"FALCON'S" EXPERIENCES. 35 



grass region of Kentucky. His parentage is unexception- 

 able ; his sire being Camden, by Shark, his dam a 

 daughter of the northern champion, Postboy, thought, un- 

 til his defeat by John Bascombe, to be the best horse of 

 his day. He grew up a fine colt, taking the premiums at 

 the local fairs, until three years old, when he was taken 

 West by a boy who had no more knowledge of condition, 

 than if he had never seen a horse. He ran him all sorts 

 of races, from a quarter dash to two mile heats. As a 

 specimen of the usage he got, I will relate the following 

 story, which I was assured was strictly true. The boy 

 having got in debt, an attachment was served on the colt, 

 and he was locked up by the Sheriff in a log stable, where 

 he was confined for three weeks. There were some races 

 at a little town not very far off, and his owner managed 

 to get him the day before the two mile heat race was to 

 be run. He traveled him to the neighborhood of the race- 

 course, tying him to a tree ; during the night a violent 

 thunderstorm gave him a thorough wetting. He had 

 no rider, and in order to come as near the conventional 

 scale as possible, rode him himself without a saddle ; still 

 he had to carry a hundred and thirty pounds a pretty 

 severe weight for a four year old, that for preparation had 

 been a strict prisoner for weeks. He made a very good 

 race, and it was the opinion of most who saw it, that had 

 he been judiciously ridden, he would have been the victor 

 as it was. That fall, I saw him on the occidental side of 

 the Father of Waters, and was as much struck with him at 

 first sight as you, thinking him the best formed animal I 

 ever saw. I had long been of the opinion that just such 

 a thoroughbred was the kind to make a number one trot- 

 ter ; but he had changed owners, and I did not succeed 

 in getting him till the spring of another year. At that time 

 I was engaged in land speculations, selecting government 

 lands in Iowa and Missouri, and being successful in mak- 



