Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-07-14
A WASHOE HORSE.
How Tobacco Plant" has Come OUT
Cured of the Poll Evil, and Worth
$40. 600.

now Tobacco rant mas ZONE Out.-
Cured of the Poll Evil, and Worth
100000.
From the Virginia (Nev.) Enterprise.
To hear that the celebrated trot-
ting horse ''Tobacco Plant" lately
sold in Illinois for $4,000, is OF
Washoc origin, will doubtless be
new to the majority of our readers.
Speaking of "Tobacco Plant" the
Springfield, Ill.,, FTcld and Farm, of
May %, says:
"This remarkable horse, sold day
before yesterday by Mr.. j. II. Rob
erts to Captain Amos Hendrick for
$4,000, was long considered of lit
tie value, and has never before been
sold for sum at all correspondent
with its real worth; but in this the
case of Tobacco Plant is not sin
gular. Flora Temple when four
years Of age, was sold for Sl3, and
again for sos. In 1852 she was sold
for 1900, and in 1853 for $4,000,
to VIM. M. Donald, Of Baltimore
1t is said that Robert Bonner's
agent arrived in this city yesterday,
empowered to offer Mr.. Roberts
$4,000 for "Tobacco Plant" He
was one day too late, however, and
his present owner will not part with
him. Mr.. Roberts purchased "To-
bacco Plant" less than year ago,
in Salt Lake City, for $4,000, of a
Chicago man, who brought him
from the State of Nevada. In Salt
Lake the horse was known as
wv oodpecLer,' and was bad with
the hcaves, yet he could make his
mile inside of 2:40."
The Deseret Xeruld, of May Goth,
quotes the above, and adds:
"The Chicago man referred to is
James p. Macneil, now of this city,
who bought 'Woodpecker' Of one
Philander Ferguson, less than two
years ago, for $3.50, the horse at
that time being known as 'Bccswax,'
and being much reduced with the
glanders; but Macneil saw that he
had stuff in him, and by careful
nursing and training brought him
out, and, but for the heavcs setting
in, would doubtless have sold him
for $l5. 900 or more.
,'The most wonderful part of TO
bacco Plants" history remains to
be told. We learn, through Mr..
Ferguson, that this now famous
horse is no other than the one-cyed
animal formerly owned by Patsy
Foy, of this city, and driven by him
about our streets in his regular
rounds with his swill cart. He was
then called Jim and besides being
blind of an eye was badly off with
the poll-evil. Furguson thought he
saw something in the horse, and
gave Patsy torty-fve dollars for
him. lie cured Jim of the poll
evil and got him a glass eye, which
improved his appearance greatly.
Ferguson used to train 'Jim,' or
Bceswax,' as he called him, regu-
larly on the race track, north of the
city, taking him out nearly every
day, and finally got 2:35 out Of him.
1t was about this time that Macneil
first noticed the horse, Ferguson be-
ing in the habit of dashing wildly
along c street in his sulky every
day. Ferguson says that but for
the horse taking the glandcrs, he
would have got at least $500 out of
Macneil for him. Patsey Foy got
the horse Of n Piutc Indian who
picked him up when thrcc-ycar-
old, on the plains, giving the red
skin an old shotgun and plug of
dog-lcg tobacco for him. At that
time the horse had a sore back and
was badly alkalied; he even had no
name, name or tail, but Patsy called
him 'Jim,' after the Indian from
whom he got him, and by liberal
use OF swill brought out his name
and tail and some of his good quail
tues, but 4 too liberal use of the
butt of his whip resulted in the poll
cV,l and the loss of an eye, and he
sold nm well, as he thought, to Fer
guson for s45. Now see what he is
making his mile in 2I4a, and
cannot be bought for $4,000.