542 THE HORSE. 



Rockingham, in the third of which he trotted a mile under the 

 saddle in 2 m. 22 Js. 



The famous feat of the t( Ledger team/' Lady Palmer and 

 Flatbush Maid, also took place in the season of this year, 1862, 

 on the Fashion Course, Long Island, on the day of the race be- 

 tween the black mare Sunnyside and Gray Eddy. As Sunnyside 

 was a new-comer of great pretension, a large concourse of people 

 had assembled to witness her first performance. After the race 

 was over, it was whispered that Mr. Bonner would give his mares 

 a trial of one mile ; and his appearance on the course in his road 

 wagon, driving the well-known beauties, detained the whole 

 assembled multitude. The reason of this public exhibition of the 

 speed of a pair of horses kept strictly for private amusement by a 

 gentleman strongly opposed to betting, and all the demoralizing 

 accessories of the turf, was known to many upon the grounds, and 

 tended to intensify their interest. A few years before Mr. Bonner 

 had taken up driving for his health. On the roads about the 

 city, among others he met Commodore Vanderbilt, the great 

 steamship owner, who has for many years been known as an inde- 

 fatigable roadite and horseman. They were accustomed to meet 

 at what is known as the Club House on Harlem Lane, where easy 

 and pleasant social intercourse, enlivened by an occasional brush 

 between some of the first-class horses that were daily assembled 

 there, made such meetings exceedingly agreeable. On one of 

 these occasions some badinage took place between Commodore 

 Vanderbilt and Mr. Bonner as to the speed of their respective 

 teams, that resulted in a lasting rivalry. Mr. George Wilkes, 

 writing of this rivalry, says : " It was a fair contest. Commodore 

 Vanderbilt was worth eight or nine millions of dollars, and Mr. 

 Bonner had an income of considerably more than one hundred 

 thousand a year. Every one, therefore, looked on with pleasure 

 at this rivalry, and the efforts each gentleman made to secure 

 pre-eminence made the contest conspicuous to all lookers-on." 

 The efforts here referred to were efforts to obtain the fastest 

 horses in the market. As Mr. Bonner would not accept a bet of 

 ten thousand dollars, he offered the Commodore the alternative 

 of competing in a friendly way, should he see fit, with the time 

 that he should make with his horses in a public trial. On the 

 day in question the Commodore was on the course, and, by re- 

 quest, held a watch upon the horses, and took note of the time 

 made. 



When Mr. Bonner brought out his team there was a murmur 

 of admiration. The horses were well matched, of the finest mould, 

 full of life and elastic vigor, and moved together as if they obeyed 

 a single impulse. Lady Palmer is a dark chestnut Glencoe mare, 

 of fine thorough-bred appearance, but has bone and muscle in 



