Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-12-09


an sure you will ind her simply perfec-
ton itself In every particular. She Is
always ready TO do anything you would
have her. always expecting kind treat
ment. and Of the fullest confidence that
she b not to be hurt. She seems to
the most affectionate dispositions
These are great requisites, and no one
can but admire them, and we must all
love the animal possessing Them"
Tell me . little something about
Maud's career, Mr.. Bonner"
THE trotting career Of Maud s. bo-
gan when she was three years old. At
that dmo she covered q half-mile In
lis. Late in the year Of 1878 she went
. mile over Chester park half-mile
track In s:2eH. Mr.. Harker. who was
friend Of Mr.. vanderbilt's, saw her at
that time and made Capt. George N.
Stone an offer of 90. 900 for her, ON the
condition that she was TO trot in 2:20
or better. A few weeks later, over the
Lexington mile track, she trotted in
9:17k. and when Mr.. Vanderbilt heard
of this performance, he requested Mr..
Harper to permit him to assume the
purchase end Of the bargain. When
Capt Stone heard that Mr.. Vanderbilt
was 70 be the purchaser he added 81 900
TO the price. making 81, 900 in all. rs
he claimed that no had promised Maud's
driver d. 900. This Mr. Vanderbilt paid,
although very reluctantly, and Maud
was brought to New York. Mr.. Van
derbiit drove her once on tho road, be-
cause she was lame, and she was then
sent to Carl Burr, an honest, hard
working and capable driver on Long
Island, for the winter. She was so bad
that Burr blistered her in order to try
to cure the lameness- Burr has always
suffered from the printed stories of be-
ing unable to properly handle Maud,
but the truth Of the matter Is that Mr.
Vanderbilt did not want the public to
know that Maud was lame when Burr
received her. and Burr was frequently
compelled to walk her, when she need
ed exercise. behind the barn, 80 that
people could not see her
''Msud's first notable performance was
on July -, 1880, at Chicago. when she
beat Trinket out in 1854, which stood
for many years as the race record for q
mile. On August IL. 1881, she trotted at
Rochester In 2:1o4. In 1884 Jay-Eye-
SEQ threetened the mares record, and
Mr.. Vanderbilt again put her in train
ing. fortunately, - il turned out, for
on July 81 Jay-Eye-See trotted . mile In
2:10, . quarter Of . second better than
Maud 8. record. About August Maud
8. tnrned the Cleveland track in 9:0ok.
On August Is Mr.. William Turnbull
came to mo st my Office, directly from
Saratoga. and said that Mr.. Vanderbilt
IVES offered 100000 BY . syndicate,
headed by Capt Stone, for Maud s.. but
Wou1d rseher sell her 70 you 1T your
own price. because II she is sold to tho
syndicate, people win say that Mr.. Van
derbilt still owns her.
"whst do you mean BY my own
psicsr
"'Aboet what you psid for your last
great horse, or . little more
"'You refer TO EaxusT no asked Z
paid 90, 900 for him. About $4,000 I
think would saAasfy Mr.. Vanderbilt
"well, think very favursbly of your
proposition. and viii send my brother,
David, mp tomorrow to Saratoga to see
the mare. II agree 70 take her will
send yous telegram saying: 81 Win take
tho wheat,"' that being the cipher that
was to be used to prevent the reporters
knowing that Maud s. was 10 be sold.
When my brother returned from Sara
toga, he advised me not TO buy Maud s..
because she was lame, and he did not
think she would stand training. NV
son Fred. who had been up to Saratoga
with David, said he did not believe
Maud 3. was too bad for me 10 cure,
as I had cared another horse about
which he knew, in worse condition than
she was At that time. On Monday night,
the 18th of August, I sent the dispatch
arrived at my stable. Her driver said
that no veterinary could cure the lame
ness in her of hind foot, If she got fast
work; but treated her foot so that for
two years she was trained. and each
year lowered her record. After her
feet had been leveled. Burr told me
that Maud s. had gone around the turn
for the first trip without the tendency
IN hitch When she lowered her record
~ 2:osA ct Cleveland on July 30. 1885.
she trotted the quarters in ~ seconds:
The half mile In f:o4s{. and the three
quarter mile IN t.s5x. making the mid
lie half mile Ia f:oasl. This il the fast
est half-mile ever covered. with the ex-
reptiou Of Sunors half at Detroit, in
f.es'<. and Marvin thinks that with .
bicycle sullxy sunol could have gone
that half mile in So seconds.
'sIn 1873 she was again put into the
hands Of Capt. Stone for training. and
on one occasion she Wa driven by Mr..
Vanderbilt himself over the track at
Fleetwood 20 top road wagon drawing
. total load of ali pounds Maud and
her mate. Aldine. covered . mile in
s.f5A. Considering the weight carried.
consider Il the greatest performance
ever made in double harness. Aldine's
record Is 7fat@. but Mr.. Vanderbilt told
me that Maud carried the wagon, load
and all. about three-qsarters of the
mile. when Asfine. being fresh. came
Up and finished the horne quarter with
Der. Previous 10 this zreat team perform