250 THE MORGAN HORSE 



eye but not until he was twelve or fourteen years old, and had one good eye 

 when he died, well on in the twenties". 



After this we corresponded, traveled, followed up false clues, disproved 

 alleged information, and withal did a great deal of work to no purpose for a 

 year. Early in May, 1886, in Dr. Herr's stable in Lexington, Kentucky, we 

 met J. W. Forman, Esq., who drove into the barn and sat with his son in his 

 buggy. We were asking Dr. Herr about Pilot, when the younger gentleman 

 remarked that the man with him knew more about old Pilot than any other 

 man living. We then interviewed the elder Mr. Forman, who is a gentleman 

 of much intelligence and apparent accuracy. The substance of Mr. For- 

 man's statement was that Pilot was brought to New Orleans in the fall of 

 1833 or 1834 by a man from Canada, name forgotten but thought to be Bean 

 or something similar ; that this man brought the running horse Billy, with 

 him. The man was fine-looking, about thirty years old, low and heavy-set, 

 had dark hair, and was not a Frenchman. He intended to match Billy 

 against Cow Driver, but Billy died and his owner was distracted at his loss. 

 Mr. Forman was with Charles Barker handling horses, and was stopping at 

 Norton's stable when this man came there with the horses, and Mr. Forman 

 let him in, as he came in the night. Barker and Dubois bought Pilot and he 

 (Forman) took care of him that winter. Major Lindsay of North Middle- 

 town, Kentucky, got him of Barker after he came to Louisville, and stood 

 him at North Middletown one season; Mr. Forman thought it was 1836 

 and that James R. Rogers of Cane Ridge had the book. 



Mr. Forman was not able to fix the year accurately, as he was at New 

 Orleans every winter from 1830 to 1834, inclusive, but was satisfied that it 

 was after the cholera year, 1832, and was pretty sure it was 1834. We wrote 

 to Mr. James R. Rogers, and he replied as follows : " Pilot was leased from 

 parties in Louisville, and made the season at the stables of Col. Nimrod 

 Lindsay, near North Middletown, Bourbon county, in 1835. No evidence 

 from the book before me that he made another. Stood at eight dollars". 

 We wrote again to Mr. Kennedy, who replied that he went to Louisville in 

 1834, and was clerk in a store the next two years ; did not remember seeing 

 Pilot till 1835 ; saw him also in 1836. 



It began to look as if we were at the end of the rope. We could get 

 no trace of the pedlar and had really no clue reaching beyond the ar- 

 rival of the horse at New Orleans. "It is the unexpected that hap- 

 pens." At the Kellogg sale at New York, in March, 1887, we were called by 

 one of the editors of "The Sportsman" to be introduced to Mr. James of 

 Canada. Being about to watch the selling of a pair of mares, we abruptly 

 asked to be excused, remarking to Mr. James that we were quite desirous of 

 talking with him further, especially about Royal George and his dam, and 

 that if we did not meet him again here would call on him in Canada, where 

 we were soon going to look up the history of Pilot. A well-appearing gen- 

 tleman that stood close to us turned suddenly about saying : " I can tell 

 you all about old Pilot without your going to Canada". To say our first 

 feeling was one of incredulity would not half express it ; but second thought 



