The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-20
John y. WATCHES
BOB FROST SHOD
by w. III. GO<'HTFs.

For over thirty years there was-A
little blacksmith shop with one ere
az the lower entrance TO the old Cievs.
land driving park In 9lenvflle. o.. In
the early days IL had number ct
occupants but In the eighties \.
Adams came over from Jefferson. O.,
and located there. He was a natural
| born farrier with q thorough love fog
the trade and what he aid not know
about levelinx horses foot or corr
rectinx defects In gait by weight %
the shape OF a shoe COULD not b
found in Robert Bonner's library or
any other devoted 20 that line "a
/ literature
| In his dav at the old track over
the entrance 10 which swung a biz
giit shoe with lettering inside OF IL
bear ring silent testimony that Maud
3 trotted in s:0s "a over that course.
Adams saw many cham pions and
counterfeits come I'm and go out u
! his shop, while "A supply OF racing
| gossip could ALWAYS he found there
especially on wet days.
| Adams presided at the are ana
| made all of the shoes by hard even'
when the work horses were brought
| In by Jack Denman. Also II thcrw
was q horse at the end Of each Of
| the ave or six the chains all that could
! be done was 20 wait your turn like
| In a barber shop on Saturday night.
or taxa the prise pupil back TO hin
stall and bring him in whsn the fiodR
was clear
IN the eighties and early ninstisU
HJohn y. Rockefeller bad a sta hie for
| his fast road horses on the outside d
| the track fence about half way %
| the three quarter pole During this
| summer and early autumn months
aA fat fnA mi
them while the balance OF the year
they were at New york CITY In Z
brick sta hie on iot adjoining the
building that sheltered Rohert Bon
ners champions which In their day
included Dexter. Rarus, Maud D. and
sunot
One pleasant summer morning
while SANDY Mclean was out on thu
track jogging the cross matched pair
appeared at the blacksmith shop 1~sds
ing Bob Frost He WAS q gsfdfne
that william Rockefeller bred ana
was bv Independence ont Of CH~orA.
the pair Of trottsrs thst Pulled 4 poie
cart IN a:ts Ia over Charter oA1
park nj Hartford In 1893. Bah Frose
was a raeaiy Fraw in color with con-.
siderable white In HIS tail ard whfleF
ne had a fair turn OF sresd he could
not give very GOOD account ef him.
w~tf when nj sp~ed unless he had .
long toe. Also as his feet were britt
tie, a common fault with gray horses.
Adams had a d'firtlit task In kceD.y
ing him balanced for fnst work
That particular morning Bob Frc1e
was minus front shoe HAVING puffed
II of I'm the stable when getting NJ
and ~ n portion Of the shell w.
broken IL looked as II II would -
| In, possible TO reset t. In that eveut
| poh was booked for a vacation unt11
fs-ter the iron to. Afser examining
the horsA's eoot. Adams told tho
rroon to ask sandv Mclean 70 como
down ard take look nj the wreck
before ne d'd anything with r.
IN short time he returned with
the trainer who was arcornra-fed
by a tail man dressed very pfasrtv h
black nnd whcse brown hair ana fvh9
| r,ustnrhe wore he~<crtrg 20 rh"w the
| whitening touch OF time. Fcth ~
-,d Mcr can examined Bob rrc.tu
'front.' foot verw cerss,,flw ana aiso
watched the smith CLOSELY when No
tested - with the hammer ana pi-eh>
ers. Finally after a consuitattoA
that was ns dAt'herate ana v~av~ -
thoovh II involved millions they d.
cided TO punch another nail hole II
| the shoe and have II reset. seating
| themselves on two inverted nail kexA
Sandy Mclean and has companion
| watch tho norman point hts natls
carefully with the hevei 20 the QUE
side and drive them SLOWLY into the
shattered sheof. As each % the e~~sA
nails held and was cisnched thsY
haaved 3 SIGH OF rNisef and after 3
itt,A rasping Bob Frost was himself
again.
The tall man was 20 pleased with
the work that he was soon husv 60
ting throush hts rocke's 20 H~d so-ne-
/ thing tn reward the AonrrNan. Find
inx no.hsnx hut a s~,Ai watch and +
pocket knife he borrowed nv cents
! from the grcem ana handed II II
him while Adams took MACE e
chalk and made the usual charge u
. dollar on the hse slate hanging
NEAR the hei,nws with haw and
good morning Sandy Mclean ana
hts companion departed ana A. thsys
walked towards the grandstAnd sofao
| one asked Adams who the tail naan
was and ha replied. "John "A
/, RoockefsllsF. the raC1esat maA ~ -
Il n -