150 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse 



tions. This is the reason why so many pictures 

 of wooden images clubbed Hambletonian found 

 their way to the market. Dexter by Hambleto- 

 nian, out of Clara by Seely's American Star, began 

 his sensational turf career in May, 1864, and as 

 he steadily advanced to the throne, the reputa- 

 tion of his sire grew in proportion. Mr. David 

 Bonner had difficulty in persuading Mr. Rysdyk, 

 in the spring of 1863, to advance the fee of the 

 stallion to $100. After that the spirit of greed 

 grew in the owner, and the fee quickly climbed 

 to $500. Charles Backman, Robert Bonner, and 

 Dexter were mainly responsible for the fever 

 which kept the fee of Hambletonian at $500 

 up to the day of his death, which occurred March 

 27, 1876. In 1868 Hambletonian was in such 

 poor health that he was withdrawn from public 

 service. Mr. Robert Bonner paid a visit to 

 Chester at this time and found the feet of the 

 stallion in bad condition. Under his direction 

 the feet were balanced and vigor was regained. 

 The entire nervous system is deranged when the 

 delicate machinery inside the horny box, as Mr. 

 Bonner called the covering of the foot, is cramped, 

 and impairment of vitality necessarily follows. 

 Mr. Rysdyk, with the wildest dreams of his bar- 



