The Washington herald., 1912-01-14
TROTTER AND PAGER
Pennsylvania Avenue the Mecca of Light Harness
HorSemen- -Seighing Is PopuLaT-Other
Interesting Comment

I tributed her bones for the advancement
of veterinary science. Something more
than a passing notice is due the renowned
daughter OF Sam Purdy. She was de-
stroyed In her twenty-ninth year, an age
that few horses attain. She was sterile
the last four years OF her life. Virginia
Maid retained much OF her early ply
bred by ex-Mayor E1lyson, OF Henrico
County. Va, and was q bay mare about
fifteen hands high. She never was noted
for her speed, and was double-g gated. She
was not harnessed until a few years be-
fore her death, and she objected so stren-
uously that the job of making her work
was given up. However, she inherited
speed from her paternal and maternal
ancestors, she running in the paternal
line through Purdy to George NJ.
Patchin. 2:23 1-2. and in the maternal
line to Orange Blossom, 2:26 IL. who died
at the ripe age OF thirty-six years. She
produced speed to the cover OF different
horses ian acid test OF brood mare
greatness); but her most conspicuous foal
was the giant trotter Mosul. 2:Os IL
There are quite a number of mares own
ed in Washington that bear all the marks
Of high breeding, but whose pedigrees
are In part or in whole untraced. We
uhNG III ODt uldAC III puEAAGAAdE Va
this kind, owned by Mr.. Bates, the popu-
lar restaurant owner IN Fourteenth
street She e a fine driver, full Of
courage and "go," and in time will
doubtless be bred. As soon a. the foal
arrives its owner will be In trouble, II
he cares anything for blood lines
Through the criminal carelessness OF the
man who brought her to Washington,
and the almost criminal indifference Of
a ~. nh aa -
ed after her arrival, II is highly prob
able that her pedigree will never be
fully established. And. strange to say,
all OF these men call themselves horse
men. Such they may be in a sense; but
Il may be set down as a certainty
that any man who will purchase a fine
animal and not endeayor to ascertain
fits breeding on the spot is only a parody
on true horseman.
Men who buy hlgh-class mares, like the
Bates mare or the Dunworth mare, for
instance. owe, Il they only realized It,
a debt to posterIty and should be more
inquisitive when buying mares that in
dicate they are highly bred. Every few
days the writer is called upon 10 search
the pedigree OF some animal, whose pre-
vious owners neglected to do their duty
at time when the blood lines Of the
animal might nave Deen easily nao. or
at least a clew TO its breeder obtained.
As the writer Is not in business solely
for his health. these searches cost money,
sometimes a great deal Of money and
much time, trouble and patience on the
part of the Investigator
As a case in point: A few years ago
the writer was employed TO search the
pedigree of the granddam OF that rather
remarkable trio Of performers, Country
Jake. Country Boy. and Prince George.
She was supposed to be registered, but
the name given OF the mare could not
be found in the Trotting Register. We
travelled twenty-five miles IN the month
of March in zero weather through snow
banks to q certain point in Maryland be-
fore a clew was found that was worth
developing The clew led us back to
Washington. where was finally found a
brother of the man who had formerly
owned the mare, only to learn that the
name OF the animal had been wrongly
given, in the first instance. and that
she really had been registered. Troubles
did not end at that point, for Just as the
material had been gathered for registra-
ton Of the dam of the trio named, her
owner suddenly died and the mare pass
ed into the hands OF a man who didn't
know blood lines from sawdust and was
indifferent as 20 whether she was sired
by Electioneer or Finnegan's bull and
damned by everybody.