WT Waggoner to Cary T. Grayson
Title
WT Waggoner to Cary T. Grayson
Creator
Waggoner, William Thomas (1852–1934)
Identifier
WWP16671
Date
1930 May 19
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
Admiral Cary T. Greyson
Washington, DC
Dear Admiral Greyson
This acknowledges receipt of yours of May 13th, as it was so close to Derby day and I knew that you were going to be present I delayed answering your letter until I thought it was about time for you to return home. Yes, Mr. Dale visited me and wanted to buy a lot of horses from me, wanted me to put up a check right now so he could buy them and pay for them I told him that I did not feel that I was in a position to do anything of that kind and that sometime I might buy a real stallion if I could find one that won’t take all I’ve got and that is better than any horse I have on my farm. I have a real good bunch of colts and fillys - 8 colts and 10 filly they all look fine. I took Mr. Dale out and he complimented them very highly. I don’t know whether his compliments were from his heart or his lips - he couldn’t hardly say anything else because he is the man that purchases Phalaros for me. I can say they look as nice as any colts I ever saw and all of my friends that have visited them so far think the same as I do about them. I think I have my mares all pretty nicely bred and the most of them in foal.
Now about the derby - I don’t know what I will ever do with Broadway, he just simply wont run and won’t try to run, he comes out in the morning and breaks your watch and in the evening he comes out and breaks your pocketbook. Kilkerry is a different horse altogether he will do all he can and he is as fast as a bullet if he had any legs on him to stand up. In the derby race he broke down in the leg that was least expected of him but I think he ran a pretty good race on two sound legs - both front legs are in bad repair. Broadway didn’t do anything, next to the last horse - now I have him on my hands and I hardly know what in the world to do with him unless later on he starts running. I understand he is going to run next Saturday in St. Louis for a big lot of money - derby I suppose. I don’t feel that he has a chance to win and I know he could win if he only would but he don’t take racing seriously - he takes it as a lot of fun and sport. He don’t keep his mind on his business, but maybe someday he will.
Now about Reigh Count - I wrote the New York Press and asked them to please keep my name out of the papers as making an offer for Reigh Count of a million dollars that I never even offered a thin dime for him from anybody or I never authorized anybody to even try to buy him for me and on receipt of what the press has to say I am enclosing you a little clipping that will explain itself. Mr. Dale told me he thought you were going abroad in June and while you are over there you might keep your eyes open for a well bred stallion out of a good family of race horses. Mr. Dale says the man that owns the sire of Call Boy has three or four of the of the best in England - I can’t quite speak the name of the sire of Call Boy but you know it as I do if I could only recall it but I have no data in my office as to the name of his sire. You speak of coming over sometime this fall to pass a few weeks with me, I would like to have you three months if you would stay - I never get tired of company like you. I hope this letter finds your family well and with best regards to you and yours, I am as ever
Your friend,
WT Waggoner
Washington, DC
Dear Admiral Greyson
This acknowledges receipt of yours of May 13th, as it was so close to Derby day and I knew that you were going to be present I delayed answering your letter until I thought it was about time for you to return home. Yes, Mr. Dale visited me and wanted to buy a lot of horses from me, wanted me to put up a check right now so he could buy them and pay for them I told him that I did not feel that I was in a position to do anything of that kind and that sometime I might buy a real stallion if I could find one that won’t take all I’ve got and that is better than any horse I have on my farm. I have a real good bunch of colts and fillys - 8 colts and 10 filly they all look fine. I took Mr. Dale out and he complimented them very highly. I don’t know whether his compliments were from his heart or his lips - he couldn’t hardly say anything else because he is the man that purchases Phalaros for me. I can say they look as nice as any colts I ever saw and all of my friends that have visited them so far think the same as I do about them. I think I have my mares all pretty nicely bred and the most of them in foal.
Now about the derby - I don’t know what I will ever do with Broadway, he just simply wont run and won’t try to run, he comes out in the morning and breaks your watch and in the evening he comes out and breaks your pocketbook. Kilkerry is a different horse altogether he will do all he can and he is as fast as a bullet if he had any legs on him to stand up. In the derby race he broke down in the leg that was least expected of him but I think he ran a pretty good race on two sound legs - both front legs are in bad repair. Broadway didn’t do anything, next to the last horse - now I have him on my hands and I hardly know what in the world to do with him unless later on he starts running. I understand he is going to run next Saturday in St. Louis for a big lot of money - derby I suppose. I don’t feel that he has a chance to win and I know he could win if he only would but he don’t take racing seriously - he takes it as a lot of fun and sport. He don’t keep his mind on his business, but maybe someday he will.
Now about Reigh Count - I wrote the New York Press and asked them to please keep my name out of the papers as making an offer for Reigh Count of a million dollars that I never even offered a thin dime for him from anybody or I never authorized anybody to even try to buy him for me and on receipt of what the press has to say I am enclosing you a little clipping that will explain itself. Mr. Dale told me he thought you were going abroad in June and while you are over there you might keep your eyes open for a well bred stallion out of a good family of race horses. Mr. Dale says the man that owns the sire of Call Boy has three or four of the of the best in England - I can’t quite speak the name of the sire of Call Boy but you know it as I do if I could only recall it but I have no data in my office as to the name of his sire. You speak of coming over sometime this fall to pass a few weeks with me, I would like to have you three months if you would stay - I never get tired of company like you. I hope this letter finds your family well and with best regards to you and yours, I am as ever
Your friend,
WT Waggoner
Original Format
Letter
To
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Files
Collection
Citation
Waggoner, William Thomas (1852–1934), “WT Waggoner to Cary T. Grayson,” 1930 May 19, WWP16671, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.