WILLIAM H. VANDERBILT SELLS MAUD S. 



ing as soon as I can get through with Jay-eye-see's 

 engagements and give him time for due preparation. 

 Please do not mention this to Mr. Bonner if you 

 think he would be displeased with the idea, and in 

 no event make it known to others." 



As I knew the proposition would be offensive to 

 Mr. Bonner, I did not hand him Mr. Case's letter 

 to read, but informed him that the owner of Jay- 

 eye-see was trying to crawl away from his option, and 

 advised him not to think further of buying the 

 gelding. I further advised him to put Maud S. in 

 training and to try and reduce the record with her, 

 explaining that such would be cheaper than buying 

 other possible record-breakers, and that success would 

 add immensely to the feeling of personal gratifica- 

 tion. He finally agreed with me, but asked me to 

 think over a plan by which he could obtain a record 

 without doing violence to the firmly established rules 

 of his life. I shall never forget that long evening in 

 his library in which the memorandum was drawn up 

 which was finally accepted by the National Trotting 

 Association. Innumerable changes were made in it 

 before it satisfied Mr. Bonner, and the argument 

 sometimes was quite heated. The last draft is before 

 me and it shows erasures and additions. 



" THE TROTTING QUEEN AT CHARTER OAK PARK, 



" Tuesday, October 14, 2 P. M. 



" In compliance with a promise made through the 

 press to the citizens of Hartford, Mr. Bonner's old 



33 



