138 THE TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 



the property of Washington Costsr of New York. The 

 race was three-mile heats, in harness, over the CentrevUle 

 Course, for one thousand dollars a side ; and Awful won it 

 easily in two heats. I afterwards beat him several times 

 with Dutchman, but shall reserve reciting the facts until 

 we come down to the career of that horse. On the day set 

 down for the race between Lady Blanche and Awful, the 

 mare was led on to the course by Mr. Treadwell, his farmer 

 John being already in the saddle to ride her. Much to the 

 disappointment of many, forfeit was declared on the part 

 of Awful. After that Mr. Treadwell used to drive Lady 

 Blanche on the road, in an old stick sulky that he had got, 

 and he put her through some sharp work. At a later 

 period, Tom Hyer had her, and banged her up and down 

 the roads and all about New York for a long time. He 

 always thought a vast deal of this gray mare ; and, if she 

 had not inherited the cast-steel qualities of the Messenger 

 tribe, I doubt whether she would ever have recovered from 

 the efiects of his system of driving. 



The mare was getting on in years, all battered up, and 

 apparently worn out ; so Tom Hyer sold her in the ring at 

 TattersaU's- for less than one hundred dollars. Mr. George 

 Hopkins bought her, and sent her to the West, — to Wis- 

 consin, I believe. She was there until she was more than 

 twenty years old, when he got her back, and sold her to Mr. 

 S. D. Hoagland. Her capacity as a trotter at such an age 

 was very remarkable. She was either twenty-three or 

 twenty-four years old, — probably the latter, — when she 

 went against Snowdrop and Beppo on the Union Course. 

 Snowdrop was a white gelding, fifteen hands high, — a 

 handsome horse: I drove him. Beppo, a chestnut, scant 

 fifteen hands, and a stylish stepper, was driven by Dan 

 Pfifer. The old mare, driven by Sim Hoagland, won it in 

 four heats, the best of which was 2.43, or thereabouts. The 

 next week. Lady Blanche \qA Beppo went to wagons, the 

 same drivers. Hoagland's weight at that time was fKm 



