Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-27
A VETERAN SMITH.
Chris Putnam Talks About Fast
Horses, of Long Ago.
He Tells Spy Reporter Something Of the
Performances of Old Lady Suffolk.


Bonner who still letains lively inter-
est in the trotting horse-knew Christo-
pher Putnam as one of the best men
who ever held a horses foot between
his legs.
At the favorite resorts of the horse
men who patronized the old fashioned
course, the Centreville and Union tracks,
the course at Harlem and many other
historic race tracks, the fame of Chris.
topher Putnam was known and his abil-
ity recognized. In consequence, Chris
Putnam, as he was known then, was
entrusted with the shoeing of the best
horses that were contending for the hon
orS of the turf in that period of exciting
racing between 1S45 and 1850.
Today the horse-shoer and blacksmith
of so many years ago, is living at Lake
View, in this city, making his home
with his son, BanfielS Putnam. 1Awas
there that a representative of t Spy
found the old gentleman, Friday after
noon, and for two short hours Mr. Put
nam entertained the reporter with rem
iniscences Of the days of the three la
dies-Lady Suffolk, Lady Fulton and
Lady MoscoW-the greatest race mares
of the time.
The proVerbial braWny arm and iron
constitution Of the village blacksmith
finds no exception in Mr. Putnam's case,
Today on the verge of his S0th birthday,
he still enjoys life to the full, and is
quite as active as many men much less
advanced in life. The go years of active
service before the forge have not bent
his figure nor dimmed his sight. In fact,
1t was only four years ago that he sold
out his shop in Webster and arrived at
the conclusion that he would never send
another nail into horses hoof. But to-
DAY, should emergency require, the old
gentleman could probably put on the
iron shoes. At least that is what he told
the writer, and there seems no reason
to doubt his word
His eye is still bright and his head
clear. He talked as fluently of the
races and of the times when at work in
New York 30 years ago, as if they had
occurred only few days ago. He re-
called the names of all the fast ones
he even remembered some of their re-
cords and the circumstances under
which they were taken.
Il understand you used to shoe old
Lady Suffolk and some of the other fast
ones, when you had your shop in New
York" the reporter said by way of in
PRODUCTION. Cant you tell me some
thing about the mare and the other
horses of that day?"
Mr.. Putnam hesitated lust for a mo-
| ment, and then showed the newspaper
man the way into the parlor. 'fWell,
| don't know as 1 can tell you anything
| that people do not already know he
said modestly, but if you want some
| thing for story, perhaps I can furnish
you with the material if you will ask
the questions
What do you remember about Lady
Suffolk" the reporter asked as a start
| er.
When I first went to New York in
1S45 and settled at my trade there,' said
Mr. Putnam, "the Lady was one of
the very first animals that 1 shod, and
l used to do all her shoeing during the
| five years that l remained in New York.
There was one of the greatest mares I
have ever seen or ever expct to see in
the years that remain to me She had
been on the track for seven years be-
| fore began Shoeing her, and then she
was as sound as dollar
Three years after / left New York
| which was in 1850, the Lady trotted
her last race. Shortly after that she
| died, but she was more than 20 years
| old, she had been raced for Is years
consecutively and during that time
| won, as I remember it, something over
| 100000 for her owner.
CAS- Lady Suffolk was led into my
shop to be shod, her owner, Dave Bry-
ant said, There's hard mare to shoe
and I found she bore such a reputation
in the places where she had previously
been shod. She seemed to become at
tached to me the very first time 1 picked
up her leg, and after that 1 could do
anything with the lady that wanted to-
Dave Bryant, her owner. was not the
gentlest horseman ever born, and he
could not get along with the mare half
as well as 1.
"One time, remember well, he came
down with her and as usual stood at
I TN11fn IN flaA oh
did something she did not like, and so
she brought her hind leg straight out in
front OF her and struck Dave quite a
blow. But she never showed the Slight
est viciousneSs toward me. We used
to shoe her with eight-ounce shoes for
ward, and lighter ones on her hind feet
Lady Suffolk was we'll built for a race
mare. She had long body and power
tul and long quarters. Her back was a
trifle reached, but that was not at all
noticeable and she stood, / should say,
15.1 hands high Some of the most cha
racteristic things about the mare were
her head and neck. Her neck was light
and slim, but withal quite muscular,
and il was as straight as a die. Her
head was of that big bony order, with
big ears that are not really beautiful,
but show considerable force
For mare that was raced as long
as she was, Lady Suffolk had remarka-
bly, clean legs. Her cannon bones were
short, and her ankles, when I began
shoeing her, were as straight as any
one could ask for. But toward the end
they began to show the intense strain
Of the racing seasons, and became some
what crooked.
"a good many people have the idea
that her feet were poor, and they might
have appeared so to the casual observer.
They were small, but of tough, firm
| texture, and held the shoes well. AS you
gray mare, quite an iron-gray when
| first saw her, but later her hair became
nearly white
Now, Mr.. Putnam the reporter con-
tinued, "can't you tell me something
about the mares history and her career
upon the turf, for it was during the
| years that you were. Shoeing her that
she went her best races?''
| "Yes. You are right when you say
! that she raced her best while was in
| New York, but that was only by
chance. 1t was while I was there, too,
| that she went her mile in 2:26, 1 think
it was, which at the time was the fast
est mile any horse had ever made at
| the trot, or at the pace, for that mat
| ter.
"To begin at the beginning, Dave
Bryant bought Lady Suffolk when she
was colt and she early began to show
fair amount of speed. Up at Babylon.
which is a town on Long Island, LADY
| Suffolk trotted her first race.
1T was in the middle of the winter.
! believe, and the stakes amounted to
-. ;SS SZS1