LIFE WITH THE TROTTEES. 43 



think pleased him more and gave me greater confidence in 

 my ability as a driver than anything I had thus far done. 

 In all the races I had driven Kansas Chief it did not seem 

 to me as though I deserved any credit, as I felt that almost 

 any man could have won with him. I had the best horse. 

 The race at Springfield that I speak of was one in which 

 I drove Bella against May Queen, H. C. Hill, Mac, Royal 

 George, Magnolia, James Howell, Jr., Young Rattler, 

 Harry Spanker, Kitty Cook, Hampton, Reserve, and Effie 

 Dean. Bella was a handsome bay mare by Rysdyk' s Ham- 

 bletonian, dam by Jupiter, and she was bred by James 

 McMann and George AVilkes, who was the editor of the 

 Spirit of the Times. McMann, who, by the way, is still in 

 the flesh and hale and hearty at nearly 75 years of -age, was 

 for many years the driver of Flora Temple and other cele- 

 brated horses of that day. After Hiram Woodruff had 

 given up Flora, McMann drove her to a record of 2:19|, 

 that being the first time 2:20 was beaten by a trotter. 

 McMann owTied a mare by Jui)iter they called Lady 

 McMann, and he and George Wilkes made an arrange- 

 ment to breed a colt from the mare, Wilkes paying for the 

 services of Rysdyk' s Hambletonian, and McMann furnish- 

 ing the mare. In the course of time, when Bella was five 

 or six years old, Wilkes and McMann closed their deal and 

 the mare came into the sole jDossession of Mr. Wilkes. He 

 sent her to the stable of Mr. Simmons, telling that gentle- 

 man he wished he would have her worked and sell her. 

 Mr. Simmons drove her one day, and came back and told 

 me she would make a trotter sure. He said her owner 

 asked for her $1,500, which he considered a very cheap 

 price for that 'kind of a mare. I went out and drove her 

 the next day, but I did not like her, and so told Mr. Sim- 

 mons. He still insisted that I should buy her, and offered 

 to loay for her and wait for his money until such time as 

 she had won it for me. I declined his very kind offer, and 

 lived long enough to be very sorry I did not accept it. He 

 sold her to a friend of his the following spring, and 



