The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-05
BONNER AND MAUD S. TO MOVE
WILL SHAKE THE DUST OF 'wEsT-
ROBDER co., FROM THEIR FEET.


observation-disclosures Has Owned
Maud $. Seventeen Years ana
Claims She Is suu an Unbeaten
HOrse-Strange Career of Man End
Beast Since They Came Together.
Westminster County. New York. Sept. f.
In few days, unless the tax assessors Of
this county revise their tax lists, two
highly respected citizens will move from
this place. They are Robert Bonner and
Maud s., of equal fame and for the last
seventeen years the closest of friends.
Upon the blacksmith shop on his West
chester place, Mr.. Bonner has tackled
card reading "Westrobber Co." and they
say that he will surely move if his taxes
are not lowered to correspond with those
of last year. Rockefeller is going, his mil
lion dollar palace being offered for sale,
and other Hudson river millionaires will
follow suit
But Westminster will lose its most no
ted residents if Robert Bonner and Maud
S. shake the dust of the county off their
feet.
1t was shortly after his purchase of the
horse from Commodore Vanderbilt that
Mr. Bonner saw that he should have
farm on which to keep his prize mare In
condition and he removed Maud from her
stable in Fifty-ffth street to the big, airy
one at Westminster. To be sure the t1tty-
fifth street stable Is as fine as many
city house. Here the private room of
Maud S. Is twenty-five feet square; and
the location of the stable is on a plot that
would sell for a fine building residence,
but city air never was good for thorough
breds, and horse and master forsook the
city, except for few hours daily, and
located in the country.
The friendship of Robert Bonner and
Maud S. began with Mr.. Bonner's first
purchase of a horse which was after he
had made his success on a weekly publ
cation and needed rest.
He had come to this country from the
North of Ireland and settled as a boy in
New England. Here he learned the
printers trade and found his life motto.
1t happened one night when all had gone
home and young Bonner on 81 a week was
boy, eOmpositor, city editor and telegraph
man, that he was Willing away his time
on a bit of copy that had to be set OF
sudden this line came before his eyes. It
was from Emerson's essays and ii read;
Take what you want, o disconnected
man. but pay the COST
That's a fine sentiment" said he, land
I'll remember it, Take what you want,
o disconnected man, but pay the cost
II want to be a great pFinter, but Tn
paying the cost now" said he, as he rub
bed his aching eyes and went in afresh
by the light of the kerosene lamp upon his
copy.
Later young Bonner came TO New York
and shortly ne got control of weekly pa
per- This he pushed until he made
fortune out of it.
He took what he wanted, but he paid
the cost His head gave out
One day HIS family physician came in
the Office 'Robert" said he, rive bought
horse for you, and want 800 to pay for
him with That horse is the only medi-
cine / can give you. Come out now and
drive him..
That was the beginning of a horse ca
reer which has made Ro@rt Bonner ia
nous.
From that day to 8his he has owned
horses, but in all that time he has never
raced them for money. He has owned
them for pleasure experiment and study
for he is the greatest living authority up
on the feet of a horse, but he has never
accepted one cent upon the performance
of his animals.
Maud S. was added in 1880 by purchase
from Commodore. Vanderbilt and from
that time dates Mr. Bonner's gradual re-
tirement from business.
His purchase of Maud S. was attended
with numerous incidents. One day a
wealthy horsemani dropped in to see him.
Bonner" said he, would you. like to
own Maud S,
Certainty" said the horse lover.
"Well, think Vanderbilt would sell
her. His eyesight is giving out and, he
can't see her as he drives. He doesn't
want this fact known, but 1 am sure you
can get Maud II you make the right kind
of an offer"
Maud S. had them a record of 211&
and had done record-breaking team work,
1sv,nr 1f r,FH axr IN
team harness, in which the commodore
stated she had pulled the whole load"
Fred, one of the Bonner boys" went
up to Saratoga, and later wired down:
Fred and the lady leave Saratoga to-
night"
After that Maud won series of races,
or would have won races. but Bonner
would enter her in none except against
time. But she made record runs. In
1881 she did her mile in 2;l0A, driven by
w. w. Blair, who had driven her in
1880. In 1884 she reduced her own record
no horse meanwhile having beaten her
to 2:O94. and in 1885, she lowered it,
driven by John Murphy, to 20SA.
At that time she was considered a
horse marvel such as the world would
never again produce. On every hand
congratulations were poured in upon
Robert Bonner and he was besieged to
he trained her to get such phenomenal
results. The price paid for her, $4,000
was considered dirt cheap.
Among Mr.. Bonner's other horse pur-
chases was that Of Sunol. This horse he
bought of Leland Stanford for $40 600 upon
the occasion of a visit to the Palo Alto
stables. Stanford loved horses. as well as
Robert Bonner, and the two spent days
in the stables.
After Bonner had paid for Sunol he dis
covered that the horse was lame. 81 am
going 10 cure that horse" said he, with
out letting LELAND Stanford know. If
tell him he will send me back my check
and shall be obliged to return Sunol. But
If l cure the horse know 1 shall have a
prize
Accordingly this man. who took what
he wanted but paid the COST" went to
work upon Sunol And in curing this
magnificent animal he developed the
veterinary germ that afterwards made
him the leading authority upon horses.
Sunol was cured and lived to run many
race. And Bonner learned something.
He learned a few facts that other horse
experts did not know and ne put them
into practice. Since then hundreds of