The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-08-06
A REMARKABLE ANIMAL.
Old "Romp," of jackson, Aged Fifty-one
Years--The Oldest Horse Known to the
Present Generation.

Old "Romp," of jackson, Aged Fifty-one
Years--The Oldest Horse Known to the
Present Generation.
Undoubtedly the most remarkable
horse in the world-at least so far as age
is concerned-is now owned in this city.
He was foaled in the town of Clarence,
Erie county, n. Y, the property of Col.
Cronk, at the time large breeder of
race horses, in June 1924, and is, con-
sequently, 81 years old. We have OBJ
tained the following interesting history
of this venerable animal
The sire of 4" Romp," for that was the
name given at his birth, was the race
horse Dragon, who was noted as a win
ner at all distances. The dam of
"Romp" was an imported English mare,
taken at the battle of Lundy's Lane, in
1912, from an English officer, and pur-
chased by Col. Cronk and kept on his
farm for breeding purposes. In the
spring of 1927 the colt Romp," then
three years old, was purchased of Col.
Cronk by p. l.. Carter of this city, and
broken by him for race horse. In his
trials he proved to be a very fast run
ner.
Ia the autumn of 1927 Mr.. Carter
made match to run Romp against a
horse that was travelling through the vii
lage of Alexandria, Genesee county, n.
Y, for $500. Tue horses started in the
race, but before the close of the mile
Romp stepped on a rolling stone and
broke his near ankle, which so disabled
him that he could not finish the race.
Mr.. Carter, Disguised with the whole af-
fair, of losing his horse and the race,
looked about for some person TO kill the
animal and put an end to his misery. A
farmer i'll the neighborhood offered to
take the horse home, on account of his
remarkable symmetry and beautiful
points, and pay Mr.. Carter SO for him,
and try and cure his broken limb. The
purchase being made, the horse was
placed in sling obtained in a black.
smiths shop near by, such as was used
for shoeing oxen, the bones of the ankle
put in place rs well as could be, and in
two years he was we'll enough to DO or
dinary work on farm.
Mr.. Carter retained the interest he at
first manifested in the recovery of his
favorite animal, and frequently visited
him while he remained in New York.
In 1886 Mr.. Carter moved TO this city,
where he now resides. In his various
visitings to his old home in New York
he always paid his old favorite visit,
until the year 1854, when he found that
he had been sold to come West, and he
lost track of him. In the fall of 1858,
however, he saw the old horse in the
southern part of this county, and imme-
diately bought him and brought him
to his own home in this city. After u.s.
ing him in n buggy for two years and
the horse getting little clumsy, on ac-
count of his stiff ankle, he sold him to
Mr.. A. j. Henderson, who put him into
team for hauling coal from the coal
mines in Spring Arbor to this city, a
distance of four miles. In this coal
wagon he has worked every day Sunday
excepteD for fifteen years. The usual
weight of load of coal is a little more
than two tons, and this horse has been
half of the team, without the loss of a
single meal by sickness or any other
cause, and has seen six good young
horses die, one after the other, in trying
to mate him in his daily round of labor.
jackson Patriot