LIFE WITH THE TROTTEKS. 305 



sure that you have a first-class man to groom him. This is 

 the part of the training to which all successful trainers have 

 given a great deal of attention. If a young man applies to 

 Mr. Doble for a position to rub a trotter he would have to 

 come as well recommended to gain the position as a man 

 would to get a placeof trust in a gentleman' shanking hoase; 

 and why should he not? When you x)lace a trotter in 

 charge of a groom you not only have the value of the horse 

 at stake to a large extent, but you also have the money 

 that you may have invested in races, either in entrance 

 money or in wagers. 'No matter how well you train the 

 horse or how carefully you drive him, if the groom, 

 from ignorance or carelessness, neglects his part of the 

 business you can not hope to have more than a partial 

 success. 



In selecting a groom, never under any circumstance take 

 one addicted to drinking liquor. Their mode of life and 

 temx)tations about a race-track, will certainly make them 

 drink more, and I have one absolute rule, and that is I will 

 not keep a man about me a moment after he has shown a 

 disposition to drink. The more intelligent, the better be- 

 haved, the better dressed the groom is just so much better 

 will he take care of your horse. People say: " What has 

 the dress to do with it? " If a man is neat and tidy about 

 his own personal appearance he will be corresiDondingly neat 

 about his horse and tools. Trainers and owners often make 

 a mistake by thinking to emi^loy a man Avith all those traits, 

 honesty, industry, sobriety and brains enough to be a good 

 horse rubber, for small wages. That is impossible. I once 

 knew a man who had a good horse and he told me with 

 seeming X3ride that lie only gave the boy fifteen dollars a 

 month for rubbing him. The horse caught cold one day from 

 being carelessly neglected by the groom, and the owner lost 

 the use of* him for that season. In talking the matter over 

 with me he said he thought the boy should have known 

 better. I told him he must not expect to hire a man to do 

 much thinking for fifteen dollars a month. I have seen 



