370 THE HORSE OF AMERICA. 



his owner, Selah Norton, and his pedigree is here given for the-- 

 first time as follows: "True Briton, or Beautiful Bay, got by im- 

 ported Traveler, dam De Lancey's racer." After advertising the 

 horse for seven years without a pedigree, at last Mr. Selah Nor- 

 ton manufactures one and gives it over his own signature. 



In 1793 he is again called Beautiful Bay, but no pedigree, at 

 South Hadley, Massachusetts. 



In 1794 and 1795 he was kept at Ashfield, Massachusetts, by 

 Mr. Norton himself, and called Traveler, and his pedigree is 

 again given in amended form as follows: "Sired by the famous 

 old Traveler, imported from Ireland, dam Colonel De Lancey's 

 imported racer." 



This is the last trace we have of the horse Beautiful Bay, for 

 that seems to be his honest name, and now I must ask some 

 questions. These advertisements cover a period of eleven years 

 and they are worthy of careful study. From 1784 to 1791 there 

 is no attempt at giving any pedigree at all. With the exception 

 of three seasons he seems to have been let, probably on shares, to 

 different keepers, in different parts of the country. From first 

 to last Selah Norton seems to have been his owner. If he had 

 received the pedigree, and the romantic story of his theft, from 

 "one Smith, 77 as claimed, is it conceivable that he would have 

 concealed that story from the public when it would have added 

 so much to the patronage of his horse? How does it come that 

 not a single man having this stallion in charge, except Selah 

 Norton himself, ever gave his pedigree? "What prompted Selah 

 Norton to withdraw the horse from public service, in Hartford, 

 immediately after he first gave his pedigree? Was it because^ 

 everybody there knew it was a fraud? When the horse was taken 

 to South Hadley in 1793, why did his keeper there refuse to 

 accept either the name True Briton or the new pedigree? It will 

 be observed he was advertised there simply as Beautiful Bay and 

 no pedigree given. The next two years we find him at Ashfield, 

 Massachusetts, to which point it would seem his owner had re- 

 moved from Hartford, For some reason that can be better 

 imagined than explained, the names Beautiful Bay and True 

 Briton are there dropped and he is rechristened as Traveler. To 

 this change of name the old pedigree is attached, with a very 

 important change in that also, as follows: "Sired by famous old 

 Traveler, imported from Ireland, dam Colonel De Lancey's im- 

 ported racer.' 7 These three words, "imported from Ireland, 7 '" 



