Middletown transcript., 1912-01-06

year.old, in 22l and repeated in . %
also stepped half in 1O73, and she was
extremely steady.
| r. 7. G. had never seen a track; had
been working on the farm to pows, cult.
vators, roller mower, binder and farm
wagons, but, Abraham Linoln, be had
been to night school. This farmers son,
after working him to plow all day, drove
him nights and raced all comers to a
finish. With bis wonderful stamina and
good breeding, be stood everything i'm
posed upon him and improved rapidly.
When be met Bohemia Girl be met
the queen of the turf in our country,
driven by man whom our farmers and
town people consider some kind of pro-
fessor. Well, was glad no one saw
what R. 7. G. did to me but my wife.
Usually it is easy to explain beating to
wife or an owner, but this was one oc-
casion on which it would not 60.
Mrs. Biggs insisted was beaten fairly;
that the horse was a wonder, and from
that time on urged me to buy him and
train him for myself. This l did about a
month later. In the course Of few DAYS
the father of the boy came along with r.
I. o., asking me to go to the track and
try him. l put hlm to an 80 pound cart
aud stepped him through the backstretch
tour times. He went like a bird, show
ing better than 220 gait for an eighth.
Then l turned INN the right way, struck
the turns, and it was all off. R. T. @.
hit everywhere, sulked and went into a
pace and forgot he ever trotted a step for
fully half-hour.
kept my temper and finally he trotted
again. | went away at gait, took him
back strong on the first turn, stepped
through the backstretch quickly and pull
led back strong on the second turn, then
let him step home the half in LA, which
pleased both Mr.. Cochran and myself.
R. T. c., however, had banged his knees
so severely that they swelled badly, and
he was done for three weeks.
Finally Mr.. Cochran came back and in
sisted that l take him away with my
string of horses and sell him if l could get
$4 90 for him, offering me 10 per cent.
commission. l roaoed him to Whining.
ton and tried to sell him to Mr.. Howard
T. Wallace, president of the Wilmington
Driving Association, and make my com.
mission. Mr.. Wallace saw me work him
better than 2.30 and go the turns slowly,
rode after him to carriage, ETC., but could
not feel that he was worth our lowest
price, $400.
Mr.. Frank Cox of Philadelphia, who
had bought from me Nellie w, 2I8f, as
two year.old, wanted good thing, so l
sent for him, telling him thought r. T.
c., with training, was the best thing
down my way. He came to Wilmington
to see him, and when we went to his
sail R. T. g turned ''side to-" and Mr.
Cox beheld his shoulders, white. haired
from the plow collar, his trace marked
hindquarters, and turned away. saying he
did not want to see him out of the stall;
he could see enough in.
| came home without my commission
and no customer in sight, but feeling sure
around the turns.
/ shod him three times in one day,
making little improvement on the turns,
though his burst of speed on the stretches
we're marvellous. After considerable per-
suasion from Mrs. Biggs, who urged that
with only $3.50 invested it was impossible
to lose much, / made the purchase of the
horse the following day.
With scme good suggestions from
To nmy Early, ,Wilmington's noted black
smith, and DR.. J. @. McCov, l gave him
different shoeing all around, and it i'm
proved him quite lot. 1 started him
for the money the week following. at
West Chester, Pa, for the first time in
his life. He acted fine in a cheap race,
was second in four heats ont of five and
could win, but 1 thought it too good to be
trne and kept him back. Understand,
this was only his sixth workout. The
driver OF the Kentucky Futurity winner
of 1907, Jos. Serrill, won the race.