LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. ' 39^ 



mons. This was on Monday, and the next day a telegram, 

 came from Mr. Simmons, saying: "Dont draw the horse. 

 I will be there the day of the race and decide whether to- 

 trot him or not." The Chief was so sore and lame that I 

 was sure Mr. Simmons would draw him, so I had his shoes- 

 taken off, and did not work him at all — simply had him 

 walked, his feet poulticed, and everything done to relieve-- 

 the pain. The morning of the race brought Mr. Simmons, 

 who concluded to start the horse. The shoes were put on, 

 and, as usual, there were X-)lenty of touts around who saw- 

 that Kansas was very lame, and had not been worked all thfr 

 week. When the betting on the race began, it was dollars- 

 to apples against the Chief. Most of the money went on 

 Stewart Maloney, owned by Mr. Peters, a theatrical man, of 

 Philadelphia ; and Mike Goodin, one of the old school of 

 drivers, who has now I'etired from the turf and become the 

 proprietor of the Bingham House in Philadelphia, had the 

 mount behind him. In those days, a Philadelphia horse, if 

 he had any chance to win, was certain to be well backed. I 

 told Mr. Simmons that, to my notion, it was impossible for 

 any horse as lame as the Chief was to win the race, but he 

 said : "Go on, and give them the best fight you can. I am, 

 going to bet some money on Kansas, and if I lose wont say 

 a word." 



I think we must have scored twenty times for the first 

 heat. Kansas came up on every gait except a trot, and. 

 when I would go to stop him at the end of a score it seemed, 

 as though he would fall down. At last the judges told me: 

 that if I did not get the word the next time they would send 

 the others off without me. Mr. Simmons suggested that I 

 take the Chief well down the stretch, and let him come to- 

 the stand on a run, and if the judges gave the word try and 

 catch him afterward. As I had tried every other plan I 

 could think of, this was agreed to. When we reached th& 

 wire, Maloney was in front on a trot, Kansas next to him 

 and running. The judges said, "go," and I let my hors& 

 gallop for about fifty yards, he striking a big trot when I 



