The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11

dren-Mrs. George S. Nicholas. Mrs. Dudley r.
/ Fuller, Mrs. Murray Livingston, Luc.a w.
! Pardy. and A. Belmont Purdy. Mr.. Purdy
vas a ptocK broker until 1857. when he founded
the wine house of Purdy & Nicholas. When
Jerome PMk was opaned, en- Tuesday, Sept.
rs. 1866, he was one Of tho race stewards. his
associates being w. B. Duncan. Paul 8. Forbes.
A. Keene Richards, AID E. Boudinot Colt. with
John B. Irving a. secretary. Mr.. Purdy was
At one time u partner of d. D. withers in rae
Ing and afterward had q stable of his own.
The best known horses OF the Purdy 6 With
eu Stable were yespucius, who beat Glenelg
for the Annual Sweepstakes. and Tasmania,
who once won the Ladies' Stakes at Jerome Park.
Mr. Purdy also owned the famous Kentucky as
. tvo-J"ar-old. Although he lived to the
sc Of elEhty-elght. he never had q serious
attack Of illness. His friendship with Augu,t
Belmont led to his acting as second in the duel
which Mr. Belmont fought with William Hay
ward OF South Carolina early in the ~forties..
The mcst notable event in Mr.. Purdy's
career on the turf occurred in 1850, when he
drove his ~trottin9 mare, Kate. 100 miles In
side Of ten hours on . wager. At this time It
vas the custom for sportsmen who owned trot-
!tsrs to race them in matches on the road from
snwn to town. Mr.. Purdy haa q brush on
the road. and. coming GU. ahead, had G dis
eussion with his opponent about the going
qualities Of Kate. Their. suit was tho 100
mile match for 1000. The match was n
private one. and nothing WAS said about It ex-
cept to the friends OF tho PRINCIPALS. Ap tho
race was in progress all day. the news of Il got
abroad. and an immense crowd went to see.
Kate WAS then ten years old. and won. Mr..
Purdy had hired a professional driver, ont he
BEGAN the race BY driving himself. and thon be-
came 90 'ntereited that he continued to drive
Ter to the end. He WAS utterly exhausted after
shs lived TIL she was SO years old. The event
is Described in II. w. Herbert's Frank For
ester Horses of America" as follows:
Another hundred-mile trot anne of this
year, on the part Of Mr.. John F; Purdy. . gen.
Ieman OF fortune, TO drive his little road
Ihat she would have been pulled up and With
|. erawn the Instant abe showed u sym ptom Of
hanging on the bit o. falterIng. had there
oeen ten times the amount staked to be lost,
every one l. assured @ho knows Mr.. Purdy.
M,i furdy drove. himself. the whole distance,
Eith sklll: Judgment. and ~coolnees that aston
nhsd and charmed the best trotting drivers
anu oidest turfmen Dresan,. He used q little
sHiSv made BY Goodwin. weighing only forty
~ pcnhd,. With the lightest possible harness.
maj" was ten years old. fourteen hands high.
ny unaer 700 pounds weight. Sne was said
y nearly a thoroughbred. and nearly per-
set eso, both In shape, gait. and action.
,hn Tas observed. strange as IL may appear,
tnat she did not diverpe in going the whole
distance, around the CentreviIle track. siS
,t l1om tho track she made on the first
ume round, She was taken out of harness az
kas emu OF the fftleth mile and was cared for.
.ma IE tWenty-0ne minutes. besides other
iScIInSsrd Stops; She won the match. all stops
~''upeu' IN D hours 49al minutes"
Hnn