292 LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 



he held in, there always came with him a goodly share of 

 Canada money to back his chances. One of the best races 

 he ever drove where the Canucks carried Uncle Sam's money 

 back by the bag full was with a gray horse called Milton, 

 that could trot a mile in about 2:30, but was credited with 

 staying qualities equal to ten or twenty miles. In this race 

 he was not the fastest but lie staid the longest. It was looked 

 upon by the Canadians as a national victory, and he was 

 lionized by the natives accordingly. Among Simon's pa- 

 trons were the two Ensigns, men of fine reputation in busi- 

 ness, great lovers of the horse, and who always owned a 

 good stable of trotters and race-horses. They are liberal 

 with their money, as I can bear testimony, as in the days 

 before I had ever won first money with a trotting horse, 

 when five dollars a month was about the legitimate size of 

 my income, they sent me to school and in other substantial 

 ways showed their kindness of heart toward me. James 

 always drove their horses and drove them well. He is retired 

 from the turf, but is considered authority on trotting horses 

 by every subject of Queen Victoria, 



John Trout's name is very appropriate, as in habits, 

 general disposition etc. , he puts you in mind of a fish that 

 is hard to catch. There is nothing in the way of driving 

 a horse from the tow-path to the white liouse that John is 

 not prepared at all times to take a hand at. In a field of 

 horses he is quick to see and take advantage of every weak- 

 ness on the part of his opponents and can do more toward 

 making a horse a good breaker than any man I ever saw. 

 That he is a first-class judge of j)ace is proven by his 

 having given Huntress her three-mile record, which is best 

 uj) to date, and he rated her along in that race as evenly as 

 old Father Time himself could have done. Sam Caton is a 

 gentleman whose long connection with the turf has given 

 him a world-wide reputation. His campaign in 1887 with 

 the Kalamazoo stock-farm stable was perhaps his most brill- 

 iant effort; in that year he won more races than any trainer 

 in the country; not only with old campaigners, but also with 



