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STATESMANS REMARKABLE RECOVERY. Saratoga, N. Y.. August 23. Frank. Gardner has received word from W. S. Diffenderfer, the Maryland sportsman who has taken care of Statesman for him since that good horse was cut down In the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. that Statesman is now romping on his four legs about the paddocks of the Diffenderfer farm: This news will astonish all who saw the Kinley Mack colt hobble on three legs out of the Preakness apparently with a broken ankle. It was almost the universal verdict at the time that the proper thing to do was to shoot the horse. But Gardner declined to order Statesmans destruction. He said he would save Statesman for breeding purposes if not for racing, and he lias succeeded. It would be safe to senil Statesman to the stud tomorrow, but Gardner will not yet make such disposition of the horse. He thinks It possible that Statesman may race again, and he will try to get the horse to the post next year. Statesman owes his recovery to his remarkably good temper. He was suspended in a sling twenty-eight days all told and three different plaster casts were put upon his injured leg. The first remained on eight days. After the first two or three nights lie began "sleeping in his sling. While in the sling lie lived on green corn and mash. No heavy grain that might have given him trouble to digest was fed and in each ration of green food he got a dose of medicine calculated to make his liver and kidneys perform their regular functions. Mr. Gardner declined to have Statesman shot after his breakdown because he had saved a horse in worse condition that he was then at Guttenberg in 1S92. Hawkstone was the name of the horse in question. Hawkstone injured himself so badly in his stall one day that it looked as though three of his four legs were broken. The horses owner set out to find a gun with which to put him out of his misery. Gardner intervened. "What would you have me do with the horsej" asked Hawkstone s owner. "Why. give him to me," replied Gardner, "and I will get him to the races again." Gardner was as good as his word. It took him eighteen months to restore the horse, but Hawkstone won his next race and Gardner had a 00 bet on him. Patching up cripples was Gardners delight in those days. He used to take over every peg-leg no one else wanted.
