158 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse 



occupied near Lexington. Thousands sang his 

 praises, and the literature sent out by William L. 

 Simmons fed the excitement. May Bird, 2.21, 

 was the first prominent produce of George Wilkes, 

 and she died without issue on the farm of Robert 

 Bonner. Harry Wilkes, who took a record of 

 2.13!, was a star performer, but was succeeded by 

 stars of greater magnitude. George Wilkes died 

 at Ashgrove Farm, May 28, 1882, and his roll of 

 honor consists of 72 trotters and n pacers, and 

 sub-families of speed scattered over the entire 

 country. Among the 102 speed-begetting sons 

 of George Wilkes are Baron Wilkes, Alcantara, 

 Alcyone, Bourbon Wilkes, Brown Wilkes, Jay 

 Bird, Kentucky Wilkes, Onward, Patchen Wilkes, 

 Red Wilkes, Simmons, Wilton, Wilkes Boy, 

 Gambetta Wilkes, The King, and Sherman. At 

 one period the ownership of a good stallion by 

 George Wilkes was equivalent to a generous 

 income from government bonds. Ninety-nine of 

 the daughters of George Wilkes are speed-pro- 

 ducing dams. In all directions the blood breeds 

 on, and the family will survive coming genera- 

 tions. After I had begun this history Mr. William 

 L. Simmons, who is now breeding and racing 

 runners instead of trotters, sent me a few notes 



