246 LIFE Vv'ITH THE TROTTEKS. 



saw anything more of liim until tlie siininier meeting that 

 came off at Cleveland, but heard that he had been trotted 

 some, not, however, being able to win. From the first time 

 I saw him I had an idea I would like to drive him, little 

 dreaming that I ever s^'hould. One day in talking about 

 him in the presence of Mr. William Edwards, I remarked 

 that Nobby was one horse I would like to drive. The next 

 day Mr. Edwards said he wanted me to do something for 

 him, which was to drive a horse in a race. I told him that 

 I would. When he told me that Nobby was the animal, I 

 was a little astonished, but he explaiiied that he had seen 

 Mr. Gordon and arranged with him that I should drive the 

 horse in his race, which was to come off on Friday, this 

 conversation taking place Tuesday. Wednesday morning 

 I went out to make Nobby' s acquaintance. In talking the 

 matter over with Mr. Saunders, Nobby' s trainer, he gave 

 me all the points he could in regard to the horse's peculiari- 

 ties, and ordered the boy to hitch him up for me. My first 

 trip behind Nobby was rather discouraging. While he had 

 plenty of speed he seemed thoroughly uncontrolable; acted 

 sore all over, and after thinking it over I Avent to Mr. 

 Edwards, tried to get him to release me from driving the 

 horse and to induce Mr. Gordon to draw him from the race, 

 all of which he declined to do, and insisted on holding me 

 to my contract of driving him. I had Nobby' s shoes taken 

 off, and on examining his feet found them somewhat bruised 

 and fevered. I put his feet in warm water for an hour, 

 then had them thoroughly poulticed and did not i)ut shoes 

 on him again until an hour before the race, when I had 

 him shod with leather j)ads and a sponge and a light toe 

 weight. 



In the betting Secret, a mare owned by Mr. Emory, was 

 the favorite. She having shown well in her race the previous 

 week at Pittsburgh, the talent all thought she was the 

 right one. Felix had the German vote with him. Florence 

 M. represented Indiana, and President Harrison's neigh- 

 bors all put their money on her. So little were Nobby' s 



