The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-31
ARION IN HIS NEW HOME.
FROM SEMI TROPICAL CALIFORNIA TO
THE HILLS OF NEW ENGLAND.

THE HILLS OF NEW ENGLAND.
The Peerless Stallion Walks Three Miles TO
HIS Stable on n Raw, Chilly Day-Mr.
Forbes Impnrts Interesting Information
ms TO the Future Treatment OF the stall.
lion and lis Pians-why Ito bought
Arion and what He Paid for Him-A Re.
marknbie breeding Farm, and Its Choice
Bosrov, Jan 2o-A week ago one hundred
and twenty five thousand dollars worth Of
horscfesh. enclosed In single hide walked
over tho country roads through Hyde Park
and Canton. just like any ordinary animal
until he found refuge from the mud and the
damp weather In n spacious box stall In an I'M
looking stable under the shadow
OF Blue Hill In Milton. He was warmly
blanketed, and his long tail was braided
to keep It from dragging In the mud.
There was nothing In his appearance
to indicate wealth. Tho country folk
didn't see the gold dollars plastered all over his
glossy hide. They saw trim legs that betok.
ened speed. but thoy little dreamed that those
legs had carried their owner over q mile Of
ground In tho fastest tino ever made by two
year.old-2:1Oa. Had they watched the ami
nal and his attendant closely they would have
observed the lovirg caro- which the dumb beast
received from his keeper. and they might have
guessed the truth. But they didn't. and Aron.
the chamrion stallion OF his age with price
mnrk OF 81 $4,000 written all over him in invs-
ibl. figures. reached his new homo with
out receiving the alteration which was
his just due. He had traversed the
continent in q special car and In style be-
fitting his kinCly rank in horsedom only to be
dumped into the wilderness many miles from
III ~, r,itlN .,tl al,
but to walk.
He struck New England on ono Of those
cloudy. chilly. cheerless days which makes
business lively for Ia grippe and the doctors.
and gives New England weather such O bad
name among those who live In tho dry atmos-
phere OF the West. The air was full OF pneu-
monia germs. which made the crack stations
keeper SILVER with anxiety. Arion shifted the
raw atmosphere. and seemed to prefer the
quarters which he had occupied SO many
days. but after his keeper had buckled
tho blankets little closer he walked
down the gangway without making any
trouble. and wendell his way across the
meadows and up the range to Mr.. J. Malcolm
Forbes's stock farm. There warm welcome
awaited him. He was carefully rubbed and
groomed and fused over until all signs OF
fatigue had disappeared and 1t was known
the dangers Of tho long journey.
Arion was cared for on the trip by Mr.. A. A.
Fowler. whose special duties at the Forbes
farm will be to keep the stallion in condition.
He said that the colt behaved splendidly
on tho trip. and gave him no trouble
whatever. But one stop was made.
and that was at Cheyenne. after three
days run from Palo Alto. Tho car was
switched on to a side track at Cheyenne. and
the colt was given q rest Of three days. 1t
took four more days to complete the journey
to Boston. Mr. Forbes had made every ar
rangement for his gilt-edGed animals COM
fort. and had chartered a special engine to
make the last run Of eight miles from Boston
to Readville. The car containing the colt had
been attached to a Western express via the
Boston and Albany Railroad due in Boston at
6:25 A. NJ. and arrangements had been made
to transfer this car to the Providence division
OF the Old Colony Railroad. The engine was
all ready to receive the costly freight. but it
didn't come. The train was Ave hours
late. and the time dragged altogether too
slowly for them. Although they were informed
that no accident had occurred they could not
help feeling anxious. But the train arrived at
last, and in the course Of a couple OF hours
Arion had been landed at Readvile He had
to walk three miles before reaching the stable
MIR. Fowler did not breathe freely until his
charge WAS safely housed. II any OF The SUNS
readers think it simple task to pilot S125.-
600 piece OF hLrse1lesh from California to Mas
sachusetts. let him at once abandon the
thought. The responsibility is something to
IN" weather encountered in crossing the con-
the greatest q care had to be exercised to pre-
Fowler did not take any chances, and he was
rewarded for his faithfulness by seeing his
long s " ron has sf The ereSt Of
being the best behaved stallion In the coun-
t tfy: and he fully sustained his reputation in
ths journey. Perhaps he was put on his good
tiiui brown Ally named Rachel. who had been
pose OF serving as a travelling companion to
the noble Arion and also to use for breeding
gtp the dlyh is 81 the ROYAL blood
Tteeord breaker If heredity counts foranything.
With Rachel near him Arion was as tractabis
The stock farm OF Mr. J. Malcolm Forbes
which Is brought into such prominence by the
purchase of Arion. was established only a lit
two nimals of world wide reputation. it Is a
radical departure from the plan upon which
The, farm covers 200 acres. ana is located ate di.
Blue Hill Mountain. The place would be taken
and barns. were it not for the three quarter
mile trotting track which covers large area
Of the farm. The track is not visible from the
road. 80 it would be hard work for a stranger
driving past to get the impress ion that it was
the home OF the great Arion. A few years ago
the place was genuine farm land The pas
lures were divided among three or four own
ers but they didn't do much toward Increasing
the value Of the property. It is located in what
chip of Canton, II was once the home Of the
ponkapoag Indians hut they Alave, long since
gone to the happy hunting grounds. leaving u
few half-breeds to tell the traditions OF their
tribe
Mr.. Forbes had long been nm admirer o! good
horsefesh. and his private stables in Milton
and Boston contained the hest roadsters to be
found In tho market But it was not until
about two years ago that he yielded to the de-
sire to compete with Senator Stanford for
honors as a breeder OF speedy horses Having
made up, his mind on this point. he quietly
purchased enough farm p:opcrty on'the high
land at the foot Of Blue Hill Mountain ani
lifted it IN as n stock farm according to his
prec9nceived idea OF what q stock farm should
BE- 1t lisa radical departure from the plan
East East There are IN Massa chnsetts several
are PALACES. works Of art. in themselves. and
80 sumptuously furnished that tho horses
might b9 said to eat from golden managers.
MI Forbes's buildings are models of sim
pllclty DIR Forbes explained to THE Sun
correspondent to-day his reasons for con-
structing his farm buildings as he did. He