The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-03-06

TwOmbly, then deceased, and bought
by Albert Mathes, also of Durham, n.
H., for $40. Mr.. Mathes kept the colt
until past four years old, when he sold
him to Col. Benjami Thurston, of
Lowell, Mass, for 5000. These facts
have long been matter of record. As
he was always owned and kept i'll the
town of Durham, n. H., before passing
into the hands of Benjamin Thurston,
he cOul6 not have been the black four
year-old stallion, which, with drove
of horses bought in Canada, spent one
night at Mr.. Centres place in Grand
Isle county, Vt. Black Hawk was
owned by Mr.. Thurston until 1874,
when Mr.. Noble Hill of this CITY, and
his father, the late Mr.. David Hill OF
Bridport, VT, purchased him for about
$500
While owned by Mr.. Thurston he
was used chiefly for his private driv-
ing, but occasionally appeared upon
the turf in contests of speed with the
celebrate trotters of his time, most of
which re beat with ease. la 1912 he
trotted five miles over the Cambridge
Park course in sixteen minutes. Oct.
3, lS43, he won a race of twO-mile
heats, best two in three, easily defeat
ing Diving Sergeant and jim, in 5 '43,
5:4S, 5 Al. Early in the season of lS47
Mr.. Solomon Jewett arranged with the
proprietors of Black Hawk to challenge
the United States and Canada to match
any entire horse in America against
him for purse of $500, under the fol-
lowing conditions: "That the points
considered should be: first, perfectness
of symmetry; second, ease and ele-
gance of action third, best and most
perfectly broken to harness; fourth,
the fastest trotting to single harness;
the contest to take place during the
New York State fair. which occurred
at Saratoga Springs, the following aut-
umn."
This challenge was not accepted, but
led to trotting match between Black
Hawk and a stallion of Messenger de-
scent, known as Morse's Gray. The
race came off the day after Black Hawk
closed season in the stud of 1856
mares, which rendered it impossible to
give him any suitable preparation for
fast trotting. An eyewitness of the
race states that the first heat was won
by Black Hawk, with great ease, in
about 2: 30 l-2, the Morse horse being
nearly distance out at the finish. The
second eat was easily won by Black
Hawk in 2 :43 l.2, with Morse's Gray
about twice as far in the rear as in the
previous heat. According to the best
authority, Black Hawk stood about fif-
teen hands high, and weighed, in ordi-
nary condition, about go pounds. In
strength and beauty of form, elegance
of carriage, ease and elasticity of &C.
ton, and fine, cheerful disposition,
combined with great endurance and all
the other qualities requisite in first
class roadster and trotter, he far sur.
passed any other stallion of his day and
has probably never had an equal out
side the Morgan family.
The first season he spent at Bridport
his patronage was light the terms of
service, $40 to warrant, being cOnsid-
cred unreasonably high; but when the
few foals he got made their appearance
the following season, breeders were at
once convinced of his merit as a stock
horse, and from that time forward his
books were always full, the service fee
being advanced to $40 without war.
rant the second year, $40 the third and
1856 mares, $50 the fourth and 1856
mares; $50 the fifth and POO mares; aft
er which the price was fixed at 500
the season, adva Gced payment requir-
ed, the number of mares being limited
to 100 per year. Previous to going to
Bridport he got very few foals, so that
his stud service was really limited to a
period of about twelve years, from
1874 to the date of his death, which oc-
CURED at Bridport, VT, in November,
1886. The total net amount of hi,
earnings in the stud were considerably
upwards of $50, 900, about $50, 100 of
which were received by his owners
during the last two years of his life.
The impression has prevailed to some
extent among those who have not TAX
Ell the trouble to examine the records,
that the descendants OF Black Hawk
did not possess sufficient speed to give
them prominent place among the dis
tinguished trotting families. 1t is not
in accordance with the provisions of
tie or horses to excel every other
in all desirable qualities. Every
one acquainted with turf matters
huOWs l1dL Ine ltduDlelONlan FAMILY
is 80 far superior to any other in point
of speed as to admit of no comparison,
but the Vermont Black Hawks are Sec
ond only to the Hambetonians, Judged
by the number OF performers found in
the 80 list
A careful examination of the tables
at the close of the season of 1888 showed
that of the 1904 performers in the 2:3O
list whose breeding was known, 439
traced directly back in the male line to
Rysdyk's Hambletonian. Vermont
Black Hawk aud his SONS had furnish
ed 2O3, and seventy-three OF these came
through Ethan Allen and his descend
ants. Andrew jackson, by Young
Bashaw, had contributed 1853 perform
ers. These included the CIiys, with
the several branches of that family,
prominent among which are the Patch
ems. They also included the Long Is
land Black Hawks, from which sprung
the Bashaws, yet Vermont BlacN
Hawks descendants outnumber them
by nearly twenty per cent. The pac.
ing stock of the country was represent
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