Rancocas Farm Employes: Some Have Been in Service for More than Fifty Years., Daily Racing Form, 1927-04-05

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RANCOCAS FARM EMPLOYES • i Some Have Been in Service for More Than Fifty Years. ♦ Loyalty of Workers Is Conspicuous — Strom-boll, Veteran Racer, a Pensioner of Hildreth. » EIHTORS NOTE. — This is the seventh and last of a series of articles describing Rant-ocas Farm and its breeding and racing activities. Sam Ilildn-th is full of appreciation for the loyalty and good services of his horses as well as grateful to the men who have been in his employ during many years of his turf activities. An honored member of the thoroughbred family at Rancocas Farm Is the famous old veteran Stromboli, which won several of the greatest classics of Ameri_ can racing under Kam Hildreths own colors. I.ast year Hildreth bought a 200 acre farm adjacent to Kancocas and he finds great enjoyment in developing it. Before he finishes with his program for its improvement he is likely to have a show place that will be a model for every enterprising farmer in Burlington County. Two large and airy barns have been built, and in one of them a special box stall of ample size has been constructed for Stromboli. With another of the veteran members of the Rancocas horses Stromboli was transferred recently to the Hildreth farm and the aging pair have their own private paddock for browsing and enjoyment of the air and sunshine. And they have a groom who looks after their comfort all the time. No day passes while Hildreth is at the farm that he does not visit Stromboli and the glorious old gelding shows unmistakable signs? of his pleasure when he sees the "sage of Kancocas" approaching his paddock fence or the door of his private quarters in the barn. Hildreth needs no memorandum to recall that Stromboli won the Manhattan Handicap, the Saranac. the Jerome and other features of the year 1314 and in 1915 captured the Suburban, the Metropolitan and the Howie Handicap. In 1 .♦ 1 6 Stromboli won the Saratoga Handi_ cap and in 1917 he was first in the Kings County. His string of seconds is a long one, and he is not likely to be forgotten. H 1 1 IMC I I II MKRITS OM ■ KNDATIOX. Every sportsman must commend Hildreth for the provision that has been made for Strombolis comfort In his old age. Stromboli does not show his fifteen years and it is likely he will enjoy Hildreths hospitality for a great many more. He is a handsome old fellow and looks every inch a champion among thoroughbreds. Thunderclap is another liancocas pensioner and that nine-year-old gelding has the range I of a large paddock and his own box stall, where he may enjoy his old age and watch the younger generations prepare for racing. Thunderclap looks fully capable of staging an impressive comeback, but Hildreth has no intention of asking more of that faithful servant. It may be recalled that Billy Kelly and Kxterminator are other famous old geldings whose declining years will be spent in ease and comfort, but little is known of what has become of some of the others win were not so fortunate in finding owners who have the proper appreciation for faithful and conspicuous turf achievements by thoroughbreds that may not 1*- available for breeding purposes. Some of the good ones that raced close to Stromboli have vanished and are forgotten. Everywhere at Ilancocas the visitor realizes that there is an admirable spirit of loyalty and contentment among the employes. It is apparent in so many ways that it is impressive. While the majority of the men now on th.- Ilancocas payroll went there When th.- property passed to the Sinclair-Hildreth control they have absorbed the spirit of fealty to the farm and have contributed a full share toward maintaining its fame. They had been with Hildreth for much of their lives ;:nd they know he is not one to forget friendships and loyal co-operation. A considerable number of the men employed at Kancocas are married and live with their families on the farm or in homes that they have built in Jobstown. adjacent to the Kancocas lands. It has been necessary to provide living accommodations for the single men and boys employed about the training stables and l.rood barns. One large community house has lx en completed under the same roof as the general garage for motor equipment. There are twenty-six comfortable bedrooms in the building given over to the older men and the unmarried ones that look after the tractors and automobiles and trucks that have been installed to expedite the enterprises at Kancocas. There is nothing of the barracks about these quarters. They are homey and attractively furnished. Most of the exercise bora and apprentice riders live in the building where the general kitchen and dining room is located. This structure is new and its culinary equipment is as elaborate as may be found in high class New York hotels. The chef in charge was brought to Kancocas from one of these great establishments and he . is given full opportunity t.. ply his art. for Hildreth be-I -ves in giving his men the very best of f od and plenty of it. There are several employes whose association with the Kancocas establishment dates back to the beginning of the Lorillard regime. Some of them went there in their youth and have not been employe 1 anywhere else for more than fifty ears. They are devoted to Kancocas. ItFAKKV FVMI1 Y VI.TKKAN FMPI.OYFS. The Keakey family, five in numlter. came to Kant ocas from Ireland early in the Loril-lard regime. Two brothers and three sister? came to America when they were children and went almost directly to Kancocas. Thomas. James and Hannah Bt-akey never married. Mrs. Houlihan, another sister, has remained at Kant Mat The third sister. Mrs. Cook, died in .January, but her husband is employed at Kancocas and her sons and grandsons are on the Kancocas rolls. Jobstown is a clean and trim little town and it is impossible to tell just where th.-Ilancocas property ends and the township starts. The two churches and the neat looking andchool arc close- to the Ilancocas acres w and children of Tlancocas employes make up ■ large percentage of the pupils. There is a Roman Catholic church and a I.aptist church a*, .lohestown and both are largely attended l.y the men and women who depend upon Rancocas for their livelihood. Th.- -lergymen in ihargc of these ehurches find plenty of co-operation and encouragement from everyone associated with the big establishment and there is no lack of community activities that provide healthy and inspiring recreation at all times. The lloman Catholic church has been beau- tified by stained glass windows contributed hy members of the Rancocas establishment ami the ore, an and carpet recently insalled i were gifts from horsemen employed there.


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800