LIFE WITH THE TROTTEES. 27 



friend Mace, Mike Roden, Hiram Howe, John L. Doty, to 

 say nothing of the two Carpenter boys, Joclv Bowen, Sam 

 McLanghlin, Billy Borst, with Col. Dickey thrown in as a 

 helper, I found that the opening for a boy with a country 

 trotter was very small, so I came in from third base with 

 Constance, went to Prospect Park, and opened a training 

 stable. About this time I made the acquaintance of a man 

 to whom, more than any other one person, I owe whatever 

 success I may have had in my line. This was Z. E. Sim- 

 mons, who had been a strong supporter of the trotting turf 

 from its infancy, having at that time owned a horse that 

 has since become the most celebrated one in the world. I 

 speak of that famous trotter, sire of trotters, and founder 

 of a trotting family — George Wilkes. Besides Wilkes, Mr. 

 Simmons had owned Ethan Allen, that was the greatest 

 horse of that day with a running mate. He had also owned 

 and sold to Mr. Robert Bonner the bay mare Pocahontas 

 for the then unheard-of price of $40,000. In making the 

 acquaintance of Mr. Simmons I fell in with one who has 

 been a life-long friend. He had at that time a number of 

 horses, and among the lot was what proved to be my first 

 great horse, Kansas Chief. 



