HENRY c. MCDOWELL AND ASHLAND 



October 13. " The Republican's report of the St. 

 Louis Fair was an unadulterated laudation of Caton's 

 stock to which I have not the slightest objection, but 

 the reporter seems to lose no opportunity to hit me 

 a rap. I think you were one of the judges at Lex- 

 ington, and as the competition there was greater than 

 at St. Louis, you also need some vindication. It is 

 true the colt was off at St. Louis, but, off or on, he is 

 a long neck ahead of the best Don Cossack." 



You who have seen the sun streaming across the 

 great plain and up the rugged mountain, touching 

 with cheerfulness canyon, crag, and the dark green 

 of stunted pine, finally shimmering gold on the lofty 

 peak, find it next to impossible to resist the melan- 

 choly fever when the light begins to fade and the 

 shadows lengthen and deepen. Henry C. McDowell 

 occupied an elevated position in the ranks of human 

 society, and for years he walked where brightness 

 ruled. When the National Crisis came, guided by 

 the conservative wisdom of his elders, thoroughly 

 grounded Kentuckians, like Governor James F. Rob- 

 inson, Dr. Robert J. Breckinridge and Geo. D. Pren- 

 tice, he was loyal to the flag of the Union, and later 

 was respected for this act by those who wore the 

 Gray with honor. Ashland, even during the life- 

 time of Henry Clay, never saw more brilliant men 

 around the social board, and I fancy that the spirit 

 of the Great Commoner often whispered to the gen- 

 tle breeze, " Well done, Philip Sidney of Blue Grass 

 land! When you shall pass as I have passed, your 



