The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-17
and
HIS Horses

The views of a man who has stuck
to a hobby in horse breeding 40 years
through thick and hin are likely 10
be OF interest TO horsemen, the more so
when they reflect the observations, ex-
p~eriences and opinions of a man who is
at once probably the oldest, most ex-
tensive and most successful breeder OF
t~rotting horses in the world. Besides
being the foremost breeder and turf
man of the day, c. j. Hamlin is one of
the most picturesque characters among
the rich men of the country. At 10
years of age he is as straight and stall
wart OF form, firm of step, strong of
voice, ruddy Of face, sharp of eye and
active Of body and mind as most men
are at so. Even his snow white hair
and beard YOU never lead a stranger
to suspect that he is almost an octo-
genarian. A genial. cheerful. optimistic.
up-to-date and up-to-snuff old man who
lives in the present and the future, not
in the past; a rock-ribbed American of
sturdy New England stock; an out
spoken radical In horse breeding, poll
tics and religion, whose idols are Mann
brine King, Ed Geers, Abraham Lin
coin and Tom Paine: democratic to the
last degree. knows all the bright Boz
henian camp followers of the Grand
Circuit as well as they know him; a
hater OF everything illiberal, who will
give you a strong argument that n.y.
ing q pool on a horse race Is just as
legitimate as buying May wheat on
the Board Of Trade, and that both are
all right in law and morals; a bold
speculator himself, who Will bet more
money, so the bookmakers say. h IA
49, F,fl,xr-g fhA tRnttaFE uHhan
he likes the chances of one of his Viii
lage Farm horses that Ed Geers Is
driving in a race; a keen, close, hard
headed man in a business transaction.
who has learned the value of a dollar
in accommodating several millions of
them; Not a promising customer for
gold bricks in any form; drives a hard
bargain, some persons say bus lives
up TO his agreements without a rnnr-
muir, although he doesn't ALWAYS re-
uuire these who deal with him 10 do
the same; a good judge of men and
horses. with strong likes and dislkes
concerning the different families CT
trotters. pronounced theories about
breeding, and an abiding faith that Ed
Geers is the ablest trainer and driver
who ever mounted a sulky, as wen as
an absolutely honest man.
His love-no other word fills the bill
for Geers is one of the shining features
of Mr.. Hamlin's character. He Will tell
you that this big. brawny. bronzed.
ha~ckwoodsman from Maury county,
Tennessee. is an undiscovered Lincoln
in his goodness of heart, wealth of COM
mon sense and loyalty to truth.
There is nothing ostentatious In the
manners or the dress Of Mr.. Hamlin. He
might be taken for a prosperous mer-
chant, which he was some 80 years ago,
but no strange who saw him on the
duarterstretch at the races with his Ia
miliar green umbrella, straw hat ana
linen coat would be likely to pick him
out as a man whose wealth runs away
up into the millions. The veteran horse
man does not often miss a meeting
where his t~rotters are engaged. His
large business interests in Buffalo are
looked after by his eldest son, William
while he follows the circuit from June
until November, Drawing the heat and
the hotels for the pleasure of seeing MS
horses perform. OF late years he has
had in his son Harry an able lieutenant
in his breeding and campaigning opera
tions. Old circuit followers were not
disposed to take the younge Hamlin
very seriously when his father made him
a partner in all his horse interests -four
or five years ago, but time has proved
that the son Is a chip of the old block,
and everybody that follows the trotters
will tell you now that Harry Hamlin
Is one OF the cleverest all-round horse
men in America. He has carried the
colors of Village Farm into n new field
by takinE the handsomest of the we'll
bred ~trotters that are not fast enough
to win on the turf, fitting them up IN
hackney style with locked tails, pulled
names and curbed bits. and showing
them in heavy harness at the leading
horse shows, where they have beaten
the best OF the imported English high
steppers at their own game. IL Is said
Of Harry Hamlin hat he would rather
win with one of his dock-tailed trotters
In the champion class for high-steppers
at the National Horse Show than &c
pull down a 5000 purse in the grand
circuit. With their trotters and theii
t~rotting-bred park horses the II
are usually the largest exhibitors, ane
they are frequently the largest priz'
winners at the annual exhibition II
Madison Square garden. That event Il
the wind-up OF their campaign.
After the big show is ended Ed
Geers goes up 10 the breeding farm a
East Aurora, in Erie county. where M
n his employees pick out 40 or o
likely young trOtters from among th'
400 or 500 animals on the place. Thes'
are shipped down TO Selma. Ala, 10 b
conditioned, trained and sorted owe
during the winter and early spring "
preparation for the next campaign
About the first day OF May Geers Sc
lects a carload Of the best ones to TAX
through the circuit. shipping the 9th
I GFG hagk ~ hHa g.. nnEfh,