6S MEMOIR. 



when the racing was fast and furious Shepard F. Knapp 

 dropped into the bunch of leaders with his bay geldings 

 Charlie Hilton, by Vigo Hambletonian, and Sam Hill, the 

 only trotter that Electioneer sired while at Stony Ford. 

 They were a perfect road team, and that they were fast 

 was evidenced by the fact that John Murphy had taken 

 them in road condition and drove them over Fleetwood 

 in 2\2\y 2 . During this spell of sleighing "Shep" 

 Knapp drove up to Barry's with William B. Fasig as his 

 guest. It was Fasig's first visit to New York, and that 

 he was initiated into the ways of the road is evidenced 

 by what he told S. Freeman over a mint julep .at 

 Benny sclifYe in the fall of 1901. 



"On my first visit to New York I had a ride with 

 Shepard F. Knapp, who died on Christmas day in 1886, 

 behind his famous team that he afterward sold to Charles 

 Schwartz, of Chicago. They were the best on the road, 

 and how Mr. Knapp, who was acknowledged to be one 

 of the best team drivers in America, could pilot them ! 

 We drove into 'Barry's.' This was at the time of the 

 Vanderbilt-Work rivalry, when the followers of Vander- 

 bilt took one end of the room and those of Work the other. 

 From there we went to Gabe Case's, across the river, and 

 what a night we spent ! The last I remember was seeing 

 John Murphy ride the Kerry cow into the barroom. I 

 awoke in my room at the old St. James, and I knew I had 

 been out for a ride. Another incident of the trip I remem- 

 ber well : Mr. Freeman owned the fine and fast little 

 gelding Star, 2:25^4, by Aberdeen, that Billy Weeks 

 campaigned the summer before. He also owned Stilletto, 

 one that could outbrush Star. Capt. Jake Vanderbilt had 

 a bay named Boston, Dan Mace a. horse called Bill Thun- 

 der; a man named Akins had a fast mare of great repu- 



