XXIV BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 



trumpet to the trooper when it sounds " boots and saddle." Very 

 early in life he began to ride ; and the foundation of his future 

 immense and accurate knowledge of horsemanship, in all its 

 branches and in all their details, was laid while he was a little boy. 

 He was but fifty years old at the time of his death ; and, forty years 

 before, he had ridden the famous trotting-horse Topgallant a 

 son of imported Messenger at his exercise. Thus the first horse 

 with whom we can certainly associate this most celebrated of 

 trainers, riders, and drivers, was one worthy of his own high re- 

 nown. Upon the merits of this game old horse, who was spavined 

 in both hind-legs, and yet in his twenty-fourth year beat Whale- 

 bone three-mile heats, Hiram loved to dwell. 



Top-Gallant was one of a lot of famous horses in the stable of 

 George Woodruff, and Hiram learned his first regular lessons in 

 horsemanship from his uncle. His first race was ridden at the 

 Hunting-park Course, Philadelphia, where George had Top- 

 gallant, Whalebone, Columbus, and others of great note, in training. 

 The gentlemen who frequented the ground one afternoon offered a 

 purse, to be trotted for by any horses that the boys could pick up. 

 Young Hiram (he was then fourteen years old) knew that there 

 was at plough in a field hard by a horse called Shaking Quaker, 

 that had trotted on Long Island. This horse he got, and with him 

 he won the purse. In two or three weeks it was followed by 

 another race for a larger amount, Mr. F. Duffy having backed his 

 mare Lady Kate to trot fifteen miles an hour. He selected 

 Hiram and another boy to ride, never imagining' that one of them 

 could ride a fast trotter a whole hour without a rest. Duffy, in fact, 

 played a keen game ; for he led the mare up and down by the bridle, 

 with a heavy saddle on, and induced the backers of time to believe 

 that he was going to ride her himself. His money was well laid, 

 and the time for the start was near, when the backers of the watch, 

 to their surprise and confusion, saw little Hiram come out of the 

 bushes, with his light saddle on his arm, to ride the mare. She 

 trotted sixteen miles in a trifle less than fifty-seven minutes, and 

 Hiram rode her all through. 



Two years later he rode in another time-match, and acquired still 

 higher distinction. His father was then keeping the Harlem-park 

 Course ; and there Mr. William Niblo had in training, under his 

 own supervision, a gray gelding called Paul Pry, a grandson of im- 

 ported Messenger. This horse was matched for two thousand 



