DESCENDANTS OF SHERMAN MORGAN 359 



noises. Strike him in anger or abruptly, and it must be a strong man to 

 hold even when tired with trotting, yet entirely under control of the voice ; 

 attaches himself readily to those who pet him, and when away from home on 

 the boat or on the cars, lies down to rest readily if his groom lies down with 

 him. While speaking of his intelligence, I will refer to the occasion of his 

 coming in collision while at speed upon the Waterville grounds. He was 

 run into, and his driver thrown out by parties going in opposite direction. 

 By this accident Knox suffered seriously, having his breast and the space 

 between his fore legs cut open nearly twenty inches long, and the skin 

 entirely taken off a space one foot square, and the muscle lacerated shock- 

 ingly ; yet in the presence of a large crowd, he, perfectly conscious of his 

 injury, allowed himself to be sewed up without halter or strap upon him or 

 moving from his tracks. When seven years old, Knox was drawn early 

 from the stud, to be prepared to meet the Drew stallion, Gen. McClellan, 

 then owned by G. M. Robinson, Esq., of Augusta, Mr. Robinson having by 

 letter expressed his desire to bring the two horses together. Knox was 

 fitted at the half-mile track at Skowhegan. He worked well in his private 

 trials, showed 2 130, 2 128, and once 2 126. The day of the race Robinson 

 declined to enter McClellan, he having been beaten a few days before, at the 

 Maine State Agricultural show at Portland, by Hiram Drew, and Hiram was 

 now present and had entered for the same sweepstakes. Knox beat Hiram 

 easily in three straight heats, without a break, in 2 132. Knox was fitted for 

 this race in 22 days from the service of the stud, having served 136 

 different mares since April. I then publicly withdrew Knox from the 

 track, but I was called upon to rally the horses of Maine, by the trustees 

 of the New England society, to meet and compete for the honors of 

 New England at the fair at Springfield. I did not assume to speak for 

 Maine, but I did assume to let Knox fight for the honor of Maine, in the 

 absence of any better horse, against the chance of his coming home 

 crestfallen. The result was Knox beat Draco and two other stallions who 

 entered against him, without a skip, in 2 131^, 2 -.37 and 2 134. Horsemen 

 who were there well know that Knox was held in hand the last half of each 

 heat, scarcely jogging to the score in the first heat, as I walked to the wire 

 with my hand upon the saddle, and for several rods before he passed the 

 wire on his fastest heat. Knox had that season served since April 112 

 different mares, and left 15 awaiting him when he left home for Spring- 

 field. In five days after leaving service I had him tried at Waterville, on a 

 half-mile track. He trotted in 2 130, and repeated in 2 128. I started for 

 Springfield on Thursday morning, arrived there Sunday morning, trotted 

 him Thursday, and came back to Boston same night, making in all 21 

 days from the' time he was drawn from service until he had traveled upon 

 cars and boat three days and nights without rest, won his race and was 

 bound home. I never saw him in such spirits and fine condition as while 

 at Springfield, and, after a close examination by the committee, he was 

 awarded the first stock premium, as well as for speed. Whether the horse 

 was looked upon as a trotter, the reader must judge, when I say that at a 

 public table four prominent horsemen of New England publicly offered me 

 15,000, $20,000, $25,000 and $30,000 for him the evening after the race. 

 If he was worth that for Massachusetts or New York, he was worth it for 

 Maine, and I brought him home. Knox hrs r-.ot trotted since except in 

 August, 1866. Although the horse was then in service, he was driven a half 

 mile, in the presence of many spectators, without a break, in 1:12. Since 

 April of the present year his' services have been called for each day, and 

 will be an increase on the service of any year. 



Mr. Helm, in his work enticed "American Roadsters and Trotting 



