The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-18
NEWS OF HORSES
AND HORSE!NEN
Wonderful Career of Mr.. Gardner, a
Virginian.
HE IS WORTH sloo,ooo,oO
And Owns Great I.acing Stable in
En.land-L.trc Johnny Refs
Big Salary Death of
Bursar, PIT Ii.

The most successful North Carolina
stable of trotters out during the season
OF 100 was that of r. L. Smith. Of
Steenville, whose trainer and driver was
tie former kentuckian, Silas Smith. It
sSas M large, including only three
horses, Out they We're all money win
aers The bay mare Codejnt, five years
OLD. by Judge fOney, Tie brother to Hast-
Ter Russell. dam Georgia NJ, by Lyle
Wilkes, won in The North Carolina cir
Cut aild sol d mark OF z:2s1e. Hnlie the
cnr7ously-marked roam geldinS Paddy
McGregor, who was campaigneu through
the season, won some races, got a part
OF The money in others, and trotted TO
q record of 2:21A. Paddy McGregor is
Kansas product anu by OZel McGreg-
Or. the son of Robert McGregor, out OF
spotted mare uned as q Saddler on the
ranch where Paddy was foaled. The star
of the stable, however, was the chest
nut stallion Bird Eye, who started IN
sixteen races in many weeks, all
over halt-nile tracks. and with him the
SIN tbs captured nine first moneys, = cou-
pie Of seconds and one third, and gave
him q new mark of 2:1i1j.
IL the single race in which Bird Eye
failed 20 connect with the money doubt
less the result would have been very diff
lS-etil OUT IpT a wick at 4OunEStONl, ",
where the chestnut stallion was severe
1y shaken up. Bird Eye was recently
sold for over 5000 TO Baltimore par
ties and placed In the hands OF w p
Bigss. at Arlington. who Will take him
down the big Inns next. season The ca
cesr OF this horse has been an interest
ing one a son Of Prince Belmont and
Sue Burglar, by Burglar, 2:24A, the
brother 20 Epauletr 2:IS. Bird Eye was
bred by Z. F. Scales, Byrdville, Va. and
sold as yearling at public auction i'll
Raleigh, n. c.. for $50. the purchaser
being Walter Fuller. of SInithtieid. from
whom tho colt passed al three years old
70 that aStute horSeman George d.
Bennett. Of Goldsboro, and from him to
Mr. Smith. For the latter Bird Eye Won
four or five races and went into winter
quarters with q. mark of 2::29l.. The
following season Bird Eye WAS campaigns
ed by II. z. Kline, of William Penn,
gaia fame. Tor waoIn he won some good
races and got a new mark of 2:1Si..
where 1t remained until the campaign
OF 1850 began. as the horse was raced
but little n his five or SIX year Old form.
What Bird bye may do in 1901 is, OF
course, problematical, but Silas Smith,
who knows his capacity, thinks that ne
will be money winner in high-class
company.
An Exchange says.
.Eusene Leigh has struck it rich in Eng
land He is nov the boss trainer Tor ME-
Gardner, who has money to burn ana has
taken a violent fancy 10 the game OF horse
racing. Gardner is the man Tor Wnom
Tod Sloan bought The 2-year-nid colt Long
shoreman and the 3-year-old lilly Lady
Massey from John T. Madison wren he
was in tfis country in August Because
Mr. Gardner went to England from Aus
traiia and became a KARIN friend Of the
Prince of Wales every one jumped 10 the
conclusion that he was an Enslsam;an or
an Australian. He Is no snch thing. but
Eirginian, the son and grandson OF two
men who wore uniforms Of the Southern
Confederacy and fell in the six days fight
around Richmond in 1885,. Gardner was
Z years old when they were killed. ana
as his entire family had been wiped out
of existence he followed the Confederate
army 10 get something to eat In the last
year Of the war he was drummer in
Virginia regiment. after General Lee 5
surrender he went TO Philadelphia to lind
an uncle Of wt1om he vaguely renempered
having heard his father and grandfather
speak. While looking for his uncle's name
In a directory in a Philadelphia drug store
the young wanderer unexpectedly ran
across his fathers family physician. who
had been Tu ned by the war and had come
North 10 begin life anew. This doctor was
as unable TO help Gardner rs the boy was
to help himself, but the story of their
troubles. related in his hearing, Interested
the proprietor OF the drug store and he
gave young Gardner \ JOB at S. a week.
Gardner lived with the physician and
learned chemistry and aSsaying at the
drug store. One day re ran across the
Bank of CALIFORNIA; advert sen,ent Tor an
expert assayer. He and the doctor raised
the price OF his passage across the CONT
nent and he went 10 San Francisco and
got the job. He became Interested in
gold mining and invented some machinery
tina; enabled him 10 extract metal that
could not be obtained by ordinary pro
cesses from the abandoned mines in Ans
tralia, and this invention made him
wealthy He is worth. it IS said. more
than 500 600 Whether that estimate
IS excessive or too small is not 10 the
point He at least has enough money to
Indulge his fancy for horse racing and
has given Gene Leigh carte blanche TO
get together a strong stable. He could
not have placed his interests in the hands
OF a shrewder man. and ii IS safe to pre-
Virginan Will be in front in many great
races Sloan viii do Mr.. Gardeners rid
ing. Mr.. Gardner thinks that sloan IS the
greatest jockey living and he is right,
even If popular prejudice IN England
against American horsenen and riders did
cause the Prince of Males to cancel his
contract with The little wizard FOR 1901.
DR.. ). c. Walton. OF Reidsviile, we'll
known as q member of the Board OF
Medical Examiners of North Carolina and
as surgeon Of the Southern Railway,
owns some very promising FLIES by Prince
Belmont, the son of Belmont that sired
Bird Eye. 2:l4 ii; Princess Euiaiia 2:l' Il