The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-06
HIS FATHERS PREDICTION.
FORTUNE SPENT IN ACCUMULATION
or 4 POWERFUL STABLE.

Memphis Track Built mt an Expense
nf S3OO.OOO for TrOtters Alone.
Years Ago the Father OF the own
or of the Present Queen of the
TrottinG world Predicted That
the SON Would one Day own the
Fastest TrOtter in the world, and
This Has Been Verified in Lou Dill
Ion Who Is the Undisputed Cham
piOn.
When A. NJ Billings, father Of c. K.
@ Billings. told his son that he would
some day own the worlds fastest trot-
ter he little dreamed that the holder
of the record would occupy the long
sought two minute goal Away back
prior TO 1870 the senior Billings owned
Princess, 2:3O which raced from New
York to San Francisco, and which lat
er produced Happy Medium sire of
Nancy Hanks.
1t is related of the son that he be-
seged his father with so many ques-
tons concerning Princess, that on one
afternoon he remarked: My son, you
seem to take a great deal of interest
in trotting horses. Keep it up and
some day you viii own the champion
of the world" The senior Billings pro-
phecy has been fulfilled and the har-
ness horse world in general is congratu-
lating the son on owning Lou Dillon,
200, who has succeeded in setting at
rest all arguments advanced for
score of years as to whether the two
minute mark could be reached by
horse trotting in harness.
c. K. @. Billings career with the
American tTotter has had a world wide
appreciation and because he could hold
his pew in church and get drive trot-
ter, others became enthusiasts Prob
ably no man. other than the lamented
Robert Bonner. has done so much to
advance the standard of the trotter.
Enthused in his early teens by memory
of his fathers crack, Princess, he began
to handle the reins behind fast road
sters when the stable attaches were
willing to intrust them to his care.
First Is a PAGER.
Yet until his fathers death he owned
but one or two fast ones that attracted
national notice. His first was a PAGER,
Toxic r., with a. record of 2:101a. Jen-
ME h, a Phallas mare, with which
Jack Case won three races at Wash
ington Park in 1895, was the next ad-
dition to the Billins collection. Min
erva, mare that cost but $172.50. was
added and Mr.. Billings subsequently
beat Jennie K. with her and sue
ceeded in accomplishing a mile in
2;1514 at Washington Park. truly
wonderful performance for a green
mare with an amateur driver.
Mr.. Billings then secured the noted
Franker, which. as a 4-year-old, had
a record of 2:21A over a half mile
track. Franker was a grand road
horse, had speed a plenty and a heart
as stout as the lion-hearted Dexter,
and rarely was Mr.. Billings headed
in his speedway flights in New York.
Jimmy Hague, 2.l31R, came next and
cost Mr.. Billings at auction $4,000.
Franker cost only $500 and to-day has
a matinee record of better than 2:12
to wagon. Franker has trotted miles
in New York at 211A and at Memphis
during the first meeting of the Mem
phis Trotting Association forced Mabel
Onward to trot in 2:10h to beat him.
He also won several blue ribbons at
horse shows and has always been re-
garded as the favorite horse owned
by Mr.. Billings.
In 1898 Mr.. Billings began to oc-
cupy the position that has placed him
before the admiring gaze of the trot-
ting enthusiasts all over the world. He
purchased the Baron Wilkes PAGER,
Bumps, 2:04A, for something in the
neghborhood of $4,000. He drove
Bumps
western tracks in better than 2:06 and
when w. L. Snow followed with the
wonderful performance at Louisville
by rating him to wagon at Douglass
Park in 2:03A, lowering Joe Patchen's
record. Bumps was then shipped to
the New York speedway but Indictment
weather caused him to return Bumps
to winter quarters at Memphis, where
he contracted cold and died. His body
of tor
marks the solitary resting place of
harness horse at that historic old home
of the gallopers.
Adds Many New stars.
1t was in 1898 that Mr.. Billings added
new stars to his rapidly growing sta
BILE. Lucille, Battleton Jimmy Hague
and Arrigal were taken to New York
and the Chica goan swept everything
before him in the afternoon skrmishes.
The Billings stable attracted thousands
TO the speedway and DR.. Kane, a veal
thy New Yorker having bought Darrell,
2:07R. the contest for honors was a
feature of the fall driving.
On the recommends ton of Jack Cur
ry, Mr.. Billings paid $4,000 for Hontas
CroOke, 200, although he had never
laid eyes on the horse. The manner
in which Mr.. Billings rated Hontas
Crooke ahead of all the New York ce-
lebritieS, finally winning the "oat' race
at Andy Welchs meeting, defeating
Quadriga and pacing in 2:10, is we'll re-
membered.
Mr.. Billings allowed the trainer,
Amos Rathbun, to take Lucille to fit
for a wagon record and at Lexington
Rathbun drove her in 2:07--the world s
wagon record, amateur driver at that
time. In all of his purchases Mr.. Bill
ings has never hesitated long about
buying a horse that strikes his fancy.
At Hartford several seasons ago Free
Bond, 2:06l4, stepped half mile one
afternoon to wagon in 1907. He was
driven by his trainer, but on the way
to the club house, after jogging Free
Bond, Mr. Billings said: "Ill take
him. and at the reported price of SIS, 500
he secured the great son of Simon,
who toward the end of the same week
was driven by his new owner to his
record of 2:04A.
Sunland Belle was bought for S3,225.
The California trotter Ebert, 2:11. was
annexed for $l.650. Mabel Onward was
added for $4,000 and Major Greer. Ag-
gle Medium and Dan Westland were
bought IN rapid succession, all bring
ing handsome prices from the man who
was bent on owning horses that could
show their heels 10 others in matinee
and speedway skirmishes
builds "A Winter Track
IN the most important even, outside
the owning of the IA stest trotter in the
world. was Mr.. Billings announcement
Ia 1901 that he would build a track on
which b. could spend some OF his time