
md drove her through Central Park. Tha
easons for thinking she will break her
ecord is that she trotted the kite in 2:0SL
With less effort than any mile ever drove
Ter in 2:12. I believe she trotted in 2:08
hat day, for nv watch caught every quar-
er in 80 seconds, but the judges made it
':0S14, and presumably lost the quarterly
he dropping of the flag"
Speaking of Palo Alto, Mr.. Marvin said
lie is the greatest horse he ever drove and
ully believes he could have beaten any
ield of horses living.
''This talk about the Electioneers being
Iuitters is all wrong" continued Mr.. Mar
lin. "The Electioneers are strong, evenly
Iar md fro ar