LIFE WITH THE TKOTTERS. 281 



you go West expecting to get Bob's scalj) with a trotting 

 horse, take a good one or you may find yourself at a dis- 

 advantage, George Cook, the little man who on the turf 

 goes by the name of "Cooky," made his greatest rei)uta- 

 tion in connection with the AVilkes family, he having given 

 Rosa Wilkes and Joe Bunker records better than 2:20, and 

 won some well-contested battles with both of them. He is 

 at present the trainer at Hermitage farm, the home of 

 Wedge wood, and I expect to see him out with many a Avin- 

 ner by my old favorite. 



To show that the trotting-horse owners of the future 

 will not be short of good drivers, I will give a few tips on 

 the younger generation of drivers now coming out. As this 

 book treats entirely of facts and records, Ed Bither is entitled 

 to first position in this class, he having done more by the 

 records than any man living or dead, that is to give two 

 trotters records better than 2:14, namely Jay-Eye-See, 2:10, 

 and Phallas, 2: 13|. I have heard people criticise Ed and his 

 methods of training and driving, and I do not wish to say 

 that no other man could have driven the horses as well, but 

 Ed did do it and I think he is entitled to all the glory 

 arising from the feat. There is one thing I am sure of, that 

 no horse, no matter how good, can malve the public per- 

 formances that these two made for Bither without beine: 

 well trained and properly driven. In appearance Bither is 

 a young man of medium height, well behaved, with a com- 

 fortable bank account and I know it will be of interest to 

 my lady readers when I say that he is still a single man. 



Next by the record comes Millard Sanders. His public 

 career on the turf has been very short but brilliant, he hav- 

 ing won some grand races with Clingstone, given Guy his 

 record of 2:12 in his first regular campaign, has the best 

 record for four-in-hand, and to have done all this in a short 

 time shows that his early education in the horse line was 

 not neglected. He has charge of Mr. W. J. Gordon's breed- 

 ing and training establishment, and a visit to that place will 

 convince the most skeptical that he thoroughly understands 



