. Breeder and sportsman. Horses. 0?-\7V"E!Ba'TTr Vol XV. No 6. No. 318 BUSH STREET. SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, AUG. 10, 1889. SUBSCRIPTION FIVE DOLLAHS A Y£AB. The History of "Bell Alta-" Having; seen a number of enqairies in regard to the pedi- gree and history of "Bell Alta" in yonr paper, and as the blood of this son of old "Belmont" courses through the veins of a number of onr noted trotters, I think a short letter from one who is in a position to know all the particulars ould prove of interest to many of your readers. Bell Alta was bred by S. I
. Breeder and sportsman. Horses. 0?-\7V"E!Ba'TTr Vol XV. No 6. No. 318 BUSH STREET. SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, AUG. 10, 1889. SUBSCRIPTION FIVE DOLLAHS A Y£AB. The History of "Bell Alta-" Having; seen a number of enqairies in regard to the pedi- gree and history of "Bell Alta" in yonr paper, and as the blood of this son of old "Belmont" courses through the veins of a number of onr noted trotters, I think a short letter from one who is in a position to know all the particulars ould prove of interest to many of your readers. Bell Alta was bred by S. I. Jammison of Santa Clara Coun- ty, foaled August 14, 1S5S. He was a beautiful bay, sixteen hands, by "William so n'= Belmont;" his dam was a dark bay nnare, 16 hands, that was brought across the plains and pur- chased from Captain Simons of Alvisa by Mr. Jammison. This mare had the qualities of a thoroughbred, though little was known of her breeding. She was an extraordinary road animal, and could trot in three minutes to a buggy. Captain Simons, who at that time kept a warehouse at Alvisa, had on several occasions driven her from San Jose to San Francisco and return in one day, and I believe that it is to his dam that "Bell Alta" owed many of his good qualities. Mr. Martin Mendenh&ll, then of Contra Costa County (now of Livermore, Alameda County), purchased the colt when eighteen months old from Mr. Jammison for $700. Mr. Mendenhall broke him late in the spring as a three-year-old, and drove him in a "spring wagon "until he commenced to work him for the three-year-old race he was to have in the following September. He was then hitched to a spriug seat sulky, or rather a cart, weighing 150 pounds, in which he re- ceived all his work, never being hitched to a track sulky un- til -he started in his first race at San Jose. Mr. Mendenhall had on his ranch a rudely constructed track, on which he gave his pet the preliminary lessons. He started in
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjecthorses, bookyear1882
