LIFE WITH THE TROTTEES. 257 



before they start and then rates them along to accomplish 

 the mile in that way. I think that a man' s character often 

 has a great deal to do with the horse, — that is if you have a 

 brave man it will help to make a brave horse. I do not think 

 I ever saw Crit driving a cowardly horse; they all seem to 

 have lolenty of courage and determination. I have repeatedly 

 seen Prince Wilkes out- trotted in a manner that would have 

 been very discouraging to some horses, but have never seen 

 him show the slightest disposition to want to surrender at 

 any time or place. Crit always seemed to be a good deal of 

 a genius, having invented a number of boots, bits, etc. One 

 of his bits I hear very highly sx)oken of as being a good 

 thing to break a horse from lugging or pulling. If Crit says 

 it is good you can rest assured that is a first-class indorse- 

 ment. 



The Blue Bull family does not cut as large a figure in 

 trotting now as formerly. Fifteen years ago in the Western 

 and Southern country the Blue Bulls were a very large fac- 

 tion. They were owned, driven and managed by a family 

 of the name of Wilson, the head of which was better known 

 as '' Blue Bull Wilson," he having got the name from his 

 horse. With this family of trotters Samp and Dick Wilson 

 and Gus Glidden seemed to be more successful than any 

 other men I know. While there were not many 2:20 per- 

 formers amongst the Blue Bulls, Gus always said they were 

 a good poor man's horse. Whatever speed they had could 

 be attained with but very little training, and Gus's idea was 

 to earn all the money as quickly as you could and when the 

 horse got to the end of his string sell him and get a new one. 

 And there must have been some method in his plan, as Gus 

 and the Wilson family both have real estate that is not only 

 good to look at but brings them the wherewith for all their 

 wants. 



One or two of the best things I have ever seen Hickok do 

 in the way of training and driving horses, and what gave me 

 a great idea of his being a trainer and driver, w^as in races 

 where he drove some member of the Sultan family. Hickok, 



