&\jz Norseman. 
BLAIR ATHOL. 
On Saturday, September 2, there died at 
Pound Stud Farm, near Cobharn, England, 
one of the most celebrated race-horses and 
sires of race horses England has ever pro¬ 
duced. In what part of the civilized world 
are not the name and fame of Blair Athol 
familiar as household words among the pat¬ 
rons of the turf and well known to every 
lover of speedy horse-flesh! The son of Stock- 
well out of Blink Bonney, both winners of the 
"Blue Ribbon of the Turf,” he was. foaled in 
18(U, so that he was just SI year* old at the 
time of his death, which was due to inflamma¬ 
tion of the lungs and kidneys. He was bred 
by the late William I’Anson, who entered him 
in seven races, all of which h** won except the 
Grand Prize of Paris, which he ran after a 
tempestuous passage across the Channel, and 
the Great Yorkshire Stakes, in which his 
defeat was looked upon as one of those 
inseparable from a turf career, brought Jack¬ 
son’s life to an early end shortly after his pur¬ 
chase of Blair Athol, and on the sale of his 
stud by auction the famous stallion was pur¬ 
chased for 5,000 guineas by the late Mr. Blen- 
kiron, of Middle Park, Eltham, where he re¬ 
mained for several years. At the death of 
Mr. Blenkiron the Middle Park 8tud was dis¬ 
posed of by auction, and its celebrated head 
was bought for the unprecedented price of 
12,500 guineas by the managers of the disas¬ 
trous bubble company, the Cobham Stud 
Farm, which, after a reckless career of a few 
years, collapsed last Fall, whereupon Blair 
Athol was bought by Mr, Steward, owner of 
the Pound Stud, for 1,950 guineas. Just be¬ 
fore the attack that ended bis career he is de¬ 
scribed as presenting an appearance of being 
in his wonted robust health and vigor with 
nothing in the shape of hollow back or wasted 
quarters to indicate that he had attained the 
years of man’s majority. 
The progeny of Blair Athol, a host in them¬ 
selves, have all been very fast horses, but it Is 
charged that few of them have been good 
stayers, and many of them have had a ten¬ 
dency to *• roaring.” Among the most cele- 
Vnrimts. 
ACROSS NEBRASKA. 
A trip over the Sioux City and Pacific 
Railway. The Fertile Elkorn Valley. 
Cities aid Towns upon the route. 
MESSRS. HOLMES AND SWEETLAND. 
(Special correspondents or the Rcrax. New-Yorker.) 
Tx a letter published in the Rural New- 
Yorker on August 12th, we gave the general 
impressions made on our minds during our 
trip, and promised ourselves the pleasure of 
writing further on the subject at some future 
time, giving the many readers of the Rural 
accurate ideas regarding the interesting towns 
and villages which we tarried during our trip. 
After leaving Missouri Valley, which is n 
the western part of Iowa, we very soon reach 
the dark, turbulent Missouri River which 
Taylor has likened to a restless sleeper because 
it cannot be made to stay in its bed. The 
entire train (engine excepted) is here pushed 
upon the large ferries plying at this point and 
unusually good. Washington County, of 
which Blair is the county seat, was organized 
in 1854 and ’55 and lies between the Missouri 
and Elkhorn rivers. It has a population of 
about 10,000 of which a considerable propor¬ 
tion are Germans. It is a well watered 
section, with natural timber skirting the 
streams and a soil whose fertility is unques¬ 
tioned. Wells average about 25 feet in depth 
and the water is good. This is a stock feeding 
rather than a stock raising county, and the 
consequence is a predominance of fiae blood 
and graded Btock, principally Short horn. 
Fuel is not unusually high for this region, 
anthracite coal brings $12 59 per ton: bitumin¬ 
ous, $5 00 per ton, and soft wood, $5 00 per 
cord. Fair to good lands may he purchased 
in this county at from $12. to $15 per ac 
light lands for grazing at from $6 to $8 and 
improved farms at from $25 to $35. per acre, 
all on long time. Sales can be made of Native 
grasses at from 50 to 75c. per acre. The 
reader must bear in mind the close proximity 
to market and the age of this county, iu 
noting the prices. Blair has superior school 
facilities, many churches, a refined and 
elevated society, good banks, hotels and busi- 
A & 
‘/'Mr: 
BLAIR ATHOL. (After London Sporting News)—F ig. 345. 
unaccountable mishaps that render rac¬ 
ing a synonym for uncertainty. Hav¬ 
ing won the Derby in 1801, he followed up 
the victory' by a triumph in the St. Ledger, 
after which performance he was witbdrawu 
permauently from the turf and sold for 
stud purposes to Jobu Jackson, a leviathan 
of the bettiug ring in those days, who had 
risen from the pi >w tail to great wealth by 
successful bettiug, and had established a fine 
breeding stud at Fairfield within sight of the 
towers of York’s famous cathedral. Here 
Blair soon obtained great celebrity as a Btal- 
lion, so that although his fee was 100 
guineas, his list was always full. Late 
hours aud the other dissipations apparently 
brated of his “get” are Craig Miller, winner 
of the St. Ledger in 1875; Silvio, winner of 
the Derby and St. Ledger in 1877; Prince 
Charlie, winner of the Two Thousand Gui¬ 
neas, and Scotch Queen and Cecilia, both 
winners of the One Thousand Guineas. Blair 
Athol was u white-faced chestnut, with a very 
haudsome, thoroughbred bead aud excellent 
form except that his fore legs were thought a 
trifle faulty by captious critics. The white 
splash on his face, too, was thought a blemish, 
so far as looks were concerned, In view of 
his high lineage, his distinguished bearing, 
his seusatioual turf career,and his success as a 
stallion, it will be some time before England 
will again see the peer of Blair Athol. 
owned by the railroad company, and we are 
in a very few moments in Nebraska. 
As soon as the “bottoms” are passed and we 
have admired and wondered at the large 
amount of rip-rapping and piling which has 
been put in, iu order to make the track sub¬ 
stantial and safe and to prevent the sluggish 
waters, in their rise, from making a clean 
sweep, we are whirled into the city of Blair. 
Blair, Neb., contains some 3,000 inhabi¬ 
tants and is very nicely laid out. with wide 
streets and abundant shade trees. The busi¬ 
ness community is made up of active, enter¬ 
prising business men. Many new T brick build¬ 
ings are being erected and the opportunity 
here afforded for the investment of capital is 
j ness blocks and is certainly a very pleasant 
place to look upon. 
Arlington is the next station of import¬ 
ance west of Blair, lying about 40 feet above 
the railroad grade in Washington County, 
and surrounded by farmiug lands of very fine 
quality. It has a town site of great beauty. 
The character of the surmuuding soil is deep, 
rich and warm. Having a population of 
.about 500. there are good schools, churches, 
public halls, etc., and the people evince a very 
commendable progressive spirit. Several of 
the business men presented to us the advan¬ 
tages which would accrue to capital if invested 
hero in creamery interests or a pork packing 
establishment. “ Belle Creek” is the name of 
