Bates, Charles Carl 1837 – 1905

BATES, LOUTZENHISER, SIMPSON

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 5/19/2024 at 21:00:42

Source: Decorah Republican Nov. 23, 1905 P6 C1

CHARLES CARL BATES.
Again we are called upon to record the sudden death of one of Decorah’s well-known residents. Monday morning between eight and nine o’clock, with but slight warning and before a physician could reach him to render aid, Carl Bates died from neuralgia of the heart.
About three o’clock in the morning Mr. Bates was awakened by severe pains about the heart. Mrs. Bates desired to get him the hot water bottle, but he declined, saying he would put his hand on his chest and probably the pain would cease. He was soon asleep again and awoke at his usual hour, insisting on getting up and going about his usual morning round of chores. Soon after eight he came back to the house, saying that the pain had returned and that he was very sick. Mrs. Bates succeeded in getting him back to bed, and called Dr. Woodward, but even as she was about to do this Mr. Bates told her that it was too late and that he was dying. These were almost his last words, as he died in a few minutes after.
Mr. Bates was born in Rutland, Vt., Feb. 11, 1837, and came to Lansing, Iowa, in 1855, residing there until 1870, when he moved to Waukon where he engaged in merchandising until 1875, when he came to Decorah, purchased the tract of land which has ever since been known as the fair grounds and has since made this his home.
At Waukon, on Sept. 30, 1868, Mr. Bates was married to Miss Sarah Elizabeth Loutzenhiser. To them four children were born, two of whom, Mrs. Robert Simpson and Miss Mabel, survive.
Mr. Bates was a man of marked characteristics. He did not make as many warm friendships as is common among men, but where he gave his friendship he knew no middle ground and was steadfast, true and loyal. In like proportion he was uncompromising in his dislikes. His political affiliations were with democracy, but he exercised an independence in casting his vote that marked him as one careful to discern between what he considered right or wrong.
In the material things of life Mr. Bates’ success came after he had passed the prime of manhood. Always a lover of good horses, he was seldom without a fast one. During his first years in Decorah he developed “Careless,” a horse that had every indication of being one of the best trotters of his day, but almost in his initial race, and as he was coming in a winner, he fell dead upon the track. It was in 1887 that Mr. Bates’ real success began, however. Many a time has it been told how in the spring of that year, while on a business trip up in Michigan, he pickup up the green horse ”Thalberg,” and how later the pair--Bates and “Thalberg,”—became known from St. Paul to St. Louis and from Denver to Indianapolis for their ability to win more races in the 2:20 class than any driver and horse before or since. For a dozen years they were the delight of the crowds at the races in the middle west and the despair of those pitted against them, and their record is one unique in racing annals. When the old horse became too old to race he was turned out to pasture, to enjoy all the comforts that his owner could give him. Two years ago it became evident that Thalberg’s last days were destined to be those of suffering, and rather than permit this Mr. Bates mercifully had him chloroformed and buried on the field where his first race was trotted.
The funeral was held yesterday afternoon at two o’clock at the house. Rev. Wn. McVettie officiating and was largely attended.
Austere as he appeared at times in his outward demeanor, in his home kindness and love reigned, and there is true mourning there for one who was ever the loyal husband and father.

Source: Decorah Republican Dec. 28, 1905 P4 C1, 2
THE LATE C. C. BATES
A HORSEMAN’S TRIBUTE TO HIS MEMORY.
Marvin T. Grattan, in “The Breeders Gazette,” Tells the Story of Carl’s Career, Struggles and Successes in Fifty Years on the Turf.
To the Gazette:--Monday morning, Nov. 29, Carl Bates, Decorah, Iowa, had an attack of neuralgia of the heart to which he succumbed before medical aid could arrive. Mrs. Bates hastily called a physician, but her husband, with the calmness and deliberation for which he was famous, told her it was too late, that he was dying and in a few moments passed away.
He was born in Rutland, Vt., Feb. 11, 1837, the son of an eccentric horseman of local fame. When twenty years old he came to Lansing, Iowa, with his elder brother Joseph W., bringing a blind stallion called Bates’ Emperor that was descended from “Burr’s Napolion and Fanny Pullen, one of the greatest long distance trotters of seventy years ago. The dam of Rarus was also a descent of Burr’s Napoleon through his son Telegraph. Bates’ Emperor sired trotters that strongly resembled Rarus in gift and conformation, through better looking.
The Bates brothers were both capable race drivers but Carl usually made the long trips. In the late sixties he took Hiram, by Emperor, overland 90 miles to Rochester, Minn., to race Star of the West and t was there that the only inquiry as to what crooked his neck was made of Bates in the forty years that I knew him, at least the only one I ever heard of. There was no reply to the inquiry and if there had been the inquisitive party could not have heard it. As well as I knew the man and as long, I could not to save my soul state the cause of the peculiar deformity which made him a marked man in any company. Hiram beat Star of the West and the friends of Alexander Mitchell bought the horse as a present to him at a long price. Had the horse remained on the turf he would have been as famous as Thalberg. Hiram’s price set Bates up in business at Waukon, but he was not a shop keeper and soon got out of the store into a livery stable and with the horses again. Coming in late one night from a drive he bunked down at the foot of the stairs from the hay loft, after making his team comfortable. One of the stable men not noticing him in the morning began throwing down hay on Bates’ head. When the latter emerged and got enough hayseed out of his eyes to take his bearings he started for the luckless stable man with the silent and deadly energy of a wolf. It was a sidehill or basement barn so the stable man reached the street without injury. Unlike the man who inquired about the crooked neck he had a start and terror lent him speed. Down one street and up another, through alleys and over fences the chase progressed, the early birds on the street convulsed with laughter. Tall and spare, not an ounce of extra weight to carry, Bates was always a trial to those who had to walk with him any distance and the sobbing inspiration of the pursued betokened his speedy capture when a door ajar offered a harbor of safe refuge for a moment, which sufficed, for while it was easy to tell where he went out and the places that once knew him knew him no more, for Bates could not be convinced that piling hay on his head while sound asleep was not intentional.
While in this barn Bates put together a wonderfully handsome pair of trotters, Grayheel and Cora, by King Herod, which he raced singly and together from St. Paul to St. Louis, selling them at the latter place. While at Waukon Bates had the very handsome big trotter Lady West by Bates’ Emperor, a mare of wonderful speed and endurance but so mean that all Bates’ patient persistence failed to make her useful. Here he also got Breeze, Cupid and Lady Brazelle, by King Herod, and Careless by Cutler’s Comet, all Morgans and good ones. I raced against them all and finally bought Lady Brazelle. Careless was more than a good race horse and would have been widely famous but for the acute heart trouble that killed him as it did Nightingale and many another hardy campaigner equine and human. Careless did not die in a race, as has been recently stated, but in a work-out. The horse had been beaten in his race and Bates bought Careless in Wisconsin but he “found” him here in Preston. The horse had been beaten in his race and Bates matched Hiram Knox’s Billy Goocher beats, but Bates had “found” his horse. Careless broke his check in the race never was checked in a race afterwards and was a steady winner for a couple of years. Bates kept him in the 2:30 class as he later kept Thalberg in the 2:20 class. The races at Preston won by Billy Goocher were in 1878. The next year Careless could have shut him out and he won through Iowa at Decorah, Cedar Rapids, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown and other points.
Cupid, by King Herod, was also a good campaigner for Bates. Tommy Dunbar with Billy Morgan and Bates with Cupid traveled together and made troublous times for horses not clever on the small rings. At Stillwater, Minn., over a mile ring, Bates was taken out from behind Cupid and fined $100. This was in 1873 and J. J. Hill, the transportation king, was in the stand. Last fall Mr. Hill while at Preston inquired more particularly for Bates than for any other person and had much to say of Mabel B., by Cupid, that he bought of Bates. This beautiful mare was as sweet tempered as the girl for whom she was named and was Mr. Hill’s favorite roadster. His habit was to drive from the farm to his office in the morning and back in the evening, using three trotters turn about and they had to be able to negotiate twelve miles an hour without distress and pull what Thomas J. Vail used to call manly weight. Without a doubt this habit had much to do with the clear-headed management that has placed Mr. Hill in a class by himself as an efficient executive officer. Some time I will tell the story of his night drive of a loaded stage coach in place of the driver too drunk to sit up. Mr. Hill said Bates was as honorable a horseman as he ever knew and a gentleman.
Several other railway magnates drove favorite trotters that Bates had educated, of various families including Star of the West, McGregor and Volunteer. This seemed for Bates in campaigning consideration and favorable treatment. Mr. Hill insisted that Bates’ treatment at Stillwater was unfair and that it did not receive his sanction. This was the view of many concerning the Thalberg affair at Creston, Iowa, which Gazette readers will remember. Unquestionably the gamblers hated Bates as heartily as he hated them. By gamblers I mean the grafters who follow horses from one town to another, habitually seeking to ingratiate themselves with drivers and reporters in order to gull the public. They are commonly bunched as “the talent” by the press, but their talent was not sufficient to save them from some hard falls at the hands of Bates and it was unquestionably this class which tried to get back of him both at Creston and Stillwater. Mr. Hill’s opinion correctly represents that of the general public which wins or loses cheerfully, as an occasional incident to a good horse race.
Bates was a favorite with the people who quickly learned to know the tall, spare figure, with his immobile face, big cigar and stern self repression. They knew that at the finish he was quite sure to be troublesome with the deadly set purpose of one of his silent drives. My favorite among all his campaigners was Lock, by Lockhart. He was a grand individual, grandly gaited, with every quality upon which to base hopes of championship. I think Bates secretly expected it of him and I openly predicted it. Lock’s last race was at Decorah June 1, 1898, a blistering hot day with showers, such weather as blights the wheat. In the 2:29 class Lock met Thomas C., the game and fast race horse that later took a record of 2:11 and was bought by Lawson, of Boston. Water stood upon the track when they scored for the first heat and it was a fight from the start. Lock won it in 2:31¼. Thomas C. got the next in 2:27¼, the footing being best away from the pole. Then Lock got the third heat by the same taken in 2:26½ and Thomas C., the fourth in 2:29. Despite the worst of the footing Lock won the deciding heat in 2:29 and came out of the race in fine shape apparently, much better than Thomas C., whose driver was so discouraged about him that he turned him over to his owner who could get no driver of repute to take him and the lad who jogged him finally raced him to his record but he died soon after Lawson bought him. Lock died about two weeks after his race and the veterinarian said the race had nothing to do with it. So did Bates and while outwardly the stoic over his loss such stern self repression could not help but weaken the strongest heart. Self control is admirable, but it shortens life carried to extremes. Even Washington raged at times and an engine has to have a safety valve.
Bate’s letter to me about Lock’s death came nearly manifesting a breakdown than any spoken word I ever heard him utter and I have no doubt he felt every emotion that the most demonstrative person would have given voice to. Bates raced a beautiful mare a little last season that is about the best bred piece of horseflesh he ever had to do with and is as sweet tempered as Lock or Mabel B. He called her Maggie Alfred and she was sired by the Electioneer horse Alfred G., 2:19¾, dam Maggie Baron by Baron Wilkes, granddam Maggie Medium by Happy Medium, great grand-dam Maggie Keene, by Mambrino Patchen.
“Hope springs eternal in the human breast,” and Bates silently thought of the day when he should again triumph or dictate terms with this fashionably bred modern trotter. I say he did because human nature is the same in the silent man as in the voluable one; and mayhap in the long distance there is no cessation of interest and a better knowledge of the hearts of men. If this be trite Bates knows that a multitude of people bear him in kindly remembrance and that the loved ones whom he cherished so tenderly have a friend in every one of his brother horsemen.

Phelps Cemetery
 

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