The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-10

Edward +. Geers sailed into por'
sixty-seven on his cruise through life
lie was born on a farm near Lebanon
Tenn. irr 1851, and has always been g
resident OF the state. except during q
period OF about ten years when he
wss in the employ OF the Hamlins al
Buffalo, n. Y. In his day he has seen
the PAGERS come to their own In light
harness racing. while he also did
more, than any other driver to make
them popular. With the exception OF
Little Brown Jug and Storm he either
developed or raced the best OF the
Hale and proved conclusively. over al
kinds of tracks, that they were the
earnest and most consistent bred OF
race horses that ever looked through
"a briddle. While doing this the trump
of fame carried his name over the
land until # 10 now as we'll known as
that OF any one who ever lived In
Tennessee. II has also become
synonymous with integrity in the rae
Ing world. while his skill as trainer
ane reirsman has made him the dean
OF his profession.
Ed Geers drove his first race in
1871 for a Tennessee preacher and
his last in 1917 for a New York lady
who owns st. Frisco. the greatest rae
ing graduate OF hts school. the honor
roll OF which presents the names OF
over d score OF champions.
During the f1rst twenty-five years OF
his career 9eers developed and ship
ped from the Sunny Southland for
midable array of pacing horses whose
breeding was unknown to Northern
folks until he made their blood lines
familiar by topping the race sum
rnaries with Matte Hunter. Joe Bra
den. Brown Hal. Hal Pointer. his for
ntidahle half brother, Star Pointer
the first horse TO beat two minutes IN
harness, Frank Dortch and the pow
erfnl Hal Dillard. They were follow
ed by the flying squadron OF winners
from the Village farm and when tina;
establishment disappeared others took
their places from the new training
quarters at Memphis
As lad Ed Geers developed and
SOLD few horses near his home town
before he made a trip to Nashville in
1873, where he met George Fuller and
made arrangeme to work for him
the following year During the 1874
campaign Fuller took in few Grand
Circuit meetings and what Geers saw
there convinced him that there was
considerable to the racing business. In
1875 he hung ont his shingle as a
trainer at Nashville. where he soon
attracted the attention OF Major Camp
bell Brown. who had large farm near
Spring Hill. Major Brown decided TO
send him few horses. and in order
to be near his new patron. Geers To-
Gated at Columbia and made it his
hea dQuarters for the next twelve
years.
The Almont 1liy. Alice West was
one OF the first horses trained by
0eers at Columbia. In 1877 her young
trainer made his first trip North. win
ming with her at Cincinnati. where
she defeated Keene Jim and Ken
lucky Wilkes and at Fleetwood park.
New York where abe finished in front
OF Hogarth and Sir Walter whose son.
Sir Walter. Jr., afterwards sired the
dam OF Uhian. The following week
Alice West appeared at Hartford and
was defeated b. HoRarth after six
heat contest that was spread over two
days. The first heat OF this race was
won by Lester Dore's father with
Galatea. and when doing IT she re-
'duced the world record for four-year-
olos to 2:25 "a. On the next trip
Hogarth was marked for life at 2:26.
Alice West then won heat In 2;2s ia
AttSt WHICH tioAaItn AfoWSu III iToUt
again and Geers secured the fifth heat
with the Almont Ally. The race WAS
then postponed, and. after nights
rest, Hogarth was able to win in
2:2s Ia. This was also the race to
which reference was made last Sep
TENDER when the Connecticut Fair as
sociation presented Geers with a silk
flag In enumeration of the forty years
since he made his first start over
Charter Oak park.
+ In 1873 Geers brought out Matte
Hunter. Her first races were paced
over the sandy Southern tracks that
fail and after she had defeated Sleepy
George a few times he was convinced
that she would do for the first fight
In the Grand Circuit, which In 1879
opened Its first series of races for pac-
ers. The free-for-ail was the class Sc
lected, but that did not stop Geers.
as few weeks after the season open
ed he was racing head and head with
Rowdy Boy, Blind Tom and Lucy. his
handsome mare being the fourth
member OF the big four" and that
Matte Hunter was as fast and game
as any of them was shown at Chicago
where she was only beaten a neck by
Bind Tom when he reduced the world
record to 2:l2 IA
The sale of Matte Hunter put Geers
out OF the bright hight and while he
came North almost every year with a
few horses. he failed to locate another
tcrliner until 1889, when he arrived
Mt Cleveland with Brown Hal and Hal
Pointer. He won with both of them.
Brown Hal pulled I'm lame and WAS