LIFE SKETCH. 5 I 



five thousand dollars. This animal was a magnificent 

 chestnut, sixteen and a half hands high, and pro- 

 nounced by the French officers, who made a visit ex- 

 pressly to see him, the handsomest horse in the world. 

 Also Almont, Jr., with a record of 2.26. These two, 

 as well as many others, I handled and drove every 

 day — the jogging alone of the animals, just for exer- 

 cise, obliging me to ride about seventy miles each day 

 in fine weather. 



While in Mr. Hamlin's employ I had entire charge 

 of the sale of one hundred and sixteen horses belong- 

 ing to him. In this number were included sixty stall- 

 ions and about twenty brood mares with foals by 

 their sides. These all had to be taken about sixteen 

 miles to the place of sale, viz., the Buffalo Driving 

 Park, the road crossing no less than four railroads. 

 To repeated inquiries of Mr. Hamlin as to the way I 

 was going to get them to said place, my reply was: 

 " Tiiat is my business. You may rely upon my promise 

 to have them all safely at the place at the right time," 

 The stallions, of course, had to be liandled singly; the 

 others were grouped by fours, and, once on the road, 

 made quite an array. Mounted on my favorite saddle 

 horse, I was, as required, at the front, sides, and rear 

 of the column. As the head of the procession neared 

 the race-track stables, where the sale was to take 

 place, the first horses were made to hurry, and those 

 in the rear to go more slowly. Thus I was enabled to 

 have each horse put separately and quickly into the 

 box-stalls or rooms provided. The owner and a large 

 number of interested horsemen were present, fearful 

 of my ability to deliver these animals according to 

 promise; but so quickly and systematically was the 

 whole business conducted and concluded, that hardly 

 a word was spoken, except by myself in giving orders. 



