THE IMPOETING RECORD TO 1870 141 



The transactions of Brown & Bigelow that season 

 will serve to illustrate the nature of the business as 

 carried on in that distant day. Importers of the 

 present time will be interested in the following par- 

 ticulars : 



Black Leopard 50 was the dearest horse of the lot, 

 costing 3,020 francs, or $604, in France. He was con- 

 sidered by Mr. Bigelow the best horse he ever saw 

 and after making many very profitable seasons at 

 ^20 the mare he was sold at the age of sixteen for 

 $1,000. Diligence 137 cost $364, was sold for $2,500, 

 and stood all his life at $20. Coburg, the stallion that 

 covered 100 mares and never got one of them with 

 foal, cost $264: in France and brought $2,500. Two- 

 thirds of this price was on time and the notes were 

 returned. Dictator 134 cost $620. An offer of $3,000 

 was refused for him. He made ten big seasons at 

 $20 a mare. Vigorous 486 was acquired for $204 and 

 found a buyer at $2,200. There seems to have been 

 no direct connection between size and price, as the 

 two highest priced stallions in this lot. Dictator and 

 Black Leopard, were in the order written the largest 

 and the smallest in it. The average price paid for 

 the five stallions abroad was $413, but as gold was 

 at a premium they actually cost the average previ- 

 ously named. 



From all accounts the three lighter stallions in 

 this lot. Black Leopard, Diligence and Vigorous, all 

 weighing from 1,600 to 1,650 pounds, did quite as 

 good business in the stud as the larger Dictator, 

 which scaled 1,900 pounds. The heavier sorts were 



