The Portland daily press., 1892-05-28
Captain D. W. Lovejoy, f
PRICES OF HORSES.
How They Have Ranged from Kings to
Forbes.


How They Have Ranged from Kings to
Forbes.
The earliest account on record of a
notable price for horse is in the very
ancient Book of I. Kings, according to
which, about 1900 years B. c.. in the
most prosperous portion of his reign,
King Solomon imported one from Egypt,
for which he paid $50 shekels of silver.
The fact of this price being recorded, in
connection with the amount paid for a
chariot and other very lavish expendi-
lures, certainly indicates that low as it
appears in comparison with the prices of
Sunol, ST. Blaise and Arion of the present
day, this was the highest price which
had been paid up to that time, though it
would amount to but an equivalent of
$3.50 of our money. However, it is not
probable that the best of that day were
any larger or much better, at least in
many respects, than the mustangs or
bronchos, for which such price as King
solomon paid for his Egyptian horse
would now buy the very best Where
the uses of horses have been few, as was
then the case, prices have always been
and still are low. Six hundred wears
later, Xenophon, who commanded the
Greek forces on that famous expedition.
after Cyrus had fallen, and who after
ward in his 'sAnabasis'' gave so much
curious and interesting information, in
Guiding a most excellent description of
the best horses, mentions selling one to
Senthes, the Thracian, for so danks,
which would be equivalent to little
over S125. 1t is not possible to give
list OF top prices from that time to the
present, or even any great number of
early prices, but instances nearer at hand
with which all are familiar will quite as
well or better Illustrate the advance.
When Robert Bonner in 1884 paid $40
900 in cash for the champion trotting
mare Maud S., it was price which had
never been exceeded for any horse in
America, and the prediction was then
quite general that this prince of purchas-
ers would probably not buy many more.
that no other would take his place. and
that such a price was not likely to be
again paid.
Not very long after, the. writer was
present and saw Bell Boy sold at auction
for more than $4,000, which SO far ex-
ceeded the price paid for trotting horse
in any: country, that many actually
doubted the sale being, genuine, and
prominent papers reported that only a
portion of this amount was cash.
However, the truth in relation to that
sale now stands unquestioned, that $751;.
900 was the amount of cash actually paid,
and as nVe services were reserved, that
was equivalent to $25OO more. SO that
9ptu9ilU tho famous colt
Unfortunately, Bell Boy was DESTROYED
by fire after having completed only one
season, consequently there was an actual
loss Of a few thousand dollars from that
purchase, though had he lived lone
enough to have completed the engage
ments for his services which had been
entered at the time of his death. there
would bave been handsome profit from
his purchase, proving clearly enough that
the price paid for him was, after all. no
more then fair commercial value.
+ The history of Bell Boys bringing the
highest price is much the same as that of
George NJ. Patchen and other famous
horses which preceded him, and high
as any price has been, some other has
brought not long after a still greater
price.
The very sensational sale following
uli1N VI Dull DOy Wd5 UudU Oh AXt6ll
almost Immediately after he made his
wonderful three-year-old record of 2.1a
for $685. Many then claimed that it
was not probable so high price was
actually paid, and when, several months
after, in connection with the assessment
OF taxes on this famous young horse, the
point was raised, false report was
widely circulated that the actual pur
chase price was really much less, still.
like the. previous cases, that has now
been settled beyond a question. and what
is more, this horse has already proven a
profitable investment, showing that from
dollars and cents standpoint the price
paid was really none too high.
Since then a two-year-old has beaten
this record, and the most sensational
trotting record ever made now stands as
that of Arion, two-year 2.10a. His sub
sequent sale for $125, 1000, though greater
than was ever paid for any herself any
really not occasioued as much comment
as many of the others, and has not once
been questioned, it having been, in fact.
generally reported and believed to have
been even $4,000 higher then actually
paid.
Though the history of the American
trotter, scarcely yet recognized as dis
tinct breed, is limited to comparatively a
short time, that of the thoroughbred
covers period of some 200 years, and
gives a better field for Judging whether
prices on the whole are actually on
the increase or not, and the showing
there is very similar to that of the trot-
ter.
Twenty years ago Blair Athol brought
1880 guineas, equivalent to about $62,-
500, which was a higher price than any
other had brought at public sale, and
there is no record or claim of any other
ever having sold as high in any manner
up to that time; still only three Y ears later
it was surpassed by the sale of Doncas-
ter for $4,000 Some II years after,
Ormonde brought SIS, 200, and only few
months ago all previous prices for
thoroughbreds were surpassed by the
sale of St. Blair, ON this side of the
water, at auction. for 100000
In order to show the marked advance
in price mentioned above we give the fol-
lowing list of the highest prices which
we can recall as having been paid for
trotters, with the date of the sale and the