292 THE HORSE OF AMERICA. 



" Electioneer is the most natural trotter I have ever seen. He has free, 

 abundant action; it is a perfect rolling action both in front and behind, and he 

 has not the usual fault of the Hambletonians of going too wide behind. Certain 

 writers have said that Electioneer could not trot, and have cited him as a 

 stallion that was not a trotter yet got trotters. ... I have driven, beside 

 Electioneer, aquarter in thirty-fiveseconds. . . . Hedidthis, too, hitched to a 

 one hundred and twenty-five-pound wagon, with a two hundred and twenty- 

 pound man, and not a professional driver, either, in the seat. In this rig he 

 could carry Occident right up to his clip, and could always keep right with 

 him; and it was no trick for the famous St. Clair gelding to go a quarter 

 in thirty-four seconds. Without preparation you could take Electioneer 

 out any day and drive him an eighth of a mile at, a 2:20 gait. He 

 always had his speed with him. . . . That Electioneer could have beaten 

 2:20 if given a regular preparation is with me a conviction about which no 

 doubt exists." 



Mr. Marvin is a conservative and reliable man; he knew 

 whereof he wrote, and his testimony must be accepted as conclu- 

 sive both as to Electioneers having been a naturally fast trotter, 

 and as to his having had his speed developed. Undeveloped 

 horses do not trot quarters in thirty-five seconds. 



When in 1880 Fred Crocker, one of the seven foals got by 

 Electioneer in his first year's service in California, astonished 

 the world by trotting to a two-year-old record of 2:25f, his sire 

 became instantly famous, and that fame has increased rapidly and 

 steadily from that day to this. It was not allowed for a moment 

 to wane or lag. After Fred Crocker came an ever-surprising 

 procession of young record breakers. In 1881 Hinda Rose made 

 a yearling record of 2:36|, and Wildflower a two-year-old record 

 of 2:21. In 1883 Hinda Eose lowered the three-year-old record 

 to 2:19^ and Bonita the four-year-old record to 2:18f. In 1886 

 Manzanita lowered the four-year-old record to 2:16; in 1887 

 Norlaine, granddaughter of Electioneer, lowered the yearling 

 record to 2:31^; and in 1888 Sunol put the two-year-old record 

 at 2:18, and the year following took a three-year-old record of 

 2:10^, the fastest to that date. Sunol captured the four-year-old 

 record in 1889, and the world's record, 2:08^, in 1891, but what 

 made this the brightest year in all the history of Palo Alto was 

 that Arion lowered the two-year-old record to 2:10| the most 

 remarkable of all trotting performances Bell Bird the yearling 

 record to 2:26, and Palo Alto the stallion record to 2:08|. Elec- 

 tioneer has now to his credit one hundred and fifty-four 

 standard performers, and in this and in the 2:20 list he has 

 a long lead over all other sires. He died at Palo Alto, December 



