LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 253 



plenty of good water, is well fenced, nicely divided into 

 paddocks and pastures suitable for stallions, brood-mares, 

 fillies and colts, the best of stabling, a three-quarter mile 

 working track, drained in such a manner that it is safe and 

 pleasant to use at all times of the year; an eighth of a mile 

 covered track where in disagreeable weather the horses may 

 take their regular exercise, — in fact everything in the way 

 of convenience and comfort for man and beast that money 

 could buy or brain invent are to be found there. Amongst 

 Mr. Gordon's brood mares the first by right of merit is 

 Gretchen, she having produced Clingstone, 2:14. Largesse 

 has a record of 2:25. Leontine has a record 2:23^ over a half- 

 mile track, and her first foal, when eighteen months of age, 

 brought $2,500, at a public sale. She now has a handsome 

 colt by an own brother to Clingstone. All the most fashion- 

 able and valuable strains of breeding are found represented 

 on the Gordon farm by one or more animals that are known 

 to be the best that could be bought. 



In the stallion line Mr. Gordon has Rysdyk, the sire of 

 Clingstone, and a number of others with records better than 

 2:30. He also has what is to my mind one of the most 

 promising horses in this country. Clingstone II, an own 

 brother to Clingstone. In color, formation, etc., this young 

 horse resembles his illustrious relation and has the proud 

 distinction of being, after Lord Russell, the brother of 

 Maud S., fuU brother to the fastest horse in the land. His 

 education as a trotter has never been attempted, he having 

 shown enough in the way of speed to entitle him to be bred 

 to some of the best mares that Mr. Gordon has. His first 

 crop of colts, numbering less than half a dozen, contains 

 one or two that bid fair to be great performers on the turf. 



"Writing of breeding takes me back to my boyhood days. 

 I had for a chum and companion a good old soul of the 

 name of John Lindley, a man whose highest ambition in 

 life was to shine as the owner of the best game chickens, 

 and all the time that he could spare from his daily labor 

 was spent in the care and breeding of his favorite fowl. One 



