C.H. Nelson & Nelson 4209
Wallace's Monthly 1888
By John Hankins Wallace
SUNNYSIDE FARM.
BY "SULKY.
There are many fine places in the good old State of
Maine, but I fail to recall a more lovely spot than the young city of
Waterville, whose broad streets, kept in the best of condition, fine
residences, all neatly painted and showing unmistakable signs of prosperity,
its busy factories, and the great car works of the Maine Central Railroad all
tend to lend an air of business which is not always to be found either in Maine
or more pretentious States. Within five minutes' walk of the depot stands the
Elmwood Hotel, one of the best conducted houses that it has been my pleasure to
patronize, and within its walls I found the genial proprietor of Sunnyside
Farm, who with his charming wife has made it their headquarters for the past
eight years. I do not propose to weary the readers of the Monthly by
a description of my trip from New York to this charming place, only saying that
the passage by boat and rail was most delightful, the time passing quickly away
by the aid of cheerful companions. It's a cold day when one cannot join a whist
party after leaving Boston, and with four good players I know of no game which
is more sure to help pass the hours quickly and pleasantly.
As my object in writing this article is to give the readers
of the Monthly a little light upon the farm whose caption can be found at
the head of this page, I will proceed to introduce to them its proprietor, Mr.
С. Н. Nelson, whose fame as a breeder, not only in the East, but throughout the
United States and Canada, is as “familiar as a household word." Mr. Nelson is
comparatively a young man, being but forty-five years of age, but his
experience as a driver and breeder stamps him as among the foremost. Mr. Nelson
is a native of the State which he so well represents among horsemen, having
been born in Waldo County, and his early days were spent in a country grocery
store which was owned by his father. When the war for the maintenance of the
Union was being waged, he went to the front as a member of the Nineteenth Maine
Regiment, and served with credit to himself and the State. Upon his return he
again resumed his work in the store, but subsequently found that the
confinement was telling upon his health, and thereupon decided to try his hand
at breeding, which he began on a small scale, but the shrewd Yankee element in
him soon placed him in a position to compete with older heads and more
experienced men in the business.
When I asked Mr. Nelson to tell me something about
his start in breeding, his answer was: "Well, the first thing in my mind
was to secure a first-class brood-mare, and as a result I selected Gretchen, by
Gideon, because of the great speed shown by Kate, her dam, and of the fact that
she (Kate) had already dropped a fine roadster." That the selection was a
most excellent one no one familiar with her produce will for a moment deny.
Gretchen is now twenty years old, but as I saw her in the pasture capering with
young horses, I should never have suspected her age. But I am getting a little
ahead of my story.
Therefore I will drop Back to a description of Sunnyside— most appropriately named
from its location, lying as it does on the side- hill, where the sun has full
play from its first rising in the east until it sets in the distant west.
Although Sunnyside comprises 540 acres of as fine land for hay and pasturage as
lays out of doors, it is divided into two farms. On the one is a fine residence
and three barns where most of the brood-mares and young stock are kept, and
upon the other is kept the stallions for service, and where is situated two
large barns and a substantial, old-fashioned house used for the numerous help
about the place. Upon this latter place is also contemplated still another
large barn, as the present quarters are getting decidedly too small for the
growing business. That the farm is a popular resort for Maine horsemen is amply
proven by the great number of people who visit the place, often running up to a
hundred in a single day. Mr. Nelson purchased the farm in 1882 and
settled down to business.
Prior to settling in Waterville, Gretchen was bred to Gen.
Knox, and the result was Knox Girl, 2:31^, who since making her record has been
used as a brood-mare. In 1873 Gretchen dropped Onward by Otis Morrill, who has
proven a good horse and has Ben Butler, pacer, to his credit, with a record in
1887 of 2:29^. I do not propose to speak of all of the foals of Gretchen, but
only of those that have more prominently come before the public. In 1877 she
dropped Susie Owen, 2:26, by Daniel Boone, and who was sold, if I remember
rightly, to Mr. George G. Hall, of the Adams House, Boston, for a good round
price. In 1880 Gretchen was bred to Young Rolfe, purchased by
Mr. Nelson of Mr. W. P. Balch, of Boston, who bred him, and the
result was Daisy Rolfe, that proved a very fast young mare, but she was never
fully developed for speed, as she was reserved for a brood-mare, and she now
has a fine filly by her side by Dictator Chief. The following year Gretchen
dropped Nelson 2:21*4, by Young Rolfe, and he has justly earned for himself the
title of "Lord of the Seraglio"—I like that word because so many
writers have patented the word harem, that something new sounds fresh.
Young Rolfe was subsequently sold for $5,000 to Mr. John Sheppard, of Boston,
and died in a race at Mystic Park in 1884. He left but thirty-two colts, if I
am not mistaken.
And right here I
want to speak of the stallions kept at Sunnyside. Business grew to such
proportions that the services of more stallions were required, and from time to
time new purchases were made of popular breeds, until today Mr. Nelson has
thirteen fine horses on hand, eleven of which are at public service, while one,
Onward, is on the sick list, and Artist is kept for private use.
Of this number Nelson heads the list, and his
services are in such demand that his book was full long before the opening of
the stud season. He was foaled in 1882; got by Young Rolfe, 3517, son of Tom
Rolfe, 306; dam Gretchen, by Gideon,145; grandam Kate, pedigree yet in doubt,
but being traced. Every horseman is familiar with the performances of Nelson,
and when in 1885 he broke the three-year old half-mile track record, by
trotting the mile in 2:26^ at Lewiston, Me., he was looked upon as a wonder. In
1887 he lowered his record to 2:21^ at Boston. He is a
grandly-built horse, standing 15.3/4 hands high, and of most
excellent proportions—a beautiful bay, with black points, excellent head and
neck, long, full, round barrel and with indications of great lung power; breast
wide and full; good stifles; fine legs and feet, and with a full mane, and a tail
which " trails upon the ground," he is a picture well worth seeing.
Many believe that he is capable of beating the stallion record, but whether
this be so or not can only be shown by a trial, and this will undoubtedly be
given him in 1889, as it is the intention of his owner to retire him from
service and make the attempt. If I am not misinformed, Mr. Nelson is
the first gentleman in America to breed, raise and drive a stallion to a record
equal to that of Nelson. Of his trotting qualities I can do no better
than quote his owner:
“His gait is like a piece of well- balanced machinery, and
he needs neither weights nor boots. His rate of speed is such, I think, drawn
from the stud one season, he could trot in 2:12 to 2:14. As he never gets sore,
like most horses, his gait is so friction- less he is at all times ready to go
without that long jogging to warm him out. He was not hitched to a sulky until
the last day of July in 1887, and the last of September trotted Mystic in
2:21^; a damp, slippery track, and could have trotted several seconds faster if
he had been obliged to, and this after a heavy season in the stud."
The second horse in the stud to be mentioned is Dictator
Chief, 2:25^, by Dictator, 113; dam Judy, by Plato; grandam said to have been a
thoroughbred mare. Like Nelson, he obtained his record, in 1887, upon a
half-mile track, at Lewiston, Maine. He, too, is a
grandly-built horse being nearly 16 hands high; is a bright bay with
black points and star. In build he is fully the equal of Nelson, and is quoted
by one of the best-known Kentucky breeders as "probably the best son of
Dictator." I saw several of his colts in motion, and all showed
unmistakable signs of becoming fast trotters, even to the young sucklings that
seem to know " nothing but trot." His colts are in great demand, and
among these there has been sold Gretta, foaled in 1887, out of Gretchen, for
$1,500, at six months; Naska, out of Knox Girl, at eleven months, for $1,000,
while others have been sold at proportionately large prices. His books were
filled early in the year.
Another fine stallion in service is Wilkes, 8571, by
Alcyone, 732; dam Molly, by American Clay, 34; grandam Fanny Fern, by Star
Denmark. He is a finely-proportioned horse, 15.2 hands high, clean-limbed and
strong, of excellent action, and is becoming popular among the breeders of
Maine.
The next on the list is Col. West, 4208, a
coal-black horse, of commanding presence, by Egbert, 1136; dam Lida
Patchen, by Mambrino Patchen, 58; grandam Miss Seavy, said to be by Delmonico,
no. He was bred by Col. R. West, at Lexington, Ky. He is all style, and if his
progeny resemble their sire, he will make a stallion well worthy of the
patronage of those who desire style as well as speed.
Another excellent
- looking son of Young Rolfe is Brilliant; dam Fanny Knox (clam of Bay, 2:27^),
by Gen. Knox; grandam Dolly Parker, by Blue Dick. He was foaled in 1883, and is
consequently limited in his service. He is a beautiful seal-brown, with black
points and star. When in motion he carries himself well up, and is decidedly
"dudish " in appearance.
A fine-looking three-year-old is Mechanic, by Dictator
Chief; dam Laura, by Onward (Nelson's); grandam by Mayhew, son of Gen. Knox. He
is one of the first get of Dictator Chief, and if his action when in motion is
a criterion to go by he will make a mark in the trotting world.
Artist—by Dictator Chief; dam Belle Morrow, by Belmont;
grandam Helen Neal, by Mambrino Chief—is a fine- looking three-year-old, and
will doubtless make a good stock-horse.
This brings me down to the more recent purchases by Mr. Nelson, and
which consist of some excellent-looking and finely-bred stock, among which is
Herolight, by Starlight, 6835; dam Boadicea, by Hambletonian, 10, etc.; bred by
A. B. Darling, at Ramsey's, N. J.; Pickering, 3094, by Hambletonian, 10; dam
Lady Fallis, by American Star, 14; grandam by Long Island Black Hawk, 24;
foaled 1872; in 1887 got a record of 2:30, and is undoubtedly the last of the
get of Old Hero that will drop into the 2:30 list. Still another purchase is
May Prince, by Kentucky Prince, 2470; dam Queen of May, by Hambletonian, 10;
grandam Lady Overton, by Abdallah, i. As Kentucky Prince has seven to his
credit in the charmed circle, with a prospect of greatly increasing the number
the coming season, the purchase of so fine a representative of this popular
sire was a good stroke of business on the part of the proprietor of Sunny-
side. Still another representative of a popular family is Red Hawk, 8508, by
Red Wilkes, 1749; dam Judy (dam of Dictator Chief, 2:25^), by Plato; grandam by
Louck's Kentucky Whip. He is a bright bay, with dark points and white hind
ankles. His general makeup is excellent, and there is no reason why he will not
make a worthy son of a worthy sire.
I should be doing an injustice, not only to the horse. but
also to his namesake, if I failed to (¡mention Griffin, 5075 (registered as
Barnard), a fine- looking and acting son of Messenger Duroc, 106; dam Gimp, by
Princeps, 536; grandam Favorita, by Abdallah, 15; great grandam by Mambrino
Chief, it. As all breeders are familiar with achievements of Messenger Duroc,
and Princeps with eighteen in the 2:30 list to his credit, it would be
superfluous for me to go into details as to the family of Griffin; but suffice
it to say that he is a magnificent looking young horse of great speed, and if I
do not misjudge will make a very fast record at no distant day.
With the foregoing facts before the reader, I think no one
will doubt me when I assert that there is not another breeder in the country
who has such a variety of fine-bred stallions from which the breeders of Maine
may select. Nor is the selection confined to Maine, for while I was in town a
mare arrived from Massachusetts, by Alcyone, to be bred
to Nelson, and several breeders in Kentucky made flattering proposals
for the services of Nelson, provided the stallion was taken to that location.
When one's pen gets under way it is hard to tell where to
draw the line, and in this case it is peculiarly difficult, but a halt must be
made somewhere, and after referring to a few of the broodmares on the farm, I
will bring this article to a close.
I have already had considerable to say relative to Gretchen,
but it would be hardly justice to drop such a great mare without mentioning
others of her foal. Besides those already mentioned, she has dropped Sadie L.,
by Young Rolfe; June, by the same horse, now the property of W. F.
Redmund, of New York, and who has just dropped a foal by Dictator Chief. She is
also the dam of Edna, Richmond and Netta, by Dictator Chief, and again in 1888
has been stinted to the same horse.
Knox Girl has dropped Dora M., by Young Rolfe, and other
good ones by the same horse, and also by Dictator Chief. Bell Merrow, by
Belmont, foaled 1873, is the dam of Artist, by
Dictator Chief.
Among the other fine- bred and looking brood-mares may be mentioned Daisy
Rolfe, by Young Rolfe; Jessica, by George Wilkes, who is the dam of a filly by
Jay Bird, colt by Grand Sentinel and others; Jersey Lily, 2:34^, by Lord
Nelson. I could go on ad libitum, but will draw the line at Aubine, a
magnificent brown mare by Young Rolfe, dam Knox Girl, by Gen. Knox, grandam
Gretchen. Aubine made a record of 2:27% in 1887 as a five-year-old, and after
being stinted this year will be sent for a still lower record. There are also
many more fine colts and fillies on the farm, quite a number of whom are by
Young Rolfe, and who will " speak for themselves " later on. In
closing this article I should but do an injustice did I fail to mention a few
of those who help to make Sunnyside such a popular resort for breeders. In Mr.
C. W. Gilman, secretary to Mr. Nelson, that gentleman has a most able
assistant, and with
his system of book-keeping breeders who make purchases from
Sunnyside will have but little trouble in obtaining all the information which
they desire relative to stock obtained there. I never saw stallions in better
condition, and this, Mr. Nelson assures me, is due to the services of David
Rouan, who spent many years handling horses in New York.
Mr. George Blair is Mr. Nelson's able assistant in preparing
the horses for their work upon the track and is a most indefatigable worker.
Most of the exercising is done on the fine roads of the city, but there is a
good half-mile track a short distance from the farm, which is leased by
Mr. Nelson, and here the finishing touches are made. The breeders of
Maine have certainly the facilities for producing trotters, and the proprietor
of Sunnyside is to be congratulated upon his pluck and foresight in establishing
his great farm.
Image courtesy of Harness Racing Museum, Goshen, NY
Article located by Anne Palmer, Waterville, Maine
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