CHAPTER XVII 



THE FAMILY OF ELECTIONEER 



Under the head of the two-year-old colts there 

 appeared in the first catalogue of Stony Ford 

 stud (1870), " Electioneer, b.c, foaled May 2, 1868 ; 

 got by Rysdyk's Hambletonian ; first dam Green 

 Mountain Maid by Harry Clay ; second dam by 

 Lexington. Dam of Harry Clay by imported 

 Bellfounder." One night in the famous smoking 

 room of the mansion I explained to Mr. Backman 

 the impossibility of the Lexington cross, and in 

 succeeding catalogues the line descending from 

 the great four-mile race-horse was dropped. The 

 pedigree of Green Mountain Maid was short, and 

 this was one reason why his breeder and owner 

 did not attempt to push him to the front. In 

 1876 Leland Stanford, ex-Governor of California, 

 visited Stony Ford and after looking the animals 

 over asked the price of Electioneer. The figure 

 named, $12,500, was satisfactory, and the horse, 

 then eight years old, changed ow^ners. Elaine by 

 Messenger Duroc, out of Green Mountain Maid, 



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