THE HOUSE OF AMERICA. 



whatever is good in this family will be swallowed up in other 

 tribes that are more prepotent and positive in the trotting in- 

 stinct. 



, OR THE MORSE HORSE. This horse was originally 

 named "Norman," but in later years he was more generally and 

 widely known as The Morse Horse. His family is not large, but 

 .some of his descendants have shown great speed and great racing 

 qualities. His origin and breeding as given below have resulted 

 from a wide and laborious correspondence, and, I think, can be 

 .accepted as trustworthy. He was bred by James McNitt, of 

 Hartford, Washington County, New York, who was a large 

 farmer and distiller. He was foaled 1834, got by European; 

 dam Beck, by Harris 7 Hambletonian; grandam Mozza, by Pea- 

 cock, son of imported Messenger. He was fifteen and three- 

 quarter hands high, a dark iron grey when young, and became 

 white with age. He had plenty of bone, was handsome and a 

 natural trotter. Something of the history of the animals enter- 

 ing into this pedigree is important and I will try to give it in as 

 brief form as possible. 



The breeder, Mr. McNitt, was in the habit of visiting Montreal 

 at least once a year with the products of his farm and his dis- 

 tillery. On one occasion he brought back three horses with him, 

 two "Canucks" and a very elegant grey horse that he called 

 European, that was evidently somewhat advanced in years and 

 was a little knee-sprung from the effects of hard driving. The 

 two "Canucks" were fast trotters, but European could beat 

 either of them. Mr. McNitt represented that this horse had been 

 imported into Canada from Normandy in France and doubtless 

 he believed it, but there were none of the French, characteristics 

 about him. He was purchased in Montreal about 1829 and died 

 in Washington County about 1836. The dam and grandam of 

 the Morse Horse were bred by Mr. Joseph T. Mills, of the town 

 of Argyle, in Washington County. Beck, the dam, was a bright 

 bay mare about sixteen hands high. At weaning time Mr. Mills 

 sold her to Robert Stewart, of Greenwich, and at three years old 

 he sold her to Mr. McNitt. She was got by Harris 7 Hamble- 

 tonian, when he was kept by John Williams, Jr. This is estab- 

 lished quite satisfactorily and circumstantially. Mozza, the dam 

 of Beck, was a chestnut mare, without marks, and was got by 

 Peacock, a son of imported Messenger that was owned by Mr. 



