INVESTIGATION OF DISPUTED PEDIGREES. 435 



the breeder of the mare, which will be explained further on. 

 Soon after he wrote, April 26, 1880, he removed to Nebraska 

 and I have not heard from him since. In 1857 she was trained 

 . for Mr. Alexander by John Williams on Stroue's track at Bock- 

 ville, Indiana, the county seat of Parke County. In 1860 she 

 was entered by Williams in several races at Indianapolis and at 

 other points, and made a record of 2:40. About 1865, or perhaps 

 a year or two earlier, she became the property of George C. 

 Stevens. In his catalogue for 1868 she is entered merely as "Old 

 Belle," and he knew nothing of her origin or history till I gave 

 it to him, along with the humbug pedigree that I had copied 

 from the entries at the Louisville ten-mile race. 



Through the kindness of Mr. Puett I received the following 

 letter from Mr. Henry 0. Brown, a very reputable business man 

 and a grain dealer in Rockville, Parke County, Indiana. This 

 letter from Mr. Brown has in it such evidence of candor and in- 

 telligence that I will here insert it entire: 



" DEAR SIR : In reply to your inquiry of the 23d ult., as to what I know of 

 the 'origin and history of the rnare called Belle of Wabash,' I will give you 

 the following facts : 



" In the year 1855, or '56, I am not positive which, this mare, when a three- 

 year-old, was purchased by Cyrus Rornaine, then a resident of this county, of 

 an old farmer in Clay County, this State, paying $85 for her. This farmer 

 lived at that time about a mile and a half north of Brazil, the present county- 

 seat of Clay County. 



" As to this farmer's name, neither myself nor Romaine can tell. He was 

 an old man at that time, and undoubtedly has gone to his reward long ago. 

 Neither do we know anything at all about the pedigree of the mare. 



" There is no person living, so far as I or Romaine know, that can tell any- 

 thing about her ancestors, and in my opinion it would be impossible, at this 

 late day, to find any one in Clay County that could give us any information in 

 regard to her. 



" The country around Brazil at that time was almost a wilderness; now the 

 city is spread out, and covers, no doubt, the farm where the mare was foaled. 

 Clay County is now the center of the Indiana coal-fields, and, of course, the 

 entire face of the country about there is changed wonderfully since 1856; con- 

 sequently it would be almost if not quite impossible to find the exact location. 



" After keeping the mare eight or nine months, Romaine sold her to John 

 Alexander, of Montezuma, this county, for $160. Alexander soon after com- 

 menced training her, and in about one year I think he, or his trainer, John 

 Williams, took her to Kentucky, and entered her there in some kind of races. 

 Since then you know her history much better than I do. 



" At the time Romaiue bought the mare he and I were trading in stock to- 

 gether, boarding at the same house and sleeping in the same bed. I mention, 

 this only that you may understand that I know what I am writing about. 



