1 68 THE MORGAN HORSE 



last two seasons ". (See page 146.) But whether this statement of Mr. 

 Burns is the true solution or not, the preponderance of evidence is 

 overwhelming that the mare came from either the province of New 

 Brunswick or Nova Scotia, and was, in part at least, of thoroughbred 

 blood. 



The following article, entitled " Reminiscences of Black Hawk", 

 written by the Hon. George B. Loring, appeared also in the 

 " American Cultivator": 



" LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, ) 

 LISBON, July 19, 1889. 5 



" DEAR MR. PARLIN : Your interesting articles on Black Hawk 

 carry me back to the time when this remarkable horse stood at the 

 head as a sire of roadsters and trotters. I knew him well when he 

 was owned by Benjamin Thurston of Lowell, and when he had just 

 commenced his service. Not long before that he had been jointly 

 purchased by William Brown of Haverhill and Thurston, who were 

 greatly attracted by the speed of the colt, which his owner had 

 brought to Haverhill for sale. In describing the young horse, Thurs- 

 ton once said to me: 'He trotted so fast that I was scared'. He 

 soon became well known, on account of his style and power, in all 

 that region. Once a week Thurston used to lead or drive him into 

 my native town, North Andover, a graceful, resolute little horse, 

 which attracted great attention, and he was used by owners of some 

 good mares in that town, which had descended from old Bellfounder 

 through a powerful son owned by Colonel Moody Bridges, named 

 Roulston. 



" From a stylish and excellent Morgan mare owned by my father 

 Black Hawk produced a most wonderful colt, known afterwards as 

 the Reed Horse in Lowell, and the Johnson Horse in Salem ; a stylish, 

 beautiful horse, about fifteen and a half hands, of the finest bay color, 

 with an even, resolute gait of about 2 140. Black Ralph was sired 

 about the same time, out of a Roulston mare, bred by Major Adams, 

 a prominent farmer in the town So was Lady Lawrence, dam a small- 

 sized, powerful gray mare, bred by Josiah Crosby, and which made her 

 well-remembered and beautiful race at Cambridge, I think was owned 

 afterwards by Jonathan Phillips of Swampscott, and was killed by 

 lightning while in his possession. Were Lady Lawrence alive to-day 

 she would be queen of the track. Her gait was perfect, her stride 

 was great, and her action and style were magnificent. From that day 

 until now I have been so fortunate as to keep a strain of Black Hawk 

 blood in my stable, either from the old horse or from his son, Trotting 

 Childers. 



