90 LIFE YflTH THE TEOTTERS. 



giisted, and concluded that the stories thej^ had heard 

 about his speed were, to say the least, a little overdrawn. 

 After timing him a good many miles in from 2:25 to 2:27, 

 and seeing no part of a mile done at any better rate, they 

 shut up their watches and Avent to sleep. 1 think that before 

 the winter was over they regretted having done so. 



On Budd's return to San Francisco he had sent Sam 

 Purdy to the stable of his OAvner. I met that gentleman 

 one day, and he asked me how I explained Rams beating 

 Purdy at Fleetwood to a wagon. I told him I thought 

 Rarus rather out- trotted Purdy. This seemed to roil the 

 gentleman slightly, and he i^roiDOsed a match. I arranged 

 a race with him on the spot. At this time there was in 

 California quite a celebrated driver by the name of Tom 

 McClellan. The i)eoi)le there seemed to have a great deal of 

 confidence in his ability, but I always thought him a little 

 on the slam-bang order. He weighed at this time about 190 

 pounds. Purdy was placed in his hands to condition and 

 drive in the race. I made up my mind that, if Purd}" could 

 draw 190 pounds against Rarus' 150, and beat him, I would 

 not have any mone^^ left when the race was over. Purdy 

 was rather a lazy horse, and the people of California fancied 

 that McClellan could drive him better than Mr. Doble, 

 arguing that Budd was not severe enough with him. The 

 race came off, and Rarus beat Purdy in straight heats, the 

 fastest being 2:26^. This was in the last mile. I made a 

 close race of this at the finish. Just beating Purdy and that 

 was all. I trotted Rarus three races that A^inter in Califor- 

 nia, which he won, the first being against St. James and 

 May Howard, and another against Bodine, and then came a 

 race about which I desire to say something in detail. 



Having no further engagements for Rarus, I thought 

 this a good time to find out something about his speed 

 under the watch. About this time Mr. Conklin ]3aid Cali- 

 fornia a visit to see Rarus and myself, and I told him that 

 if he wished to see Rarus go a mile under the watch I 

 would put him in order and we would give him a mile to 



