BALES, Charles L. (1866-1939)

BALES

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 5/9/2020 at 21:23:22

Charles L. Bales
(1866 – April 9, 1939)

Charles Bales, Aged 73, Old Horseman, Dies Sun., Apr 9 [1939]
He Was A Brother of Edd Bales, Former Owner of Fillmore, One of the Great Horses of Country
Charlie Bales, 73, last of a family of famous horsemen at the time horse racing was at its peak the country over, in the late eighties and early nineties, died at the home of Jesse Crooks near Norwood, on Easter Sunday about 1 o’clock. The funeral was held Wednesday at the United Brethren church north of Norwood, in charge of the Rev. Mr. Smith. Interment was in the Hammondsburg cemetery where three of his brothers, “Butch” Bales, Levi Bales, and Cage Bales are buried, He is survived by his son, Fred Bales of Milo, and a sister who lives in Nevada. He was ill only a week. He attended a sale at the local sales barn two weeks ago.
100 to 1 Shot
The Bales boys came into prominence in the racing world through the ownership of the famous race horse, Fillmore, who was entered two seasons in the Grand Circuit races at St. Louis. In the first race, Fillmore was a 100 to 1 shot and won the race, and while Charlie Bales recently denied commonly accepted rumors that the Bales won $50,000 on the race, it is known that they did put up some money. Fillmore won same large purses at St. Louis during his first season. The race horse, Fillmore, was purchased by Edd Bales from Charlie Shrewsbury, or rather Bales traded him a couple of colts for him, and gave him some boot. Mr. Shrewsbury, who was killed by lightning out in Wyoming a few years ago, had bought the horse in Chicago. Edd Bales turned him out in a timber pasture for a year then began training him, with the result he became one of the most famous race horses that ever started in an Iowa race. He was a mile horse.
Some Famous Horses
Fillmore came on the scene about the time some famous race horses were owned in Warren County. These include Iowa Boy, owned by the McGees, Prairie King, owned by the Bales boys, and Sarah S., famous trotter produced by the late John T. Wallace, which raced in the grand circuit races against some of the famous trotters of the country. She was marked at 2:07 in a race at S. Louis, which put her in a faster class, and never made Mr. Wallace any money afterward. Allerton, one of the greatest trotting sires in racing history, was later purchased and brought to Warren County by Harry E. Hopper. He [Allerton] is buried at the fairgrounds. At the same time, Charlie Shrewsbury owned a horse named Soundmore, one of the best horses ever owned in this county. Soundmore was started in Grand Circuit races for two seasons and made some fast time and its owner considerable money.
Fillmore, Grismer Race
A race which became famous among horsemen was run off here between Fillmore and Grismer, owned by John Babb of Osceola, in the late eighties. Babb and Edd Bales played a game of seven-up to see which horse got the pole. The race was won by Fillmore whose rider was Pearl Bales, son of Edd Bales, who lives near the state fairgrounds. Edd Bales died only a year or two ago in Des Moines at an advanced age. Cage Bales, with whom Charlie lived, died two or three years ago. Charlie Bales was born in Warren County and was a son of James and Elizabeth Benge Bales. Charlie had a collection of racing pictures of Fillmore, numerous clippings about races won by Fillmore, and other race track treasures, all of which were burned in a fire which destroyed the home of Cage Bales a few years ago. Clark Nutt, who has always kept in touch with Charlie Bales, attended the funeral. [copied from a newspaper clipping in a scrapbook at the Warren County Historical Society, Indianola, Iowa]