Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-01-11
AMERICAN LETTERS-lll.
ON THE PACIFIC coAsT-THoROuGBRE
BLOOD IN TRoTTERs-THE SILVER DUES


at Oakland waiting Tor the train from
San Francisco for Los Angeles. Dark
ness deepened into night. The stars
asserted their power and the moon
looked down upon the waters of the
bay and the barren hills which surround
them. Several way trains came and
went. At last, little late, the head
light of the southern train appeared.
The evening was neither cold nor warm.
A summer overcoat has been thus far
all one has needed for the last six weeks.
The distance to Los Angeles from San
Francisco is 1872 miles; price of ticket,
$50. There was a fire in the car ! en-
tered aud plenty of room. The train
was a long one. having some eight or
more sleepers that walked through to
get to the dining rOou car where got
a poor supper for a dollar and halt.
The supper was failure; the price eX.
orbitant. but the lad that sat 'fornlnst
me was fun talkcsome, and after find
ing out where lived, told me that he
was the son of Dan Mccarthy Ohe plum
ger) and that his father was on the
train in company with Mr. Convey, the
superintendent of the Palo Alto rancho.
This Mr.. Convey ! had been advised
and wanted to see, and 20 enlisted the
boy to take me through the train and
point him out, bur the lad did more, for
he enquired my name aud introduced me
in good style and also to his father the
pluuger. who, he said, had won $4,000
that day at the races. ! took the seat in
front of Mir. Covey and perhaps for sew
eral hours we discussed horses, until at
last the plunger, finding that we did
not stop, plunged down IN the seat by
us and insisted upon having a show in
the argument. Mr.. COvey gave me the
experience of their rancho in introduce
ing thoroughbred blood into the breed
ing of trotters. Six, he said, of the
ten trOtters by Electioneer that entered
the , 80 list this year were from thor
oughbred mares, and not one-fortieth of
the mares bred were thoroughbred. This
certainly is great showing of success
ful use of thoroughbred blood. He told
me, too, with much pride, of the SPLEEN
did success they had with the blood of
the Morgan st. Clair.
Today visited the race track here and
saw the great trotters and PAGERS, the
finest in the world. which arrived here
last week from ihicago,-AliX 2:O38
Fantasy 2:06, Azote 2:0Si, Nightingale
2:1O, trotters; Robert j. 2;0l4, Hal
Pointer 2:044. Flying Jib l:jSi, with
running mate, Directly 2;OSf at two
years old, PAGERS, and a number OF
others nearly as fast. These are owned
or managed by Mr.. Salisbury. the great
est manager of trolters and PAGERS in the
world, and by Mr.. lIamlin of Buffalo, the
most successful combined breeder and
manager.
Mr. Salisbury was born in New Yorl,
State near Buffalo. but for years has
been a resident of California. He was
present at the track; should Judge a
man of siXty-fve, but little injured by
time, except somewhat deaf With him,
evidently rs confidential adviser, was a
tall. strong-built man Of about the same
age, whose name was Latham, and who
was native of Royalton. VI. Mr.
Latham and | being both Nermonters
were soon we'll acquainted. | ma lie al g
the acquaintance of Mr.. Geers, who is,
probably, now, everything considered
the best filter, trainer and driver of fast
trotters and PAGERS in the world Mr.
Geers, too, is thinker and ripe and
good one on everything that connects
with the breeding as well as training OF
horses. Probably no man living has had
more acquaintance with PAGERS than he
and therefore his opinion about then
is important. "They may talk sale
Mr.. Geers, ''Ot trOtting bred PAGERS anC
pacing bred trotters. but do not believe
that there ever was PAGER in whose
pedigree there was not pacing Cross
OF the horses mentioned above AliX
Robert j., Nightingale, and so also
Direct } 054 and Directum 2:05i, that
saw at San Francisco, are all about l;
hands, by accurate measurement | an
satisfied under rather than over. Dl
rectly is about l52. They all have the
blood of IiambletOnian and MambrinC
Chief, but show very little of the coarse
ness that belonged to those horses. Th'
fineness of AliX comes, undoubtedly
largely from thoroughbred blood, o
which she has more than of either of tn,
two horses just mentioned, and probably
than of both combined There is also il
each of the above trotters and PAGERS
double infusion of Morgan blood tina
has been proven to be especially Valua
BILE in producing race-winners. Thi
blood through their dam, Clara, wa
dominant in the form and quality o
both Dexter and Dictator, and mani
tests itself in the posterity of the las
with its usual prepotency. Direct,
crats apotbar Infusion of AIotOau hlooi