C. J. HAMLIN AND VILLAGE FARM 



swelled his fortune. Early In life he fell in love with 

 the trotting horse, and, when money matters became 

 easy with him, he bought a small farm at East Aurora 

 and started in a modest way to breed trotters. His 

 first stallion was Hamlin Patchen (foaled in 1863) 

 by Geo. M. Patchen, dam Mag Addison by Addison. 

 He chose him because he regarded him as a worthy 

 son of a handsome stallion, George M. Patchen, 

 2.23^, whose imposing form on the track compelled 

 admiration. Hamlin Patchen was almost a failure 

 as a sire of trotters, but his daughters were success- 

 ful brood mares, and the line was thus preserved from 

 extinction. Belle Hamlin, 2.i2f, Mr. Hamlin's first 

 fast trotter, was out of Toy, a daughter of Hamlin 

 Patchen, and she drew public attention to the value 

 of the blood for foundation purposes. In July, 1 866, 

 the programme of the " Grand Trotting Fair at 

 Buffalo " was sent me, and the liberality of the 

 premiums, which amounted to $10,500, was the sub- 

 ject of comment. The prominent members of the 

 committee in charge of the enterprise were Wm. G. 

 Fargo, R. L. Howard, C. J. Wells, Jewett Rich- 

 mond, M. P. Bush, and C. J. Hamlin. The latter 

 gentleman soon became the dominating spirit of the 

 committee, and the successful meetings did more to 

 advertise Buffalo than anything else that had been 

 suggested. The premium list was steadily increased 

 until it reached a maximum of $70,000, and C. J. 

 Hamlin was the autocrat of the August meeting. He 

 suggested the Grand Circuit, which at first was com- 



119 



