Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-08-06
AY-EYE- SEE DEAD
At GRAND old AGE
Once Noted Trotter Victim OF
Bad Teeth After Western
Retirement.

Racine, Wis, SpeciaI.-After IA years
retirement, In which he was tenderly
cared for on a stock farm near this
city, Jay-Eye-See, the first 2:l0 trotter
b country produced. died on the
Pleasant View farm, managed oy
Charles Bull.
For the last IA a Jay-Eye-Ses
had been having trouble with his
teeth. They were In such poor condi-
ton ne was unable to get the proper
nourishment. Repeated efforts were
made by well known v~eterinarians to
give the ''old fellow" treatment, but
he steadfastly refused TO allow them.
The spot on the farm where his re-
mains lie will be marked by q granite
shaft.
Owned by Case.
The famous trotter got its name from
James /. Case, the late millionaire ve4
hicle manufacturer OF Racine, WIS,
who secured him in Kentucky. The
horse was thrown in on a horse bar
gain and later was developed into .
countrywide racing sensation by his
trainer, Charles Bither.
Jay-Eye-See was 81 years old, having
been foaled in 1878 on the farm or
Colonel Richard West, near Lexington,
KY. He was by Dictator, a full brother
to Dexter (2:l7A); first dam Midnight
W 4 iACbg gisy pNNoAAN 49,
Wagner.
The story of how the late James I
Case came to buy him is interesting.
He went down to Kentucky TO get a
string Of horses from Colonel West.
! He was not exactly satisfied with the
price named, and to satisfy him Colonel
West brought out the gelding and
said:
Here, Case, I'll throw this animal in
with the lot"
Had Odd Gait.
Case, with hardly a look at the horse,
said: All right" He came home and
finally the string Of Kentucky horses
arrived at his farm.
When the string was tried out Jay
Eye-See, which was thus named from
the initials on his new owner. was
looked upon as a freak. He would rack,
pace and trot Unfortunately, and no
amount of scientific training could get
him down to a respectable n steady
gait.
Whenever a party of visiting horse
men would come TO the Case stables
the trotting stock would be shown with
considerable pride by Edwin Bither,
the driver OF Cases horses. but he al
ways hitched up Jay-Eye-See last in
order to amuse them.
Just as soon as the gelding was on
lis ITdCh lie WOuiu pcBlH iailoStio
combination of racking, trotting ana
pacing, and his habit of rambling from
side to side of the course created
much amusement. In fact, Jay-Eye-
See was considered the Joker" Of the
Case string.
Would Have Brought $4,000.
One day a party Of visitors was look
ing over the stock, and just prior to
Its departure Bither brought out the
little fellow for his customary exhibit
ton.
To the utter establishment OF Bither
and the attaches, Jay-Eye-See started
off in a straight trot. Bither then took
him in hand and developed him into
the wonder the horse afterward came
to be.
When four years old, Jay-Eye-See
made q record of 2:19; at five years old,
and at six years old, 2:10, n
1t was at his time that he electrified
the trotting world, and his name was
household word.
, He beat st. Julian and 1t was in
Providence that he made h world
record of 2:10 in 1884. After that he
was in demand at all racks of the
country.
Soon after the tendons Of one leg
weakened and his gait was changed
to a pace. He went a mile In 2:06h,
made the fastest combination
record reported of any animal In the
and which has never been beat
At that time $50, 900 was offered for
him and refused.