274 LIFE UITII THE TROTTERS. 



stable lie leads them all. This part of his educalion I think 

 lie learned from his old friend Mr. William Van Cott, who 

 has been for years the stable-keeper in New York City 

 where gentlemen board their valuable horses. Van Cott' s 

 stable represents to the horses what the Murray Hill Hotel 

 does to the human race. 



Charles Marvin has made his greatest reputation in con- 

 nection with the Electioneer family. He first made his bow 

 to the eastern public in connection with Smuggler, and he 

 handled that uncertain horse with so much skill that when 

 Governor Stanford asked Mr. Doble to name a. man to take 

 charge of the training of his numerous stable, Budd, ahvays 

 a conservative man, without any hesitation named Marvin. 

 The result proves that Budd knew his man, as in the years 

 in which Marvin has been connected with Governor Stan- 

 ford' s place he has accomplished more than has ever been done 

 by any other man. I am willing to concede that Marvin has 

 had good material to work on . But if you give a man the best 

 piece of cloth in the world and he is not an artistic tailor he 

 will be unable to make from it a suit of clothes that looks 

 well on his customer. The winter of 1876 1 silent in Califor- 

 nia and was one of a party who accepted Governor Stan- 

 ford's invitation to spend a day at his farm, he having 

 purchased it a short time previously. I little thought what 

 relation it would in a few years occupy to the trotting world. 

 We spent a pleasant day and were greatly entertained by 

 Governor Stanford giving us a sketch of his early life in con- 

 nection with California. He told us how he and his part- 

 ners had struggled along in the greatest railroad undertak- 

 ing that ever a few men were engaged in. At this time the 

 fruits of his labor had just commenced to return. I think 

 he was more pleased as it was about to be proven that in 

 building the railroad he was a benefactor to the State that he 

 loved so well. In appearance and manner he reminded me 

 very much of General Grant; was perhaps a little more of a 

 talker, but with that same magnetism that affected every- 

 one with whom he came in contact. As Mr. Doble had Oc- 



