The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-22

the Turf and Takes Full Advan-
tage of Them.
From the Chicago Inter-Ocean.
Bert Sheldon is the most popular old
trotter on the National Trotting Associa-
ton tracks. He wins purses and has won
them for eleven years-S27 900 in purses in
all He is winning them still.
He is cranky. He has strong likes and
dislikes, never forgets an insult or a
k'r dness. win allow only one man TO drive
him, understands all that is said to him,
likes tobacco and beer.
He knows how to jockey a race away
from better horses. He understands tricks
of the track He is affectionate toward
few, and when with them is a household
pet. He plays the banjo, sleeps with his
head on a pillow, is courteous to hens,
eats ROSTERS alive, hates dogs, will have
little to do with women.
Bert Sheldon is a black geIding. sixteen
hands high, with sound legs and feet and
wonderful staying qualities
He was born on June %, 1888, sired by
Warwick Boy, dam Cole, by Priestman.
W. r. Coles of Tioga county, Pennsyl-
vania bought him when he was a yearl-
ing and kept him four years before al
lowing 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 al
ways started I'm a race when entered.
has been entered in some 300 races and
has won exactly 236 heats on tracks
where records are kept. Besides, he fig
uTes Frequently on tracks that are not
in the National Trotting Association.
On race mornings Bert is in his ugliest
mood. To see him go at Mr.. Smith, his
driver and part owner with ears back
and mouth open, one would think 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 show his impotence to be on the
track. When he goes out for his walk be-
| fore breakfast, all hooded and blanketed,
he saves his strength and cuts no capers
like other horses. He walks demurely In
| the wet grass, scarcely lifting his feet,
and instead of gulping his six quarts of
| grain eats it slowly so as to digest 1t
we'll AS the hour for the race APP
| proaches Mr.. Smith talks to the horse,
| tells him about the different horses in
| the race, the number of heats, and the
| hores listens attentively.
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 Co he makes
| at once for the pole. If he can get three
feet ahead of the inside horse he tries TO
| crowd him out.
Mr.. Smith tells of a wonderful race in
| Toronto which illustrates the understand
| ing between horse and driver.
| There was immense crowd at the
| track. It was to be a battle royal be-
tween Bert Sheldon and Toronto favor
| lite. Bert had been racing for two or three
| weeks; the other horse was fresh. AS they
turned the last quarter Bert was using
every inch of strength, but neither could
gain. Down they came toward the finish
! line neck and neck.
Just before they passed under the wire
Mr.. Smith shouted, Now, Bert" and Bert
shot his long neck out and won by a
nose.
In his stall Bert is a character. If a roos-
ter enters the stall, ten to one he'll never
| get out alive. Bert loves chicken in any
| form. He wrings the ROSTERS neck, and
then dispatches him with avidity. But let
| a hen fly up on the door he Is all cordial
| ty. He shows her every attention, trying
| to make It pleasant for her to visit again.
| He win paw a nest for her and retire to
| the other side OF the stall; if the hen is
never forgets her. and whinnies the next
time he sees her. He eats the eggs, though.
Mrs. Smith used to tease him. She was
afraid of him. and used to say, Here,
! Bert, want an egg" She would hold the
egg near the door, and when Bert came
! for ii she would walk away. Bert never
forgave her for 1t, and to this day shows
| his teeth when she appears.
| He has a great antpathy for dogs, and
| has never allowed one near him. The dogs
/ have learned this peculiarly; only one in
| the entire country around will go near
| him.
Another popularity is his fondness for
tobacco. One night a friend of Mr.. Smith
who was going South with him. had six
| packages of his favorite tobacco in his
coat, which he hung up. Bert strolled in
| as the man strolled out, and they had ia
| buy some more weed. II he sees any one
taking a chew he feels sighted If he is not
treated. He has chewed for eleven years
and the habit is fixed. Bert never lacks to-
| bacco.
Everything that most men like Bert
| sikes--beer. for instance. Mr.. Smith has
never tried to get him drunk but he has
given him a pail full of beer at time
and Bert would cali for more.
This is not ALL Bert likes potatoes, ba-
nanas, 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, car
rots, and string beans. He is fond of APP
pies, pears, grapes and sugar.
Mr.. Smith was asked how Bert knew
the day of a race. "Oh, because we keep
| him tied, so he won't eat the bedding.
| Racing days we feed him six quarts of
J grain three times a day, and no hay. He
! likes hay. and doesn't see why he should
| be deprived of it. That's what makes him
| so ugly But after he is on the track and
| l tell him he shall have a good dinner u
| he wins he is as quiet as a lamb. His most
| wonderful work was, perhaps, that trip
down South a year ago. Bert was in his
| fourteenth year. Saturday he had won
| three heats at Allentown, three at Tren-
| ton on Wednesday, two heats Thursday,
| three heats on Friday, and the deciding
heat on Saturday. That evening I shipped
| him to Norfolk, Va, and won the first
race of six heats. In all, Bert won eigh-
teen heats and four races in two weeks.
with either a race or a bit of travelling
| every day.
"Bert's pecularities on the road are fun
| ny. ! have a boy sleep in the same car