only after many spirited family consultations and my 

 persistent declarations to become a driver of fast 

 horses that the attempt to make a merchant out of me 

 was reluctantly abandoned by my parents, and I was 

 allowed to proceed with the education of my prospec- 

 tive race horse. But here I encountered difficulties 

 which I had not anticipated ; the horse was rather 

 long gaited, and by reason of my track being so short 

 and the turns so sharp, he could not extend himself, 

 and I was obliged to take him on the road every time 

 I wanted him to step fast, and for this reason his edu- 

 cation did not progress very rapidly, but I finally got 

 him in condition so that he could trot a mile in about 

 2.50, which was considered very good for a green horse 

 in those days, and I sold him for $400. After doing 

 so well with this horse and selling him for so good a 

 price, the farmers in the neighborhood seemed to 

 think I could make a race horse out of most anything, 

 and could sell any old plug for three or four hundred 

 dollars; and as at that time there were only two or 

 three men in Tennessee who pretended to condition 

 and handle horses for speed, I soon had several horses 

 sent me to break and handle, and I did very well with 

 some of them and sold them for their owners for 

 good prices. 



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