298 TALES OF THE TURF. 



home of the Hiatoga, Tuckahoe, Cadmus, Camden, Bac- 

 chus, and other great families, whose blood is found in 

 many of the country's best performers. Ohio produced 

 the great Pocahontas, undoubtedly the fastest harness 

 horse that ever lived, and whose every drop of blood 

 sparkles like diamonds in pedigrees where found; potent 

 in the fastest stallion, by the crucial test of a public rec- 

 ord, that was ever foaled, Nelson, 2:10. The renowned 

 Smuggler, 2 :i$%, was bred in Ohio. The phenomenal star 

 of the "big" four," Sleepy Tom, saw the light of day on 

 the banks of the beautiful Scioto and the light went from 

 his eyes while being used for plebian purposes, before he 

 made himself king of pacers of his day. Blue Bull orig- 

 inally went from Ohio. The fame of "the dun mare from 

 Ohio" in so many great pedigrees became proverbial. 

 Shanghai Mary, dam of the marvelous Green Mountain 

 Maid, was "a mare of unknown breeding bought in 

 Ohio." I have seen her picture at Stony Ford. It shares 

 the place of honor with that of her great daughter, over 

 the door of the reception room. Hundreds have looked 

 at the picture of that rakish, angular sorrel mare, with 

 four white legs and a blaze, and returning again and 

 again with a feeling almost of awe, and a presentiment 

 that they were gazing on the picture of a queen of her 

 kind before asking the genial host, Charles Backman, the 

 question, "What mare is that." 



Mr. Backman spent a large sum of money in attempt- 

 ing to trace her pedigree, and sent a commissioner to Ohio 

 for that purpose, but without avail. To me there is a 

 peculiar fascination in that picture of a ragged-hipped, 

 clean-cut, do-or-die-looking faded sorrel mare. I told 

 Mr. Backman that she was in appearance, a typical Cad- 

 mus, and she is, having all the characteristics of that Ohio 



