THE HORSE. 731 



In writing of him when he was twenty -three years of age, Mr. Linsley says: &quot;His 

 compact, symmetrical, and muscular form, and nervous, elastic style of action, give un 

 mistakable evidence of the speed and endurance he has shown upon the turf and road ; and 

 although now twenty-three years old, his eye has lost none of its brightness, his health is still 

 excellent, and his movements still graceful and energetic.&quot; 



He was in all respects a remarkable horse, being beautiful and majestic in appearance, 

 and whether in harness or not, he was ever the same splendid animal, always attracting uni 

 versal admiration. His blood is very highly prized in New England trotting circles of 

 to-day, as well as other portions of the country. He could trot his mile in 2:40 without 

 training, and was a horse of great intelligence, as well as great endurance. Besides, Black 

 Hawk possessed the power of transmitting his speed and other characteristics to his offspring 

 in a degree unsurpassed by any horse in the country. He died in 1856, being twenty -three 

 years old. 



Gold Dust was another branch of the Morgan family of horses, while the Koyal Georges 

 sprung from Tippoo, a horse supposed to be from Ogden s Messenger, a son of imported 

 Messenger. 



The best representatives of the Canadian race are said to be St. Lawrence and Pacing 

 Pilot, horses of unknown pedigree. Besides these, are the Blue Bulls, which were descended 

 from Doyle s Blue Bull, a pacer that was sired by a pacer of the same name, and numerous 

 other branches of leading families already given. Various opinions are entertained by dif 

 ferent breeders, relative to the best methods of perpetuating and improving the trotting horse, 

 but our limits will not admit of farther consideration of the subject in this connection. 



Fabulous prices have been paid in this country for trotters, and frequently for colts, 

 simply on the strength of their breeding. It is stated from authentic sources that in 1876 

 the sum of $13,000 was paid for two two-year-old fillies, and $41,200 for thirteen, nearly all of 

 them young. A three-year-old colt, Stein way, was sold in 1879 for $13,000 to a party in 

 California. Gov. Sprague was sold for $27,000 at the age of five years, and Maud S. for 

 $21,000 when four years old, and after she had trotted a mile in 2m. 17s. As she is 

 now queen of the turf, having reduced her record to 2m. lO^s., it would probably require 

 a very much larger sum than that to purchase her, if at all. The sum of $40,000 was paid 

 for Smuggler, $45,000 for Pocahontas, $35,000 for Goldsmith Maid and Dexter, $36,000 for 

 Rarus, $30,000 for Lady Thorne, while St. Julien was prized at $50,000 at the close of 1879, 

 when he had attained the fastest record known at that time. Messenger, Rysdyk s Hamble- 

 tonian, Volunteer, and several other noted horses were valued at $100,000 when in their prime. 



Noted Trotting Horses. Among the many noted trotting horses of the country, 

 we have space to give the description of but a few. Trotting time has been gradually 

 reduced until at present it stands at 2m. 10|s., that achieved by the queen of the turf, Maud 

 S, whose record has not yet been excelled. Trotting a mile in three minutes was formerly 

 considered very good time, while the opinion entertained by many of the leading horsemen 

 * of the country of former days was, that no animal could ever excel the 2m. 20s. record, and when 

 little Flora Temple, less than twenty-five years ago, reduced it to 2 : 1 9f , she became the wonder 

 of the world for a brief time. Dexter, after a period of eight years, reduced this record to 

 2:17^. In 1871 Goldsmith Maid reduced this record to 2:17, and again in 1873 to 2:16f. 

 She still continued to reduce her record by degrees, until it reached 2:14, remaining queen 

 of the turf until Rarus comes to the front with a record of 2:13^. But his reign is short, 

 for from California the following year comes the news that St. Julien has won a victory over 

 time by a record of 2:12|. The contest next is between Maud S. and St. Julien, at Roches 

 ter, N. Y., in August, 1880, which resulted in a drawn battle for possession of the sceptre, 

 but a joint victory over time, for they each scored on that day a record of 2:llf. This was 

 still further reduced afterward by St. Julien to 2: 11, and by Maud S. to 2:10. 

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