Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1895-06-24
MrssouRrs FAMOUS noRsnMAS.
John II. gentry and His string Of Eight
Peerless Trotters.

Missouri has for many years stood at
the front Of all the states Of this Union in
the production OF mules, hooded horses
and cattle. Some of the most famous trot-
ters OF to-day were born and bred upon
Missouri soil, and there can be no doubt
that the breeders Of this state have achlev-
td a maEnIiicent reputation throughout
sneularly enough. says the Post bis.
patch. the most famous and successful OF
named John r. Gentry He Is the young
est son OF the late Major William Gentry
OF Sedala, and he owns a fine farm in
Pcttis county He was born to the bust
ness Of breeding and training fine horses.
His father before him grew tich. not SO
count OF the splendor and superiority Of
woman and child in central Missouri as
Jack, He is plain country boy. without
H. slishtest notion Of display or pride
70 he a friend to everybody. His preesut
income is not less than $4,000 a year but
he doesn't say anything about IT, and
soberly as though he didn't have a dollar.
ing for business partner Mr. Theodore
shelton, his hrother-in-law, OF the Gauss
shelton Hat Company, Of st. Louis MIR
Missouri. and knows something of horses
himself He also knows a vast deal about
the management Of finances.
have only made one mistake, said
Mr. Shelton the other day. when we en-
tered our best trotter, John r.. Gentry
for the Terre Haute races. our horse sold
at only $40 In the auction pools. while the
two fayorites were selling a 500. 1t was
horse would win the race. but j am natur-
ally conservative. and so did not invest
much on the, result When the race was
run we found our horse away out OF sight
from almost the start and he won without
a particle OF trouble and with very little
about 5000 each. But what made me sick
was the discovery that an old race-track
gambler had put up big money on John r.,
every time think about ii. In fact, 1
was so disgusted at the time that, when
Jack came to me and said he had been
offered sl2,5OO for the horse | said take
1t, and so we sold him"
Mr.. Gentry was in town for two days
last week. accompanying his string of
eight thoroughbreds to Grand Rapids,
Mich, where they will be in big races this
Shelton, Jennie shelton, Jim Ramey, Young
Ashland, Bertle r., Adam, Winston Wilkes
and Grover Cleveland.
of Sl,5c0 for BERTHE r., but refused It be
cause she is entered in $4,000 worth of
stakes, and has good record for one-half
Great interest is already being manifest
ed IN the West oyer YER, tie great race to be
try Is the wonderful California horse, D-
rectly, and 1t is the. opinion in some circles
less Mr.. Gentry has entered his best horse,
Theo. Shelton, and declares If he doesn't
bedt the ChlltOrnld trOtter he don't know
anything about horsehesh. The race is for
5000 free-for-all and there are lots of
good money on the Gentry horse, especially
since he VIII be driven by Jim Ramey.
who has never yet lost race.
Mr.. Gentry has. by the way, another big
advantage in his trainer and driver, Jim
Ramey. He is a big Missouran who takes
try string. He has lived with those horses
since they We're colts, and they have al
eats and sleeps with them, and considers
them so many children who need his un-
them as Ben Hur drove the Arab steeds
In the chariot race with affection and ten
derness and without the lash. His rough
voice means more to them than Whip or
spur ana they promptly obey his slightest
word 1t will be strange If he doesn't win
the big race at Detroit.