CHAPTER XI. 



Other drivers who have made a name in connection vpith certain families of 

 horses — Morrill Higbee and the Sprague strain of blood — Frank Van Ness 

 with Harry and Rosaline Wilkes — Jock Bowen, and how he fooled some 

 people who imagined that he could not drive a pacer well — Horace Brown 

 comes from a family of practical horsemen — Billy Weeks an excellent 

 rider, as well as a good reinsman — Charles Marvin the man who has brought 

 out nearly all the fast sons and daughters of Electioneer — Some facts about 

 Governor Stanford's venture in the breeding of trotters — Pluck has a 

 good deal more to do with success than luck — Governor Stanford in some 

 respects like General Grant — A colt of his breeding sold for $50,000. 



Another man who made his mark with one family is 

 Morrill Higbee, he having given their records to the two 

 fastest rex^resentatives in the Si)ragne family. Governor 

 Sprague as a five-year-old obtained a record of 2:20^ under 

 Higbee's management and sold to Mr. J. I. Case for about 

 $30,000. A few years later he gave Kate Sprague her best 

 record, 2:18. Morrill is a genial fellow, looks like a typical 

 Westerner, although born nearUtica, N.Y. ; and has j)lenty 

 of nerve, as I think Mr. Yail, ex-secretary of the National 

 Trotting Association could probably i)rove if necessary. 

 Higbee was always a fortunate man on the turf, having sold 

 several other high-priced horses besides Governor Sprague. 



To Frank Van Ness is due the credit of giving to Harry 

 Wilkes the fastest record obtained by any horse of the 

 numerous Wilkes family. He also drove Rosaline Wilkes 

 to her record, which is the next best one in the Wilkes fam- 

 ily. Jock Bowen is one of the representative Yankee driv- 

 ers of this country, he being a native of the East. Bowen 

 has been successful with the Knox family, Pilot Knox and 

 Camors bpth having received their education at his hands. 



(272) 



