TROTTING HORSES. 65 
New York, where she was sold at the age of four 
years for the small sum of $13. A few months later, 
for $80, she passed into the hands of a drover, who 
took her with him on his way to the city of New 
York. One bright morning in June, 1850, this drover 
was passing through the beautiful village of Wash- 
ington Hollow. He was mounted on a fine gray stal- 
lion, and kept his cattle in line, while the small bay 
horse was tied to the tail-board of an open wagon 
drawn by two stout mules and driven by a sleepy 
negro. This interesting procession attracted the no- 
tice of one Mr. Jonathan A. Vielee, a shrewd horse- 
man, who happened to be basking in the sun at his 
stable door on the morning in question, and who, re- 
marking the strong and gamy appearance of the 
future Queen of the Turf, hailed the drover, and 
presently “had the little mare by the nose, and was 
studying every mark upon her teeth. He then” — 
I quote from Mr. George Wilkes’s history of Flora 
Temple — “ took hold of her feet ; and the little mare 
lifted them successively in his hand, with a quiet, 
downward glance that seemed to say, ‘You’ll find 
everything right there, Mr. Vielee, and as fair and 
as firm as if you wished me to trot for a man’s life!’ 
And so Mr. Vielee did; and as he dropped the last 
foot, he liked the promise of the little mare amaz 
ingly, and it struck him that if he could get her for 
any sum short of $250 she would be a mighty good 
bargain. 
“<¢She is about five years old?’ said Mr. Vielee, 
inquiringly. 
«¢You have seen for yourself,’ replied the drover. 
“¢JT should judge she was all right?’ again sug- 
5 
