The New York herald., 1920-12-05
Horse DEALERS
OF YESTERYEAR
Where They Are and What
They Are Doing To-day
With Old Occupation Gone.
ny GURNEY @. CUE.

days when Fatty Bates, Johnny Brat
ton and other dealers almost made the
National Horse Show, numerous visitors
to the recent exhibition in Madison
Square Garden were asking what ha'
become OF the many professional horse
men who only few years ago played
so prominent a part in the annual re-
unions there. A. marked change has
come over the show in this respect. and
il has not been change for the better.
For the men in the horse business were
always q picturesque and interesting
group. recruited from all walks of life
and all classes Of society. When turned
out for Horse Show week the four-in-
hand whips and the sporting element
among them lent color and character
the ring which even the costliest of
decorations could not rival or replace.
And they were the boys who brought
in from the remotest corners of the
country the troops of fresh horses
which came out at every show to add
to the interest and the uncertainty Of
competitions on the tanbark.
OF the old guard who We're contem-
poraries of Bates and Bratton even
John Spratley was missed along the
rail this year. though he and his son.
Harry Spratley, had few entries in
the show. 1t is close to thirty five
years since the elder Spratley began
shipping fine saddle and harness horses
10 New York and showing them at the
Garden. He made his headquarters for
many years at the old American Horse
Exchange, now the Winter Garden, and
developed many noted prize winners.
He owns large plantation at Elberon.
Va, near the James River, and Is TAX
ing It easy there nowadays. while his
son and his old lieutenant, Jimmy Rob-
inson, market the good ones he still
sends to New York each year.
Dealer Now Judge.
W. A. McGibbon, who as a boy rode
the sensational jumper, Filemaker, at
one of the early horse shows. before
either Bates or Bratton had come upon
the scene, and who later became one OF
the most successful dealers in saddle
horses in New York, was perhaps the
veteran representative of the trade at
this years show. Before he retired two
or three years ago he brought out win
ner after winner at the Garden. the
last one of note being Radiant. He
now lives at Harrison. n. Y. and this
year acted as judge at the great
Rochester show, as well as at the Gar
den show
Another Of the old coterie at the
Horse Exchange who attended the Horse
Show this year was w. d. Grand. Like
Mr.. McGibbon he Is a native of Canada
and has done much to make the Cana
dian horse famous in the States. He
conducted the auction sales OF fine har.
ness and saddle horses at the old Broad.
way Exchange for twenty years or such
a matter. and has struck off more high
priced horses of these types than any
other man ever identified with the trade
Twenty-Five years ago Mr.. Grand used
to hold sale of show horses in the
Garden Immediately after the Horse
Show, and at one of these he disposed
Of the first National Horse Show cham.
pion, as well as the first winner of the
original Waldorf-Astoria cup. His home
is in Orange county, where he has a
pretty country place near Goshen, and
though not actively identified with the
purchase and sale OF horses nowadays
he seldom let's a clancy one go begging
for a buyer
Mr.. Ware at BrookIine Club.
Mr.. Grand's old associate, Francis M
Ware, who was the efficient treasurer
and manager of the Horse Exchange
when the late w. K Vanderbilt con-
Jrolled 1t. has severed his connection
with the horse business and Is now man
ager OF the Brookline Country Club, near
Boston, his native city. He finds time
every year, however, to take a hand in
tho management Of the Brockton Horse
Show. and until few years ago was as
sociated with Prescott Lawrence and
Henry 8. Eldridge on the committee re-
sponsible for the annual horse show al
Newport No one identified with the
trade ever stood higher than Mr.. Ware
among amateur and professional horse
men. whether as manager, Judge, auc.
tioneer, referee or seller, ana he has
filled all these parts as we'll as many
others In his day.
NJ. II. Tichenor, who was associated
with Mr.. Grand and Louis M. Newgasa
in organizing the Tichenor-Grand Com
pany just as the automobile began to
supplant the fine carriage horse, Is
breeding dairy cattle with marked sue
cess In California. Mr.. Newgass Is said
TO have made a small fortune buying
and selling war horses in Chicago a
few years ago. He is frequently seen
I0OuRn
out of the business has not lost his
interest in the horse. Tichenor g. Co.,
as their firm name read before the
'richenor-Grand Company came into ex-
jstence, were far and away the largest
shippers Of fine carriage horses to the
Now York market in the greatest days
OF the trade. They supplied William ii.
Moore with most of his winners for
years. also his brother. James Hobart
Moore, Thomas w. Lawson, William Il.
Leeds, Daniel @. Reid and a host OF
other wealthy men who wanted the best
in the world. Alfred @. Vanderbilt paid
them $4,000 for one four-in-hand team
they brought to the Garden show, and
they more than once realized half that
sum for a single horse.
An Ola Brcgdway Firm.
Among the leading dealers of that
day were Strauss g. Hexter. whose sale
stable was I'm Broadway. near Fifty
fourth street, where Henry Ford built
mis- New York salesrooms a year or two
ago. Before Tichenor & Co. became
prominent Strauss a Hexter were the
chief competitors OF Charles r. Bates
in the coach horse trade. bringing out
such sensational high steppers as Mon
arch and Performer. Ruth and Meteor
md Birmingham and Sandringham, all
esssed winners. The last named pair
hey sold TO Frank Jay Gould for $4,000
after winning with the big bays at the
Westchester County Horse Show. Louis
strauss. the senior partner and chief
buyer Of the old firm, died several years
ago, but Lehman Strauss, the Junior
partner, and Samnel NJ Hexter are still
in New York, the former having his