The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-30
THIS HORSE In WISE
KNOWS ALL THE TRICKS OF THE
TURF AND CHEWS To-
BACCO

BACCO
is ALSO FOND OF MUSIC
Drinks Beer, Dislikcs BOOSTERS,
Sleeps With His Head on a Pill
low, TrOts Like IL WhirIwind and
obeys the Instructions of His
Master TO the Letter-Wisest of
All Equine Wonders.
Stories of the almost human intelli-
| gence Of animals, especially of the
equine species, are frequent, but per-
| haps the most remarkable animal that
for years has come to the attention
Of the public is Bert Sheldon, the most
! popular trotter on the National Trot-
! ting association tracks. That he knows
! all Of the tricks of his trade he has
| given evidence of time and again. and
| at a word from his driver will obey
| as readily as a soldier the commands
| OF his superior officer. He is about as
! cranky as genius, He has strong
! likes and dislikes, and never forgets
! an insult or kindness. He will allow
| only one man to drive him. He is fond
oe tobacco and beer, and plays a banjo.
He has won purses aggregating $27 600.
Bert Sheldon is a black gelding six
| teen hands high; with sound legs and
feet and wonderful staying qualities.
| He was born on June %, 1883, sired
10y Warwick Boy, dam Cole by Priest
| man. w. r. Coles, of Tioga county,
! Pennsylvania, bought him when he
was yearling, and kept him four
years before allowing him to enter a
| race.
| In the last eleven years, during
/ which he has been raced, he has never
! been sick or lame, except once when he
| walked into a manhole in Newark. He
has always started in a race when en-
tered, has been entered in some 800
races. and has won exactly 296 heats
! on tracks where records are kept. Be
sides, he figures frequently on tracks
/ that are not in the National Trotting
! association.
IN PLAYFUL MOOD.
On race mornings Bert is in his
| ugliest mood. To see him go at his
| driver, with ears back and mouth
| open, one would thing Bert was going
/ to eat him alive. But they know each
other. Instead of making use of his
! teeth, Bert Will careSs his master and
! snow his impotence to be on the track.
! When he goes out for his walk before
! breakfast, all hooded and blanketed,
! ne saves his strength and cuts no ca
! pers like other horses. He walks de-
! murely in the wet grass, scarcely lift
ing his feet, and, instead of gulping
! his six quarts of grain, eats it slowly
so as to digest it we'll AS the hour
for the race approaches, Mr.. Smith
! talks to the horse, tells him about the
different horses in the race, the num-
! Der of heats, and the horse listens at
! tentively.
When the race is on he never tries to
! show off. If the bell taps he slows
! down, watches the other horses, and,
as soon as the last one has passed him.
| turns and walks back to the starting
| point.
When he gets the word Cor he
makes at once for the pole If he
can get three feet ahead of the inside
horse, he tries to crowd him out.
RARE PECULIARITIEs.
In his stall Bert is a character. II
a rooster enters the stall ten to one
he'll never get out alive. He wrings
the ROSTERS neck, and then dispatches
him with avidity. But let a hen fly
mp on the door he is all cordtality. He
has great antipathy for dogs, and
has never allowed one near him. The
| dogs have learned this popularity; only
one In the entire country around will
go near him. Another popularity is
his fondness for tobacco. If he sees
any one taking chew he feels sighted
If he is not treated. He has chewed
for eleven years, and the habit is fixed.
Bert never lacks tobacco.
Everything that most men like Bert
llkeS-beer, for instance. His driver
has never tried to get him drunk, but
ne has given him pail full of beef
at a time. And Bert would call foi
more. This is not all. Bert likes pota-
toes, bananas, oranges-if peeled He
dotes on peaches, and does not swallow
. the stones; he eats prunes, jelly, bread
and butter, pickles, corned beef and
cabbage, carrots and string beans. He
Is fond Of apples pears, grapes and
sugar.
Bert's peculiarities on the road are
funny, A boy sleeps in the same car
on cot. Bert never goes to sleep
Until that boy is in bed, and then he
lays his head against the same pillow
and sleeps that way.
one night the boy attended a show,
Bert had raced hard that day and
could not stand the late hours. He
rolled the bed clothes back so the bow
could Jump into bed without wakina
him up and then laid his head on the
edge Of the pillow so the lad would have
room.
Through many states Bert is known
by even the women and children, and
Tor such an ugly horse he is a. great
faVorite. 1t is funny that he is so well
liked when to half Who meet him hs
will show his teeth.
HIS BANJO PLAYING.
Last year at Frederick, Nd, tho
boy, who has banjo, hung 1t I'D at
the side Of the stall. Bert used to
amuse himself making noise by rub
b1ng the strings with his nose. He tried
1t with his lips, but the moisture broke
the strings, and he used his nose next
time, and has ever SINCE
HIS driver, in speaking Of how the
morse understands him, says: Two
years ago the boy was Jogging him on
track near the house, and I was
driving another horse. Bert I said.
as | passed him, you stay behind :
Well, sir, that boy couldn't drive that
horse. waited until 1 got down the
stretch where some friends were stand,
ing They had bet Bert wouldn't un>
derstand me. Then / rose in my seat
and beckoned. Bert had his eye on
me, and when 1 mottoned to him he
came like the wind Now wait. Bert :
I said: don't you dare pass me- and
the boy couldn't get him by me until
told him to go.
LAS for the track, Bert Is as good a
horseman as there Is on the turf His
class is PIT. His official time is 216N.
That places him in the PHI class, and
he is entitled to race anything in that
class or under.