SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
507 
The convention now adjonrned to accept the hospitality of 
the Entertainment Committee, who had three special cars at 
the depot at 3 p. m. to convey the guests to the far-famed Belle 
]\Ieade Stock Farm, about seven miles distant from the city, 
where they roamed through the spacious and model grounds 
and barns, viewing the premises and the stock. Under the 
guidance of General Cockrill, to whom pedigree and points are 
as A, B, C, the entire party of ladies and gentlemen were taken 
to the stall of each famous stallion, who occupies a twenty-foot 
stable, surrounded by an acre paddock. The stnd-groom would 
lead out the occupant, the guests would view his beautiful out¬ 
lines, and possibly criticise some acquired nnsonndness obtained 
in the struggles which gave him fame and entitled him to be 
placed among the galaxy of notables at Belle Meade ; General 
Cockrill would give his pedigree with all regard for details, and 
then the groom, “ Sam,” would go over his achievements, either 
in poetry or some drollery, which has made him also famous. 
First was Inspector B., the famous Dwyer race-horse ; then 
Luke Blackburn, now twenty years old, but as playful as a two- 
year-old ; then the world-famed Iroquois, the only American 
horse than ever won the English Derby, followed by imported 
Loyalist and Clarendon, while all were anxious to be shown 
that wonderful old blind sire of great ones. Great Tom, twenty- 
four years old, and blind from periodic ophthalmia for seven¬ 
teen years, but without tran.smitting that defect to any of his 
get. Upon his sides are the unsightly scars from severe 
blisters when suffering from pneumonia as a fonr-year-old, 
necessitating his retirement from the turf, and now, after twenty 
years, still raw in summer time from irritation. These 
marks were left by onr English cousins, and are simply remind¬ 
ers of the therapy of a past age. With ringbones, capped 
hocks, bursal enlargements, sightless sockets and revolting- 
sides, he came out of his stall at a trot, and when the inspec¬ 
tion was over galloped around his paddock as though he still 
enjoyed the delightful home furnished by his kind master in 
the evening of his useful life. The large herd of Jerseys were 
inspected during the milking hour, after which the guests 
assembled in a fantastic group upon the steps and veranda of 
the colonial homestead, where photographs were taken of the 
interesting spectacle, and from a half-finished copy shown the 
next day it is a splendid specimen of photographic art, each 
face being as distinct as if its possessor were sitting for a por¬ 
trait. Major McCann, who had by this time come to be 
