Arizona republican., 1898-02-19

him in three days after the symptoms dveloped. We buried him in his sta ble lot and his bones have been there ever since. l retained seven of his best bred sons for stallions and con- tinued the business of breeding trot- ters. Up to 1893 I had on hand from forty to seventy brood mares, but in that year I began to reduce the num- Der until I bred not more than fifteen in 1896.
 George Wilkes was called Robert Fil1ingham up to September, 1861. My brother, z. B. Simmons, and myself bought him when a colt 3 years old of Theran Felten of Orange county, New York. My brother afterward sold his interest to me. When he beat Ethan Allen in the $1O,O0O match I changed his name to George Wilkes in honor of the editor of the old Spirit of the Times, the best turf writer this country has ever seen. As race horse George Wilkes beat the best horses of his day and won about S50,- 900 in stake money, which was a small part of his earnings, as he was liber- ally backed every time he started. His first really great race was the match with Ethan Allen, the then king of the turf. It took place at Patchen track, Long Island.
 There was an Immense throng of people present on that beautiful Sep tember day. The match had been made several weeks and the betting at first was 100 to 30 on Ethan Allen, but before they went to the post on the day of the race the betting was 100 to 30 on Robert Fillingham. This change in the odds was not due so much to the supposed chances of Fillingham winning, but to the large volume of money which had gone in on him. The first heat was won by Fillingham in 2:241A in a jog. Then there were no packers for Allen. .Fillingham won the other two heats easily. Probably $250,000 or $300,00O changed hands on the result-possibly more. Lady Thorn, American Girl, Lucy and Lan- cet were defeated by him in matches later on. He was on the turf about twelve years, in which he met all corners and defeated them al1
 George Wilkes was a well disposed horse, but was opposed to familiarity from strangers. Nor was he fond of other horses, for he would not allow them to come near him. He had a pronounced aversion toward cats, goats and other small animals and if one of these would come near him he would kick and bite until they left his presence. He would kill a dog like a terrier does rat, but in no sense was he vicious horse Inas- much as George Wilkes has made his success here and as his fame as a sire was linked with the blue grass coun- try, thought the state university would be the best place for his bones. Physicians tell me that there is no doubt about the bones being in good condition. He was buried about six feet deep.
 "No man can compute the value of George Wilkes to Kentucky. One day in 1889 the late General William Pres ton drove up and stopped in front of my office in the Phoenix hotel He got out of his carriage saluted me, took my hand in his and with his hat in his other hand said in his most court ly manner: Sir, I have something to say to you. You have brought more wealth to this state than any man born on its soil or that ever set foot in it's limits. No mathematician. dead or alive, could begin to compute the amount of money that you have brought to this commonwealth. The legislature of Kentucky, sir, should vote ycu a service of silver and I am not sure that it shouldn't be of gold, together with a set of resolutions ac- knowledging the beneficence of what you have done for our people,