12 THE BEGINNING. 



"General who," broke in a voice with an unmistal 

 able Southern drawl. "Did Ben ever have a trottt 

 named after him?" 



"Did he," said husky voice, "well I should remarl 

 Never heard of 'the contraband' that was mixed u 

 in the murder in Chicago?" 



"Never," said the Southern voice. "Reckon \\ 

 had all of Ben Butler at New Orleans that we coul 

 tolerate without naming race horses after him, or rea( 

 ing about any that were." 



This remark made the occupants of the stall roa 

 and when it subsided, husky voice suggested that c 

 the story teller of the party had not as yet graduate 

 from his "knickers" he might air his knowledge of tli 

 old time trotters before turning out any more jun 

 from his reminiscence factory. This appeared to t 

 agreeable to all, as in a minute or two the following i 

 reference to General Butler came to me through th 

 partition : 



"General Butler was a ragged looking black gelc 

 ing that was foaled over on Long Island in 1853 an 

 began trotting about the time that the war broke ou 

 As his front legs looked a trifle shaky very little wa 

 done with him until he had arrived at what was the 

 called maturity, seven or eight years old, but when h 

 did get under way the General made a reputation i 

 short order and was from the start among the fin 

 flight of trotters. The frisky Widow Machre 

 trimmed him in his first race, but as the General di 

 not have a name then the loss did not count. His fin 

 up and up race as General Butler was, I think, in 186 

 against Lady Suffolk. Hiram Woodruff drove hii 

 and won. The following year, when Butler an 



