The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-19
JOHN R. GENTRY
DIES AT NASHVILLE
Last Of the Great PAGERS That
Dominated Turf Twenty
five Years Ago.

Last OF the great PAGERS that domi-
mated free-for-al races in the Grand
Circuit a quarter OF a century ago.
John R. Gentry. 2:C0ia. died suddenly on
1 Monday afternoon on the farm of John
! Early. near Nashville, Tenn. He was
( the estate of the late L. II. Hartman.
( G. .. Tegethoft, manager OF the es-
tate. IS making arrangements to have
the little red horse" buried on the in
field Of the race track at Cumberland
Park where he paced some of his great
est races. Sam See, the old colored
man who came from California with
STEAMBOAT. 2:07ls. when Mr.. Hartman
| bought the champion trotting stallion,
in 1892 and who was the constant COM
panion of John f. Gentry for more than
twenty years, will still remain In the
employ of the Hartman estate, with
the sole duty of keeping the grass green
on the great PAGERS grave.
Foaled in Kansas in 1889. Gentry came
upon the turf at q time when some Of
the greatest PAGERS that have lived were
in their prime. There are many old
time horsemen who can never be con-
WINGED that we have yet seen galaxy
OF sidewheelers which quite equalled
Star Pointer, 1:5s1a; the John l.. sSulli-
van of harness horses: John r. Gentry,
2:O01a; Joe Patchen. 2:0lA; Robert J.,
2:0lH. and Frank Agan. 2:0SA. Twen-
tieth century champions have made
faster records ana won faster races, but
under conditions so different that fair
compa risons are almost impossible.
Though Robert j. had, perhaps, passed
the zenith OF his powers, while Star
Pointer had not then quite reached the
very top OF his form. 1t was In 1896 that
| their greatest races were seen, and the
greatest races of the year were won BY
John r. Gentry. then owned by William
Simpson of New York and driven by
w. j. Andrews.
AT Fleetwood Park on September he
won the fastest three heats on record
by defeating Frank Agan, Robert ]. and
Star Pointer in whirlwind finishes In
2:034, . :03A and :03A, and at Glens
Falls one week later he took the measure
of Star Pointer in . :0i r., euualling in
race the worlds record made against
time by Robert j.. whom he dethroned
shortly afterward by pacing mile at
Portland. Me-, in 2 ". or 2 90 as TN
officially timed by several we'll known
horsemen.
At the close OF the campaign Mr.,
simpson SOIO MIN AT auCllOr III -hauiooh
Square Garden. He was purchased for
$4,000 by Lewis G.. Tewksbury. a
Broadway broker who had made mil
lion and more backing his own game"
as Dunn Walton used to put II, during
and after the panic OF 1893. Tewksbury
also purchased Robert j., and the two
kingpin PAGERS toured the country in
1897, giving exhibitions OF speed. in one
of which the late r. Il. BOVINE drove
them mile to pole in 2:0S, beating all
records for teams. Their owner went
broke by continuing to back his
own game in the bull market which
followed the election Of President Nc
Kinley and he had to sell both PAGERS
between two days.
To please the late Rensselaer, Weston
| Mr.. Hartman bought the horse, but
Weston always managed him IN his sub
sequent campaigns and in his stud ca
reer. He was taken 10 Tennessee many
years ago. and as long as Mr.. Weston
lived he looked after his welfare az
solicitously as IL the horse had been
human dependent. Only last New Years
Day the veteran horseman. then "A years
old, drove the thirty-one-year-ol stall
lion for the last time in harness