ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS 991 



not say, but I think some 35 or 36 years ago. Her color was a bright bay, 15% hands, well 

 made, nice style and one of the best \valkers, and Norris said he could drive her with two 

 to wagon in 2 150. When I got her he kept livery in Houston street. That was all the place I 

 knew him. He owned old Abdallah before he got the Black Hawk; the last was a brown or 

 dark bay, about 15 hands, with bob tail; what her name was I can not tell. I do not 

 think he had her when I got the old Ab of him. You want to know whether he kept a 

 livery stable when I got her; he did, and think he must have some nine or ten years. He 

 put the old mare in the hackney coach or wagon. What mare he called Dolly I don't know. 

 I think they called her old Abdallah. 



The old Ike Vermilia is no relation tome. He was quite a horseman, an old man; 

 I think he was a Dutchman, and had a contract for lighting the street lamps, and was quite 

 intimate with Norris and came out and bought two horses in this place. I was in Xorris' 

 stable with a gray horse when he came in and put up with D. Xorris. I went out the next 

 day with old Vermilia with his fast mare, a dark bay, and drove a gray horse that was fast; 

 I beat them both, and I traded the gray for old Ab and got $200 boot, and Norris sold the 

 gray to Ike Vermilia for $400, which was thought to be a good price at that day. The old 

 Ab and the Black Hawk were all the horses he kept for his own driving. I sent you Butler's 

 letter and suppose you got it. He is the best posted. I have held considerable cor- 

 respondence with him and went down to the Fashion Stud P'arm. He was then foreman for 

 Smith. 



I will now give you a history of old Ab's colts. I traded her with John B. Decker in 

 Sussex county, N. J., near Orange county, N. V., an old farmer with 300 acres. He gave 

 me a good four-year-old bay horse for her. He took her to Cassius M. Clay and she had a 

 horse colt; but at five months it was hooked by a bull and died. The next foal, from the 

 same sire, was a horse colt, which he raised and called Dan Webster. Then by a horse in 

 Deckertown called Black Morgan she had a black filly; next a black filly by a fast horse call- 

 ed Flying Frenchman. Then he took her to Seal Edsall's Hambletonian, afterwards sold 

 to Kentucky, and called Alexander's Abdallah ; and I could have bought her colt of him, when five 

 or six years old, for $300. I missed a good bargain, but had I bought her I should not have 

 developed Ijer as Goldsmith did. I suppose, take her altogether, she was the greatest trotter 

 in the world 2 114 at 17 years old. 



Mr. Butler told me she made over 250,000. Lucy generally went the circuit with her 

 and beat her once in 2:18; but I understand that was sold because they could make by it. 

 If you want anything more I shall be glad to give it to you. I am an old man, 84 the 4th 

 of April. Yours truly, 



MANNING VERMEULE. 



BALTIMORE, March 5, 1888. 

 MR. JOSEPH BATTELL, 



Dear Sir : Your favor of the 2Oth inst. reached me by due course of mail, but I have 

 delayed answering until now in the hopes that my memory might recall some definite recol- 

 lection of the Abdallah mare referred to in your letter as having belonged to the late Dan- 

 iel Norris, but regret to say after the lapse of more than thirty-five years I cannot now do so. 



The mare "Dolly," whose pedigree you have easily traced through the late H. D. Liv- 

 ingston, is the only animal belonging to the late Win. Norris, at that time, that I retain any 

 distinct recollection of, nor do I know of any one now living who could enlighten you on the 

 subject unless it might be Mr. Wilson of 17 East loth street, New York (livery stables), 

 whose late brother, James Wilson, was a former partner of Norris about the years 1 840 or 

 '50. Norris had, when in Houston street, a foreman by the name of Farr, who, most pro- 

 bably not now living, had two sons, who were, about the time I refer to, connected with the 

 Houston street stable. Wilson might be able to give you some trace of one or other of these 

 sons, or it is not impossible that he (Wilson) might have some recollection of the mare. 

 Hoping that you may yet be successful in obtaining the information you desire, and regretting 



