Aberdeen 187 



was a man of quick temper and violent speech, 

 and he was led into many heated controversies 

 over Aberdeen and the blood lines of his second 

 dam. He came to me often in his trouble and 

 was soothed as far as possible with gentle words. 

 Aberdeen, who stood 15.3, trotted but one race 

 and that was in a three-year-old stake, at Prospect 

 Park, Long Island, which was won in 2.46. In 

 private he was timed a half-mile in 1.09^. When 

 Hattie Woodward, a daughter of Aberdeen, swept 

 all before her in the grand circuit and trotted to 

 a record of 2.15^, Captain Rynders was in his 

 glory, and his stallion, as a matter of course, was 

 the peer of any stallion that ever lived. Early in 

 March, 1881, Captain Rynders came to me with 

 a story of distress. William H. Vanderbilt had 

 demanded payment of a note given his father, 

 the gallant old Commodore, and Rynders said, 

 with moisture in his eyes, that in order to make 

 the payment he would be compelled to sell Aber- 

 deen. He named a price that he would take, and 

 two days later General W. T. Withers of Ken- 

 tucky called at my office. As soon as he heard 

 about Aberdeen he asked me to go to Passaic, 

 New Jersey, with him to see Captain Rynders 

 and the horse. When we arrived at the breeding 



