The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-25
ED. GEERS, THE HORSEMAN.

In the annals of sport as nowhere
else is Dame Fortune so tickle in the
treatment of her devotees. The stars
of today are forgotten tomorrow, and
new ones take their place, and lucky,
indeed, is he who occupies the pub
lie eye for any length of time.
OF all the men and beasts who have
been idolized by the public for per-
fOrmances on field or track there is
one who stands out with more prom
inence than any other, and he is Ed
Geers, "the Silent Man" of Tennessee,
driver of horses.
For almost forty years Geers has
directed the movements of the trot-
tiers, and he capped his marvellous
record by closing the past season at
the top of the list of winning driy-
ers, young and old.
His place in sport annals is unique
and at the same time secure beyond
even the encroachments of time, for
who has not heard of Ed Geers and
the sensational performance of Maud
S., 2:OS% for the mile to a high
wheeled sulky?
Why is it that this performance
and the man have not been forgotten?
True, one is reminded of the fact when
visiting the Chenille track near
Cleveland, for over the gate are the
shoes and the time made by Maud s.
on that memorable occasion. But we
cannot all go to race tracks.
An Old Timer.
Geers is now sixty-six years old.
He was driving in races when big
majority of US were just beginning to
read the newspapers. Millionaire
Hamlin, whose name, coupled with
Village Farm, near Buffalo, was plac-
ed where it is as patron of the har-
ness horse by Geers, is dead and gone.
The name of Geers will stand high
in sport annals because he was al
ways ION the square" He Is the only
man who, through all his career on
the turf, was never called before the
judges single time, and there has
never been the faintest suspicion at
tached to any of his performances
when up behind trotter. With him
handling the reins one knew that he
was trying, and If ever man could
get the best out of a horse, that man
is Geers.
Among his close friends Geers
numbered Commodore Vanderbilt,
Gen. Grant and Robert Bonner. In
Guiding Hamlin, this party would
spend many Sunday at Stony Point,
where Geers' advice was asked con-
corning breeding and everything per-
tanning to the raising of trotters The
friendship of such man was remark
able, and If Geers was ever other than
"the Silent" with them they never told
it. 81
Modest and shy, always stunning
publicity, he has been a marvel to
men associated with him in the racing
game, and thus he has earned the title
OF "The Silent Man." His methods
were as different from the methods of
others as he was different.
Never Carried Whip.
He was never know to strike a
horse during a race, and he never
carried a whip. He carried what is
known as "scraper," but seldom
used it to urge on his charge. Geers
also used open brides in racing. His
argument was that to get the best out
OF horse the animal, naturally sus-
Dicious, must be able to see what is
going on, and, above everything else,
have the confidence of the driver. &
That he worked along the right
lines needs no affirmative answer.
Look at the records he has held, and
how to set the figures the noble ami
mails must have understood him and
responded to his confidence in them.
That animals succeeded in breaking
down the barrier of silence when hui
man beings could not Is evidenced by
the fact that some years ago Geers
was tOked about q mandy LOOKING cur