INHERITED TRAITS. 203 



exceptional brothers. From whom did these two sons and the one 

 grandson derive these qualities and characteristics, not exhibited by 

 either of the parents? I answer, from the mother's grandfather on 

 her own mother's side of the family. I answer this from actual 

 knowledge of the facts; and it demonstrates that these qualities 

 which characterized the two sons and one grandson were possessed by 

 the mother and her own son, the father of the grandson; but they 

 were not exhibited by either — they were latent, or concealed by other 

 traits that shone out strongly in their respective characters. They 

 came down by direct line of inheritance, but were latent, and did not 

 come out in their positive manifestations until they went through cer- 

 tain changes that freed or eliminated them from other controlling or 

 neutralizing elements, or until they met the exact conditions that ena- 

 bled them to show their own force and character. Thus it often is 

 with a trotting horse bred from two strong trotting elements, but 

 somewhat Tinlike — the one neutralizes the other, and the true charac- 

 ter and nerve force of each is controlled, withheld, and for a time 

 suppressed and latent; but it will come out again, either when it 

 receives a proper degree of reinforcement, or when the other control- 

 ling elements pass through certain changes which shall enable it to 

 come to the surface. Of this I have seen several clear illustrations, 

 and shall have some to present in this chapter. 



It is quite probable that the true character and genius of Bell- 

 founder did not shine out in Hambletonian. In the Charles Kent 

 mare and Abdallah blood, elements met which had some positive 

 ingredients of dissimilarity. Although there is good reason, founded 

 on many facts that come to my mind, for believing that Bell founder 

 and Messenger had a kindred origin, they had run in channels so far 

 apart as to acquire certain diversities of quality, and their union in 

 Hambletonian did not at the same time furnish the conditions to call 

 out in full force the expressive and distinctive qualities of each. Both 

 were there, but they could not both shine out with original brilliancy. 

 Subsequently, in Goldsmith Maid, the Abdallah blood rose to its 

 zenith, and shines to-day with a light that tells us how much has long 

 lain latent or hidden in the union of two bloods, whose brilliancy is 

 often concealed by the very combination that is at the same time 

 essential to the greatest fame and excellence of each. Thus it has 

 been with this Bellfounder blood. Hambletonian was not a great 

 success- with mares strong in Bellfounder blood; but several of his 

 sons have shown great success with mares remotely descended from 



