The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-23
CwO Colts
Stories Of FamOas
IUIebita BOrsts.

scene connected with q remarkable eV-
ent which win take place in Wichita in
September next, namely the race TO lower
the worlds harness record between the
Two most marvellous horses in the world,
John r. Gentry and Joe Patchen. Thou
sands from the outside will view the two
kings of the animal kingdom skim around
the track, but none will feel the keen
and warm interest in the animals that
the people here will, for the animals are
both Of Sedgwick county origin and are
looked upon as home products. Gentry
has a record of 2:O0z; Joe Patchen has a
record of 2:0Ik.
But the man sitting on the soap box
looking at the sick colt and crying-that
happened along in 1890. The man who
was crying was Jim Ramey, and the colt
he was crying over was John r. Gentry,
and 1t all came about in this way: When
II. G. Toler concluded to start a stock
farm here, he went to Lexington. KY, to
buy few mares having purchased Ash
land Wilkes at that time for 5000 from
Mr.. Beamer Of Blackburn, Mo. While
Mr.. Toler was at Lexington Mr.. Frank
Mason Of this city wired Mr.. ToIer to go
and see a brown gelding owned by Mike
he suited to purchase for him, which he
did. telling Mr.. Bowerman that he would
purchase a few well bred mares IL he
could get them at the right price Bow
erman brought out one mare and she
was examined; he brought out another
mare and she was looked over, and the
third mare he brought out TO show was
Dame Wood. by Wedgewood. This mare,
Mr. Bowerman said. had been sold at
auction for 5000. but parties refused to
take her on account of blemish In one
Of her eyes occasioned by thorn on a
hedge fence when she was colt. Mr.
Bowerman on that account priced her
for 500.
81 will give you $500 for the mare" said
Mr.. Toler
Bowerman took It. not realizing that
she was to become the mother of a
world astounder. Dame Wood was
shipped TO Wichita and mated with Ash
land Wilkes. She produced in 1883 Ny
ron McHenry. who was to do great
things in the world, but was not to be-
come the most famous in his family He
has a record Of 2:15lk. In 1889 by Ash
land Wilkes Dame Wood produced an
other colt.
It was rainy morning in May with
battalions Of down-pours chasing one an
other across the hills east of Paramount,
with culver OF lightning in the air and
murmur OF thunder. The farm was
dripping from cave. fence rail and limb.
and the path to the barn was muddy
Pools OF water here and there reflected
the tumbling clouds above them between
the chasing showers. and the rain-doves
were calling sharply from the hedges
One OF the stable boys came to the house
and told Toler that Dame Wood had a
son, and Mr.. Toler went out to look the
new conner over. He saw a very small,
weak colt which wabbled franticalIy on
fits unstable legs. and a desire for nour-
ishment its only intellectual endowment.
in a. poor way to accomplish the essential
and the initial step OF natal preservation.
So Mr.. Toler grabbed the colt around the
body and held him up to his first break
fast. Mr.. Toler had friend in Leaven-
worth named Nicely Todd, and Nicely
Todd this colt, which was afterward to
become John r. Gentry. was named.
Jim Ramey had charge of the colt with
others. being a trainer on the Toler stock
farm. Jim Ramey had an insatiate long
ing 10 own a fast horse. He often said
that IL he could own a horse that would
go in 2:15 he would die happy. Mr.. Toler
told him he could have any colt in the
lot for half its list price. There was a
horse named Billy Duncan in the lot that
Ramey fancied. He imagined great
things for Billy Duncan He saw Billy
Duncan coming down the home stretch
with the field telescope distance behind
-.
whole horse world and making his owner
tremendously rich. Now Billy Duncan
was a larger and more expensive colt
than John r. Gentry, who was small and
IS still a small horse, and Toler said to
Ramey:
"Jim. you better take Nicely Todd John
r. Gentry. He'll come out better than
the others, and you can have him for
$780,"
But Ramey was enraptured with Billy
Duncan. and did not surrender his liking
for some time. However. finally he was
convinced that Nicely Todd would do. At
Hughesville. Mo-. lived John r. Gentry
and Joe Ramey. They offered to go thirds
on a horse with Jim Ramey. So when
Nicely Todd. alias John r. Gentry. was a
Teafling. Jim Ramey bought him. Not
very long after the purchase H. C. Toler
went out TO the barn one day and found
Ramey sitting on soap box looking at
the sick Nicely Todd and crying Luck
seemed to be against him. His one am
bition was TO own a fast horse that
would go I'm 2:15. and here he had pur-
chased colt and Il had taken the dis
temper and had boils all over 1t. He was
sure his treasure was going to die Toler
offered to release him and let him take
another colt. but Ramey said he would
stick by the measley beast he had tied
his fortune to. And stick by Medley Todd
he did.
Ramey wanted a trotting horse ont Of
John r. Gentry. but John r. Gentry
couldn't trot. He's a PAGER" said To-
Ter. Make him pace. jim"
But Jim wanted a trotter. He loaded
up his horse and took him 20 Hughes
vile to exhibit him TO his co-partners.
The first exhibition must have been a
disappointment. For with all they could
do they couldn't get John r. Gentry TO
trot fast. And for two years as a trotter
he never went I'm less than 2:lS They
asked Toler about Il. and he replied: 81
told you that colt was a PAGER Put
hobbies on him" This was done and
inside of four months he paced a mile in
R:I4h over the Wichita track as a three
year-old.
The first race John r. Gentry ever
paced he was entered IN a three minute
class. and got so far ahead of the res.
that It was considered joke. After that
his success was easy. Joe Ramey died.