Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES: DUKE, STERLING
Daily engaged in the arduous work incident to the Maintenance
department of Stanford University, Carlton Carlyle Crippen is of an
acquiring and inquiring mind, who can write very authoritatively on the
trotting horse, his breeding and development, particularly as related
to the period when the great Palo Alto Stock Farm was at the zenith of
its glory. It has been said that a man's real character manifests
itself in his diversions. Visiting the Palo Alto Stock Farm was
Governor Leland Stanford's diversion. It was easily the greatest
establishment of its kind in the world, and here the great builder of
the Central Pacific and the University which bears his name, came for
recreation. After years of faithful service in helping the
Governor bring out his galaxy of record-breaking pacers and trotters,
coming in contact with him under all conditions, Mr. Crippen has no
hesitancy in saying that Governor Stanford was one of the finest men
that ever lived.
As a young man of good attainments, who had grown up on as Ashtabula
County, Ohio, farm. Mr. Crippen, while yet a young man, became a
fancier of fast horses. When the colts from Mr. Stanford's
celebrated stallion "Electioreer" first startled the world with their
record-breaking performances. Mr. Crippen was curious to know
whether their phenomenal records were due to there breeding or to
special training, and so in 1889 he came out to California, secured
employment on the great Palo Alto Stock Farm and there he went to work
as a trainer under the noted horseman
Charles
Marvin, then superintendent of the Palo Alto Stock Farm,
continuing in Governor Stanford's employ for many years.
While the Palo Alto Stock Farm was a place where Governor Stanford came
for diversion and relaxation, nevertheless, it became a financial
proposition of great magnitude. From this farm was sold over
$500,000 worth of horses within six months. One horse, "Ario,"
which was discovered and trained by Mr. Crippens, brought $125, 000
being the highest price ever paid for any racer up to that time, while
a shipment of 100 horses brought on an average $1,500 each in the New
York Madison Square Garden sale, January, 1892. It is safe to say
that the Palo Alto Stock Farm became the most noted establishment of
its kind in the world, and there Governor Stanford produced more record
breakers and world's champions than any other dozen men in the world..
Without doubt Governor Stanford's four greatest horses were:
Electioneer, champion sire of world's champion trotters, the greatest
sire of early extreme trotting speed that ever lived, begetting kings
and queen of the trotting world from all classes of mares: Palo Alto,
2:083/4, world's champion trotting stallion in 1891 and one of the
fastest rotting race horses that ever lived, having met defeat but
twice during his entire racing career; Sunol, 2:08 1/4, the wonderful
daughter of Electioneer who held the world's 2 years-old record in 1888
of 2:18, and world's three-years old record in 1889, 2:10 1/2, and the
world's four-years old record in 1890, 2:10 1/4, and champion trotter
of all ages in 1891, as a five-year old, 2:08 1/4, and sold to the
later Robert Bonner for $41,000. She is the only trotter that
ever held the world's record at 2. 3. 4. and record of all ages at five
years old; Arion, 2:01 3/4, was discovered, broken to harness and
received his first lessons from C. C. Crippen. Made recird if
21:10 3/4 as a two-year old record for seventeen years, and sold for
$125,000 to J. Malcom Forbes of Boston , Mass. Besides the many
colts that Mr. Crippen handled and trained at palo Alto that developed
into record-breakers he trained or managed many others that in their
day also were champions of the race course, among them Searchlight,
2:03 1/4, world's champion 3, 4 and 5 years old pacer that sold for
$15,000; Kinney Lou, 2:07 3/4, a champion trotter for which $25,000 was
twice refused; Sonoma Girl, 2:04 1/2, "The Girl from the Golden West.",
as she was often called, sold to Lotta Crabtree, the actress, for
$26,000 after winning a number of sensational races on the Grand
Circuit in 1907; Lecco, 2:09 3/4; Redeem, 2:09 1/4; Bonnie Ansel, 2:09
1/4, and oyoho, 2:07 1/4. Mr. Crippen's greatest interest was in
the scientific breeding and training of fast horses, but as the
interest in horse racing wanted, he found it necessary to take up other
lines of work. He has contriubuted many excellent articles to
such well=known sporting paper as the "Breeder and Sportsman," "The
California Horseman" and "The Western Horseman."
Mr. Crippen was born at Coolebrook, Ashtabula County, Ohio, June 14,
1866. His father, Cyrus R. Crippen, was a soldier in the Civil
War, who after that struggle married Miss Desire Marsh of Astabula
County, Ohio, where they settled down to farming and reared thier two
children, Carlton Carlyle of this review and a daughter Dora , now the
wife of Dr. Sterling of Kansas City, Mo. Carlton Carlyle grew up on his
father's farm, attended the common schools and later draduated from
Orwell academy in Ashtabula County.
He was married at Mayfield to Miss Augusta Duke, a daughter of Captain
George and Mary Duke, both of English blood pioneers at Mayfield
. Mr. and Mrs. Crippen have a very cozy home at Mayfield and are
the proud parents of two children, both well known and highly
respected: Roy D., who is advertising manager for the Fidelity Bank of
Fresno, and Dorothy May, who graduated from the San Jose Teachers'
College, and is now engaged in the schools at Mayfield as a teacher .
Mr. Crippen has held his present responsible position for the past five
years; he attends very closely to his work, is capable and efficient,
and last but not least, is very faithful to his trust. He is a
great admirer of the founder of the University, while his love of the
equine species and sportsmanshisp is as keen as ever.