54 LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 



sons that were siring numbers of fast trotters. Mr. Conk- 

 lin believed, from the formation of the bay stallion that 

 drew the fish wagon, that he was a descendant of Abdallah, 

 the sire of Rysdyk's Hambletonian, and, with this fancy in 

 his mind, he bought the horse, then well advanced in years 

 and possessed of no pleasant temper, and took him to the 

 Long Island farm. It was characteristic of Mr. Conklin, 

 than whom a more kindlj^ old gentleman never lived, to 

 have implicit faith in everything with Avhich he became 

 connected, and the stallion was no exception to the rule. 

 In those daj^s horses, no matter how well bred, Avere made 

 useful, and so Mr. Conklin' s purchase was jDut to work on 

 the farm, drawing a cart and assisting generally in the culti- 

 vation of the place. Mr. Conklin had, previously to this 

 time, secured a mare called Nancy Awful. This mare was 

 by a thoroughbred horse, called Telegraph, that belonged 

 to the Burr family, the father and uncle of Carl Burr own- 

 ing him jointly ; and right here I may say that no man has 

 a more extended reiDutation as a handler of young trottmg 

 stock, and the develop(;r of trotters, than this same Carl 

 Burr, now grown to such an age that he has grandchildren 

 at his knee. To Carl Burr is due much of the credit of 

 developing the numerous fast youngsters that have come 

 from the Stony Ford farm of Mr. Clias. Backman. All the 

 sons and daughters of the famous Clay mare. Green Mount- 

 ain Maid, were given their first lessons in the sulky by 

 Mr. Burr, and when it is remembered that this mare pro- 

 duced six that have beaten 2:30, and that she is also the 

 dam of the great stallion Electioner, it will be seen that 

 Mr. Burr's influence on the history of the trotter is no 

 slight one. 



But to return to Mr. Conklin and the colt. In due time 

 the daughter of Telegraph was bred to the stallion called 

 Conklin' s Abdallah, and the old gentleman predicted then 

 and there that the produce would be the greatest trotter that 

 the world had ever seen. It was really a sort of religion with 

 the old gentleman— this absolute belief in the greatness of the 



