26 THE ORANGE COUNTY 



That she was by Henry, and a Mesenger mare, there can- 

 not be a shadow of doubt. Mr. Berry thinks she was a 

 thoroughbred. Mr. Ira Coburn, of New York, owned a 

 horse called American Star. He was a bay horse, with a star 

 in forehead, fifteen hands high, as round as a rope, with a 

 good set of limbs, pleasant disposition, and could trot very 

 fast; but left no record, as he was used afterwards only as 

 a gentleman's road horse. But, without getting ahead of 

 Mr. Berry's history, we must give it as we received it from 

 him. This horse was sent by Mr. Coburn, in the spring of 

 eighteen hundred and thirty-five, to John Hiker's tavern, 

 near Little Falls, Passaic County, New Jersey, in charge of 

 Nicholas Smalley, to serve a limited number of mares. Mr. 

 Berry bred this Henry mare, but she failed to get in foal. 

 The next season, Mr. Coburn sent the horse to the same 

 place, but in charge of another groom, who neglected and 

 treated him so badly that Mr. Biker sent word to the owner 

 that he had better take him away. The advice was followed, 

 and the horse returned to New York. Very naturally, Mr. 

 Coburn became heartily disgusted with the stallion business, 

 and meeting Mr. Berry a few days afterwards urged him to 

 take the horse home with him, breed him to as many mares 

 as he liked, and then castrate him an operation, at that 

 time, in the whole country, performed only by Mr. Berry. 

 This was in eighteen hundred and thirty-six, that Mr. Beny 

 took the horse with him, bred him to his Henry mare, then 

 earned out the instructions of his owner. This mare proved 

 in foal, and dropped this colt in June, eighteen hundred and 

 thirty-seven, which became so famous in Orange County, 

 under the name of his sire, American Star. Mr. Berry says ho 

 was disappointed with his colt on its first appearance, both 

 in color and size. However, the colt received but little care 

 or attention took it as he could catch it hardly ever under 

 a shelter until three years of age, when he was taken out of 

 the barnyard and broken to harness. There was nothing 

 handsome or stylish about him, but he had a great deal" of 

 speed. Mr. Berry ran him a great many quarter and half- 



