Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-03-13
new ENGLAND BREEDERS.
Men Who Develop Trotters-Some OF
the Most Famous Stock Farms in
New England Briefly Reviewed.


New England from Long Island Sound
to the Canadian border and from the At
lantic coast to the Adrondacks, Is thor
oughly loyal to the trotter, says the New
York Evening Post The descendants of
the Puritans appear to be to-day as averse
to thoroughbred racing as their ancestors
were during the reign of that merrie mon
arch. King Charles the Second. who set
his seal of approval on New Market Heath
as race course nearly 800 years ago.
There is no regular running meeting in all
New England, and no course devoted to
that sport but there is no town of any
size in the six famous old states which has
not trotting track and at least one meet
ing year. Nearly two centuries ago
Rhode Island was famed for its Narragan-
sett PAGERS and their mention in the chron-
icles Of that time is the earliest authentic
record of the racing gait which has solved
the problem of a horse in harness going in
200 or better The Morgan horses were a
production of Vermont and New England,
and it is a great pity that as a distinct
breed they have nearly ceased to exist,
having been absorbed by continuous cross
ing with the great Iaubletonion family of
trotters
When the demand for the fast trotting
horse became urgent, strange to say, the
great West was the first to realize the i'm
mense possibilities, and New York and New
inundated by buyers, who did not stop UNI
I'll all their farms had excellent represen-
tatiVes of the race The famous Alexander
Abdallah made the fame of Woodburn
Dictator, the brother of Dexter, reigncd >
for many years as the monarch of Ash
land. the old home of Henry Clay, Elec-
tioneer went to California, and his produce
gave Palo Alto worldwide reputation,
and scores of other great sires might be
! mentioned. But it did not take many
! years for the return of the tide, and when
it did set in the wealthy men of New
| England soon proved by the wisdom OF
their selections and the liberality of their
| purchases that the future glories of the
race would as far exceed the modest past
| as the magnificent stock farms of to-day.
with their country mansions, perfectly ap-
| pointed tracks
and buildings, surpass the modest ances
! tral homes of the trotter of half a century
| ago.
In this great work of rehabiitating the
| trotting breed in the New England States
scores of good men have done excellent
work. but the names which stand out
prominently are J. Malcom Forbes, John l.
| 'rhayer, William Russell Allen, Franz
Jones, II. 5. Russell Joseph Battell and
Elizur Smith. 1t need hardly be said thai
only very wealthy men can engage in the
science of breeding for recreation. The
love of the perfect type must be the mo.
tive, and its financial success Is a sec
ondary. though desirable incident All great
breeds, whether horses, cattle or flowers
| have been developed in their earlier stage.
ly noble and wealthy enthusiasts who pre-
forred glory to gold. and while a few have
achieved both, there have been hundred:
Of failures.
The late EliZur Smith was a conspicuou;
success. His farm was at Lee, costly
tucked in by the beautiful Berkshire hills
| From Kentucky he brought those fanou:
trotttrs Alcantara and Alcyonc, by tn,
| famous George Wilkes out Of that granc
queen OF brood mares. Alma Mater, by
! Mambrno PatChen, he 10y MamhrinC
Chief, second dam the thoroughbred mar,
! Estclla, by Imp Australian. Tho marvel
! Gus blend of the blood of George Wilke.
| and Mambrino Chief with IL double infu
son of thoroughbred blood through tn,
dam of Mambrino Patchcn, who was BY
Gano and Estelle, proved most prepoten
/ sIeed producer. and buyers from All part.
cf the continent came to the Smith farm
10 buy the sons and DAUGHTERS of its ia
nous sires The owner is dead. Alcyon,
only lived to be ten wears old tho stool
and farm have been sold, but the example
set by Mr.. Smith and the influence whic.
4 the farm exertcd on the breeding inter- st
of New England cannot be oVercStima ed
When the swift Smugglcr 2I5I4 be
came the champion stallion. II. s Russel
of Milton bought him from his Kansa,
owner for SSoO 900 and brought him I,
New England in 1876. lie was Il sad disap
point,nent In the stud. and was sold. anc
died i'm 1890. With other horses Mr.. Rus
sell had better success. especially witt